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The UFC would be a very different place without trash-talkers. Much of the promotion's historical success has been due to the sharp wits and venomous tongues of its most infamous trash-talkers. Without Tito Ortiz's brash personality, there would have been no feud with Ken Shamrock.
Their feud is widely recognized as one of the most important rivalries in MMA history and has been credited with saving the UFC from near-financial ruin. Similarly, Conor McGregor—the sport's most notorious, no pun intended, trash-talker—is responsible for the five most successful PPVs in the promotion's history.
Unfortunately, trash talk comes with certain risks. If a trash-talker defeats their opponent, they look incredible. But if they suffer a loss after exhaustive amounts of trash talk, they become the subject of mockery. In severe cases, even their images are tarnished. These cases, along with others, are covered in this list.
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#5. Alexander Hernandez vs. Donald Cerrone, UFC Fight Night 143
Most fans remember UFC Fight Night 143 for being the night that Henry Cejudo stunned the world after he TKO'd T.J. Dillashaw within 32 seconds of the first round. What some forget, however, is the preliminary main event between Donald Cerrone and Alexander Hernandez.
During the leadup to their bout, 'The Great Ape' was extremely cocky and launched a series of verbal attacks against his foe. He spoke highly of himself while dismissing 'Cowboy' as a geriatric jester who was just an obstacle on his path to divisional supremacy.
He referred to Cerrone as an active participant and stepping stone. Unfortunately, Hernandez's performance inside the octagon didn't match the venom of his words, which he was made to eat courtesy of a second-round TKO after 'Cowboy' sent him tumbling towards the mat with a head kick.
#4. Colby Covington vs. Kamaru Usman 2, UFC 268
Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington are often regarded as the two best welterweights in the world, even as Leon Edwards now sits on the UFC's 170 lbs throne. So it doesn't surprise anyone to know that 'Chaos' and 'The Nigerian Nightmare' have locked horns twice.
Their initial clash ended in controversial fashion, at least according to 'Chaos' himself. He was on the wrong end of a fifth-round TKO after referee Marc Goddard called a stop to the bout after several unanswered shots. Covington protested the stoppage and gradually claimed that Usman was gifted the win.
He subsequently accused his rival of abusing PEDs, especially EPO, and even disparaged his wrestling skills. Thus, the pair were scheduled for a rematch at UFC 268. Usman showcased his vastly improved striking, scoring two knockdowns against 'Chaos' before defeating him once more, this time by unanimous decision.
#3. Conor McGregor vs. Dustin Poirier 3, UFC 264
The history between Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier is long. Their first bout, which took place in 2014, ended in the Irishman's favor. Their second bout, however, went 'The Diamond's' way. Thus, a trilogy bout was the only natural conclusion.
In a departure from his respectful conduct during their initial rematch, 'The Notorious' was exceptionally venomous towards his bitter rival in the leadup to UFC 264. He targeted his wife with personal insults before repeatedly threatening to kill him and swearing that his foe would leave the arena on a stretcher.
In an ironic twist of fate, it was McGregor who left the arena on a stretcher after snapping his lower shin in half in the first round. The very same promises the Irishman made about Poirier ended up happening to him.
#2. Chael Sonnen vs. Anderson Silva 2, 148
At UFC 117, Chael Sonnen came within a hair's breadth of shocking the world. He spent the better part of five rounds outwrestling and outpacing Anderson Silva. But in the dying moments of the bout, 'The Spider' locked his foe in a triangle-choke, forcing 'The American Gangster' to surrender.
Their highly anticipated rematch took place two years later. Before their scheduled bout, Sonnen unleashed a hailstorm of trash talk. He initially claimed that he was offering Silva a chance to redeem himself. He further attacked his foe's country with verbal vitriol and even threatened to slap Silva's wife on her buttocks.
He poked fun at the Brazilian's use of a translator by asserting that he spoke perfect English. Unfortunately, for Sonnen, his trash-talking performance wasn't replicated in the cage as he suffered a second-round TKO against the man he claimed would need to be a magician to beat him.
#1. Conor McGregor vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov, UFC 229
The feud between Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov is deeply personal. It first started after 'The Eagle' took exception to how the Irishman's teammate and fellow Russian, Artem Lobov, spoke about him after being asked about a potential matchup between the Dagestani phenom and 'The Notorious'.
Nurmagomedov confronted Lobov, and the rest is history. After a bout between 'The Eagle' and McGregor was scheduled for UFC 229, the trash-talk floodgates opened. The Irishman targeted everything about his rival from his religion and family to his political allegiances while promising to give him a brutal beating.
But once the bout took place, the undefeated Dagestani grappler dominated his foe en route to a fourth-round submission win. All the promises McGregor made prior to the bout went up in smoke as he suffered the most lopsided loss of his career.
