5 UFC fighters whose personalities changed drastically

#4. UFC BMF champion Jorge Masvidal

Jorge Masvidal (@GamebredFighter) wasn't about to just bury the hatchet with #UFC239 foe Ben Askren and had harsh words for him on the way out of the cage after scoring the fastest knockout in UFC history.Twitter reaction: https://t.co/fWAdAAYFrg pic.twitter.com/DS5PywfbG6

— MMA Junkie (@MMAjunkie) July 7, 2019

At UFC 217, Jorge Masvidal found himself on the wrong end of a unanimous decision against Stephen Thompson. He would not fight again until March 2019. In the meantime, Masvidal joined a Dominican reality television series called ‘Exatlon Estados Unidos’.

The series focuses on competitions to determine who is the strongest cast member both mentally and physically. Competitors are also subjected to extreme isolation from the rest of the world and grueling living conditions.

According to American Top Team founder Dan Lambert, Masvidal’s mind frame completely changed after he finished his time on the series. Now considerably more vicious and intense, the fiery Masvidal made his return to the octagon against Darren Till. ‘Gamebred’ scored a second round knockout win.

That same night, Masvidal gave fellow welterweight fighter Leon Edwards a “three piece and a soda” during a violent altercation. The combination of his display against Till and his vicious backstage brawl with Edwards turned Masvidal into a star.

The increasingly ruthless, focused MMA veteran silenced the once seemingly invincible Ben Askren next. Tired of Askren’s jokes at his expense, Masvidal sent him packing in just five seconds at UFC 239. He finished the year as the BMF champion following his UFC 244 win over Nate Diaz.

Masvidal revitalized himself and his career prospects with his change in mindset in 2019. Despite his more recent losses to Kamaru Usman, he remains a solid draw and fan favorite for the UFC.

---

#3. Former two-time UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones

I just had a great dinner and the best conversation I’ve had with Dana and a very long time, we got the deal done. Date to be announced soon

— BONY (@JonnyBones) April 2, 2021

Hope you guys had a good April fools

— BONY (@JonnyBones) April 2, 2021

No more Mr Nice Guy.

To the shock of fans who’ve only seen ‘Bones’ in his more recent years, there was a time where he was very polite and humble. During his meteoric rise to the top of the UFC’s light heavyweight division, Jones was mostly a paragon of good sportsmanship.

The cracks began to show during the lead-up to his ultimately postponed UFC 178 clash with career nemesis Daniel Cormier (they instead fought at UFC 182). The pair famously got into a brawl at a press conference building up the match. Following a live interview later that day, Jones called Cormier a “p**y” and even threatened to kill him.

Much to the light heavyweight kingpin’s horror, the feed was still live and the whole world had just witnessed the typically well-mannered champ’s dark side. In the years since, Jones’ prime years as a super athlete have been rocked more than once by suspensions for a variety of issues.

With his reputation scarred, Jones has embraced his inner trash talker in recent years. Furthermore, he’s even gleefully admitted to the ugly fact that he has a habit of poking eyes in the octagon.

One of the greatest fighters in the UFC’s history, Jones has gone from being a top babyface to a top heel over the course of his career.