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Trash talk is ubiquitous in the UFC. It is a major promotional tool used by fighters to drum up interest in their bouts. At times, it works in the trash-talker's favor, as their mind games dismantle their opponent from within long before they ever step inside the octagon.
Unfortunately, this doesn't always pan out. On occasion, trash-talkers inevitably learn the value, or lack there of, in getting in their opponent's head. Many professional fighters are disciplined enough to brush off their foe's trash talk and perform as they've been trained to.
In rare cases though, trash-talkers are handed a decisive loss. Whether they end up being finished in their fights or not, such losses leave no doubt in the fans' mind as to who the victor was, and is often a catharthic experience for followers of the sport.
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#5. Colby Covington vs. Leon Edwards, UFC 296
UFC 296 marked what was almost certainly Colby Covington's last crack at a championship in the promotion. Ahead of the bout, he targeted his opponent, Leon Edwards, in typical fashion. However, at the pre-fight press conference, he crossed the line in the minds of many when he took aim Edwards' late father.
Covington vowed that come fight, he'd drag Edwards to the seventh layer of Hell, where he claimed they'd visit the latter's father. These comments drew widespread condemnation, and nearly sparked a brawl at the press conference. By the time both men were inside the octagon, tensions were high.
Yet, despite all the talk and bravado, Covington put on a poor performance. He was thoroughly outstruck, and even outwrestled and outscrambled by Edwards. After 25 minutes, the Englishman won via unanimous decision, Donald Trump walked out of the arena, and the fans ended up booing Covington.
#4. Alexander Hernandez vs. Donald Cerrone, UFC Fight Night 143
There was a time when Alexander Hernandez was seen as an extremely promising fighter. By mid-2018, he was riding an 8-fight win streak, with his then latest fight being a successful UFC debut against future PFL lightweight champion Olivier Aubin-Mercier. His sophomore bout, however, would be a step up in competition.
Facing the legendary Donald 'Cowboy' Cerrone, 'The Great Ape' regarded his veteran foe as a mere stepping stone and thought of him as an old journeyman on the decline. In fact, he said as much at the pre-fight press conference, referring to Cerrone as 'geriatric' and labeling him an active participant in the lightweight division.
Check out Donald Cerrone's TKO of Alexander Hernandez:
Hernandez, however, was mistaken. Cerrone was a game opponent, and gave as good as he got, marking up Hernandez's face as the fight gradually took on a more one-sided complexion. By round two, 'Cowboy' was in control, battering his foe, before flooring him with a head kick, and sealing his win with ground-and-pound.
#3. Chael Sonnen vs. Anderson Silva 2, UFC 148
Anderson Silva's greatest rival was undoubtedly Chael Sonnen. While both men have since patched things up, their two clashes defined an iconic era in the UFC's middleweight division. Their first fight saw Sonnen dominate nearly every single minute, rocking and dropping Silva, while outwrestling him round after round.
Ultimately, however, Silva submitted him with a triangle-armbar. Thus, a rematch was of great interest, especially to Sonnen, who made an infamous callout of 'The Spider' in his UFC 136 post-fight interview. He exclaimed that Silva 'sucked' and suggested a stipulation for a rematch.
According to Sonnen's terms, if Silva lost to him, the Brazilian would have to leave the division, but if he lost to Silva, he'd leave the UFC permanently. Ahead of the bout, Sonnen's trash talk peaked, as he took aim at his foe's wife and claimed that he was offering Silva a chance to redeem himself.
Sonnen's attempts to recreate their initial bout failed. At UFC 148, he had a strong first round, outwrestling Silva. But in round two, it was the opposite. Silva stuffed his takedowns, made him look clueless on the feet, and dropped him with a right hand before TKO'ing him with follow-up punches.
#2. Conor McGregor vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov, UFC 229
Conor McGregor has had numerous feuds throughout his career. None, however, were more heated than his feud with Khabib Nurmagomedov. The Russian's hotel confrontation with Artem Lobov, who was a close friend of the Irishman at the time, served as the spark that ignited this rivalry.
They were scheduled to fight at UFC 229, and McGregor's trash talk reached previously unseen depths. He attacked every single aspect of Nurmagomedov's life, including his family, religion, and political allegiances. McGregor even went so far as to sarcastically offer him, a devout Muslim, a shot of whiskey.
Check out Khabib Nurmagomedov's highlights against Conor McGregor:
Despite his promises to defeat Nurmagomedov, McGregor was thoroughly dominated for most of the bout. He was knocked down for the first time in his career, was relentlessly outwrestled and ultimately surrendered to a neck crank in round four.
#1. Jamahal Hill vs. Alex Pereira, UFC 300
The UFC 300 headliner was preceded by Jamahal Hill, the former light heavyweight champion, disparaging Alex Pereira. He said that Pereira was an inferior mixed martial artist, claimed that he had never outclassed an opponent, and even claimed that 'Poatan' lost the fight to Bruno Silva.
Moreover, he turned up at the pre-fight press conference with a miniature, bloodied Moai head, which resembles the stone face emoji that has become synonymous with Pereira. It was a clear message - one that promised he'd batter the Brazilian come fight night. After all, Hill had previously vowed to knock him out.
Check out Alex Pereira's knockout of Jamahal Hill:
In an ironic twist, the opposite happened. When both men locked horns, Hill landed an accidental groin kick, 'Poatan' waved off an intervening Herb Dean, and promptly floored 'Sweet Dreams' with his signature left hook. Pereira pounced, before confirming the TKO with follow-up ground-and-pound.
