The business is in doldrums, and the competitor is miles ahead... who do you count on, in a situation like this? The answer is simple; you bestow your faith in Stone Cold Steve Austin and take a leap of faith, only, that leap of faith would take you farther than you’d ever imagine. The best anti-hero that the World Wrestling Entertainment ever produced was the unrelenting rattlesnake who succoured the business from falling apart when it was pitted against bitter rivals, WCW. He could fight, he could talk trash, and he could drink a lot of beer. But did you know, there exist Austin-esque personalities in the UFC too?
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Here are 5 UFC fighters who are a lot like Stone Cold:
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#5 Michael Bisping
Those who passionately follow the UFC would know that Michael Bisping is the typical anti-thesis to a do-gooder. Known for his brash statements and abrasive personality, Bisping is someone who does justice to the word ‘anti-hero’, in its entirety. For much of his career, this hard-hitting middleweight has perfectly portrayed the role of a bad guy and that too pretty convincingly! The unapologetic 6’1 Manchester hooligan is known for cutting promos like no one else.
He gets into the head of the opponents and uses psychological warfare to his thorough advantage. The interviews he does before the fights are highfalutin. Yet, like a typical anti-hero, he isn’t just all words and no action, which is justified by his incredible 30-7 record in mixed martial arts. Bisping has been a crowd-flipper for most of his career, owing to his unapologetic and unrelenting behaviour and rude attitude, yet is capable of selling out and pulling crowds- two qualities that define an anti-hero.
Bisping is arguably the closest thing to Stone Cold Steve Austin, albeit in the world of mixed martial arts as opposed to professional wrestling. Perhaps, a crossover move to the World Wrestling Entertainment may turn out well for him!
#4 Nate Diaz
Nate Diaz’s life draws several likenesses from Stone Cold Steve Austin’s- they both started out ‘low-key’. Nate Diaz had forever been living in the shadows of his brother Nick’s achievements until one beautiful day things changed for the ‘other Diaz’. It was the fateful day of March 5th, 2016 when Nate Diaz decided to up the ante, spawning out of Rafael dos Anjos’ timely withdrawal, squaring off against Conor McGregor and moving to a higher plane!
It wasn’t long after he made his return after a year’s hiatus that Diaz signalled at facing Conor McGregor. In the attempt to get closer to his wish, he cut out one of the most brutal promos, post his fight against Michael Johnson. He didn’t think twice before spewing out profanity, and all the paraphernalia led to the anticipation building. Dos Anjos pulling out was a boon in disguise for Diaz and when he finally faced McGregor, he did deliver the goods, forcing the Irish loudmouth to tap out in the second round.
Diaz then became a household name in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. His ascent to the top can be compared with Austin’s, notably the time when he beat Jake ‘The Snake’ Roberts to clinch the top spot! Despite not having the acumen for cutting-edge promos, the southpaw from Stockton became one of the best anti-heroes in the Ultimate Fighting Championship!
#3 Conor McGregor
Daniel Cormier has likened Conor McGregor to Stone Cold Steve Austin, hailing his efforts in making UFC one of the most prominent promotions in mixed martial arts, courtesy his popularity. Conor, known both for his fighting ability and the propensity to ‘hype’ fights owing to his brashness, is perhaps one of the biggest ambassadors in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, today.
He knows how to sell the sport and is quite adept at infusing hysteria amongst fans worldwide. Conor McGregor is the man you’d love to hate, but you still end up rooting for him. This dynamic draws quite a striking resemblance to the Stone Cold Steve Austin of the 2000s. He would go out there stunning unsuspecting people like Torrie Wilson, yet his acts would prompt you to cheer for him.
Also read: 5 epic post-match UFC rants that took us back to Austin's 3:16 promo
McGregor’s sharp tongue is akin to Stone Cold’s, capable of swaying the course of events with high-octane promos that subliminally sell the promotion! The Irishman is one of the toughest SOBs to have graced the business and taken it to a wider audience. This can be likened with Austin bursting onto the scene and pulling WWE out of the abyss it was in, back during the Monday Night Wars!
#2 Roy Nelson
It’s time we introduce one of the toughest competitors to have set foot inside the Octagon - Roy Nelson. Revered for being one of the hardest men to fight inside the demonic Octagon, Nelson arguably has the knack for absorbing punches that would have ripped any civilian apart!
He holds the record for most significant strikes taken, yet all the punishment doesn’t seem to deter him, despite him being over 40 years old! A resilient force to reckon with, Nelson does take the cake to be one of the toughest heavyweights in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, considering the top tier has fighters like Werdum, Overeem, dos Santos and the likes! The beer belly also counts
#1 BJ Penn
Confidence, cockiness and the ability to take challenges head on is what makes BJ Penn clinch the top spot! Bestowed with the skill to administer brutal beatings on his opponents, BJ Penn believes that there isn’t any man alive that he can’t beat. A gutsy competitor inside the Octagon, Penn has spent much of his career fighting beyond his natural weight class (welterweight when he should have been fighting at lightweight).
He even dared to go to heavyweight to face Tim Sylvia for the top prize! Having competed against the likes of Nick Diaz and Rory MacDonald, this Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu exponent is definitely Stone Cold Steve Austin, albeit in a mixed martial arts avatar!
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