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In the world of professional wrestling, Superstars need certain attributes to climb to the top of the mountain. While the need for in-ring skills and a penchant for storytelling is a given, having the ability to connect with the fans verbally is considered to be an important asset.
In fact, in the world of sports entertainment, showboating and the ability to talk a good game are sometimes given priority over the ability to put on a five-star classic. You’d be forgiven if you cannot remember a five-star Austin/Rock match, however, you can always recollect at least one great promo delivered by them.
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On the other end of the spectrum lies the sport of mixed martial arts. For years, the fighters only had to enter the cage and pummel their opponents. While mixed martial artists are multi-dimensional and multi-faceted in their skill set, they never had to worry about promoting their fights with trash talk.
However, in recent years, all that has changed. A formula which was put together by Gorgeous George in the ‘50s, and later replicated and fine-tuned by Muhammad Ali through the ‘60s and ‘70s is now being utilised by the MMA fighters. This is what the purists call the art of talking trash.
Today, we take a look at five UFC stars who can cut a better promo than their WWE counterparts.
#5 Ben Rothwell
‘Big Ben’ has been one of the best Heavyweights on the UFC roster for nearly a decade. Rothwell came to the UFC with a reputation, but was immediately thrown into the deep end, as he had to face Cain Velasquez in his first fight in the UFC.
Rothwell has since notched up victories over the likes of Alistair Overeem and Josh Barnett and is on the verge of getting a title shot.
One of the most underrated aspects of Rothwell’s game is his ability and willingness to talk trash. While the Heavyweights don’t have to get into a verbal joust, given their knockout prowess inside the cage, Rothwell has always been an anomaly.
From his almost cerebral approach to trash talk to his villainous, sinister laugh during his postfight interviews, Rothwell is easily one of the most entertaining fighters on the planet.
#4 Dominick Cruz
The former UFC Bantamweight Champion might have lost the title to a younger, possibly hungrier opponent in Cody Garbrandt at UFC 207, but going into the fight, Cruz once again proved that he is a master tactician.
In the past, Cruz had defeated his opponents long before they traded punches in the cage. While Cruz is known for his scientific footwork, and his ability to use the ‘bait and switch’ technique, Dominick is also one of the most polished trash talkers in the fight game.
Unlike the other fighters, Cruz doesn’t use expletives during his promos. Instead, he breaks down the psyche of his opponents and tries to wind them up going into the fight. While Cruz seemed to have found success doing the same against Cody, the young prospect managed to keep his composure, and ended up beating the Dominator at his own game inside the Octagon.
#3 Michael Bisping
The current UFC Middleweight Champion had to wait a long time to get his hands on the UFC gold, but after knocking Luke Rockhold out, Bisping can finally stake his claim of being the best fighter in the 185-pound division.
Bisping is a veteran in the fight game and has faced the who’s who in the UFC. From facing the likes of Vitor Belfort to beating one of the greatest fighters in Anderson Silva, Bisping has earned his chances and made the most of them.
Bisping is also one of the most marketable fighters, and the fact that he is one of the most eloquent speakers on the microphone hasn’t hurt his chances either. Bisping, much like Cruz has the ability to get inside his opponent’s head; however, unlike Dominick, Bisping barrages his opponents with cuss words and derogatory statements.
#2 Chael Sonnen
When you talk about great promo-men in the fight game, you cannot look past the man who took it to a whole new level, “The American Gangster”, Chael Sonnen. While Chael isn’t exactly known for his out of the world jujitsu or his stand up game, he was able to get himself into marquee fights due to his verbose; something that helped him sell PPV tickets.
Sonnen fought some of the greatest fighters in the world, including against Anderson Silva and later, Jon “Bones” Jones. While many fans believe that Sonnen didn’t deserve a rematch against Silva, or the fight against Jon Jones for the title, he ensured that he brought the interest and the intrigue to the fights with his outstanding promos.
#1 Conor McGregor
At number one is the undisputed king of trash talk in combat sports today, the current UFC Lightweight Champion, Conor McGregor. In just three years, McGregor went from being a relatively obscure fighter to one of the greatest combat sports personalities in history.
It is easy to understand the magnitude of Conor’s star power, now that everyone from WWE to Boxing wants to face Conor, and that boils down to the aura he has created around himself.
Conor McGregor, similar to Muhammad Ali, has understood the importance of self-promotion, and the art of trash talk. Conor can give the best of speakers a run for their money, including former and current WWE Superstars and legends.
If he ever decides to have a run in WWE, Conor could easily become the highest paid Superstar and a rating’s machine; something we haven’t seen since the days of “Stone Cold” Steve Austin!
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