5 UFC fighters who are masters of psychological warfare

The UFC has witnessed a number of mind-boggling physical feats carried out by some of the best MMA fighters ever. The octagon has seen punches, elbows, knees, and kicks galore. There have also been a variety of chokeholds, joint locks, and other submission techniques and holds at display.

Nevertheless, there's more to the art of fighting than mere physicality. Be it the ancient arts of Kalaripayattu and pankration or the modern combat forms like MMA, most major martial arts doctrines allude to fighting being influenced by physical, mental, and spiritual factors.

Mind, body, spirit — elements that define a martial artist. Today, we look at the mind and briefly examine five fighters who happen to be masters at psychological warfare.

---

#5 Tom Aspinall

In July 2022, Tom Aspinall headlined a UFC Fight Night card in his native, England. On the cusp of a title shot, he suffered a mid-fight knee injury and lost via first-round TKO to Curtis Blaydes.

Regardless, Aspinall later shared a beer with Blaydes and refused to let the anticlimactic loss dampen his youthful spirit. He bounced back with knockout victories over Marcin Tybura and Sergei Pavlovich and is the current interim UFC heavyweight champion.

The ability to rise from a devastating defeat is indicative of Aspinall's bulletproof mental defense. As for his offensive mental warfare, it's his confidence that breaks his rivals. The unwavering self-belief with which he interacts with friends and foes isn't something one can feign. He needn't raise his voice or cuss to intimidate his rivals. Instead, he craftily utilizes his friendly and sociable demeanor to test them.

A notable example came when he greeted UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones at an event earlier this year. Aspinall placed his hand on Jones' shoulder, and the latter pushed it away. Ironically, 'Bones,' too, is a masterful mental warrior. Aspinall intelligently maintained his composure despite Jones brushing his hand aside.

---

#4 Alex Pereira and Sean Strickland

Former UFC middleweight champion and reigning UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira has achieved MMA superstardom despite abstaining from excessive trash talk and promotional tactics of that ilk. On the contrary, former UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland is the antithesis of Pereira.

Since returning from his motorcycle accident-induced MMA hiatus (Oct. 2018-Oct. 2020), Strickland's been one of the most outspoken fighters. His myriad of purportedly incendiary socio-political statements have earned him support from some and condemnation from others.

Incidentally, they clashed in a middleweight title eliminator in July 2022, with Pereira winning via first-round KO. 'Tarzan' subsequently trained with Pereira. Their juxtaposition helps highlight how either persona could faze opponents.

Pereira's stoic, unemotional approach sends shivers down an opponent's spine. Ironically, after beating Strickland, 'Poatan' implied that he'd initially feared Strickland because of his accomplishments. Apparently, he had it under control, but the fear increased when the American fighter stared him down inside the octagon.

'Poatan' suggested that he felt Strickland was willing to kill him. Pereira's statements prove how Strickland's fight-to-the-death code and brash persona can manipulate even the strongest minds. To his credit, Pereira showcased his mental fortitude by holding his nerve and beating 'Tarzan.'

Furthermore, a recent example of Pereira's stoicism being an exceptional psychological warfare tactic came against former divisional kingpin Jiri Prochazka. The Czech combatant implied that Pereira had used shamanic magic to beat him in their first encounter. 'Poatan' later defeated Prochazka via TKO in their rematch as well.

---

#3 Conor McGregor — Combat sports megastar

Former UFC featherweight and lightweight champion Conor McGregor hasn't competed since suffering a gruesome mid-fight leg injury at UFC 264 (July 2021). He was booked to return in a welterweight bout against Michael Chandler at UFC 303 (June 2024) but withdrew due to a toe injury.

Recency bias and McGregor's polarizing personality oftentimes lead some fans to discredit his accomplishments. Regardless, it's undeniable that he's a warrior extraordinaire! He possesses a mammoth business empire, a legacy as one of the biggest box office draws in combat sports history, and the Midas touch.

None of that would've been possible if it weren't for his initial UFC success. He succeeded at getting under the skin of legends like Jose Aldo, Eddie Alvarez, Dustin Poirier (whom he's 1-2 against), Khabib Nurmagomedov, and more. Even in defeat, notably against Nurmagomedov, McGregor's defiance and confidence are inextinguishable.

McGregor has an uncanny ability to transform from a cordial entrepreneur to a witty, trash-talking combatant who's willing to trade blows with anyone, anywhere, anytime.

The Irishman has also proven his prowess in avenging major defeats, most prominently his triumph in his rematch against Nate Diaz. Despite his lengthy hiatus, McGregor has maintained megastar status simply by way of his powerful mind and silver tongue. 'The Notorious' is a master at utilizing the power of words (in his social media posts, interviews, etc.) to assert dominance.

---

#2 Stipe Miocic

Stipe Miocic is stoicism personified. However, he's more forthcoming than someone like Alex Pereira and can respond in kind to an opponent's trash talk. Miocic had two separate reigns as the UFC heavyweight champion thus far and is currently eyeing a third.

Miocic is known to firmly establish boundaries with his opponents. He won't befriend his foes, nor will he lose control and get into a street fight or other such unnecessary situations. Furthermore, he crafted an excellent template he set for up-and-coming fighters to learn from.

Heading into his first fight against the formidable Francis Ngannou at UFC 220 (Jan. 2018), the UFC and many fans had already deemed Ngannou as the winner. Well, Miocic upset the apple cart and dominated Ngannou en route to a unanimous decision victory, shattering his foe's confidence, which showed in 'The Predator's' ensuing fight.

Miocic's calm demeanor enabled him to stay laser-focused despite the whole world seemingly being against him before that matchup. Additionally, his stoicism and silence across the octagon sent a loud message to Ngannou that the Cleveland native feared nothing.

---

#1 Jon Jones — UFC heavyweight champion

UFC heavyweight kingpin Jon Jones is expected to defend his title in his long-awaited fight against Stipe Miocic, potentially this November. Meanwhile, Tom Aspinall is booked to defend his interim UFC heavyweight title in a rematch against Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304 (July 27, 2024). It's believed that the two fights' winners would clash in a heavyweight title unifier.

Jon Jones' shoving of Tom Aspinall's hand earlier this year became a hot-button topic, with many pointing out that it showed Jones' alertness in not letting a potential opponent analyze his reach and physicality. A few others deemed it an act of subtle hostility, whereby 'Bones' reminded his younger counterpart that respect can exist but friendship is a bridge too far.

Jones' psychological warfare is on a level that most mortals may never comprehend, let alone achieve, in their lives. 'Bones' uses psychological tactics like deflection and territorial behavior to rattle his foes. Akin to McGregor, he can effortlessly oscillate between being friendly and hostile. He's unafraid of trash talk and/or changing the dynamics of his relationship with an opponent.

The 36-year-old maintains his larger-than-life aura to near-perfection, terrifying his opponents and implying that there's no line he won't cross to win.