Why is UFC lightweight Luis Pena known as 'Violent Bob Ross'?

UFC lightweight Luis Pena secured a narrow split decision win against Alex Munoz at UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. Gastelum on April 17, 2021.

A clean striker as well as proficient on the ground, Luis Pena is known by another name in the world of mixed martial arts. Fans and fellow fighters often refer to Luis Pena as 'Violent Bob Ross,' a moniker that the fighter wholeheartedly embraces as well.

But what is the source of such a quirky name for someone whose career could not be farther from canvases and paintbrushes? The answer is all in the look.

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How did Luis Pena get the nickname 'Violent Bob Ross'?

Everyone knows Robert Norman Ross, aka Bob Ross, the renowned and much-loved American painter, best known as the creator and host of the PBS television show, The Joy of Painting.

Bob Ross was known for his artistic ability as well as having a calm, kind, soft-spoken demeanor, his love for animals and his iconic look complete with an Afro hairstyle.

Painting aside, Luis Pena happens to have a lot in common - especially the looks - with the beloved artist, who passed away on July 4, 1995.

The fighter explained in a 2018 MMA Fighting interview with Chuck Mindenhall how the name 'Violent Bob Ross' came to be. Luis Pena explained that he did not have Bob Ross in mind when he decided not to cut his hair and see what he looked like. The moniker was conferred to him unexpectedly by fans on the internet.

"It’s funny, like two years ago I decided I was going to stop cutting my hair out of the blue. It had nothing to do with fighting, and nothing to do with looking like Bob Ross, I just decided I’m not going to cut my hair and see what I look like. Then out of nowhere, I was fighting on FloCombat — it was actually the last fight before I got into the house — and they tweeted out a picture, and one of the fans tweeted out, ‘When did Bob Ross’s son start fighting?’ And that’s where the name came from."

One can assume that the addition of the word 'violent' happened because of the nature of Luis Pena's career. Despite his career being violent in nature compared to Bob Ross' profession, Luis Pena is known to bring a certain sense of calm inside the Octagon even under pressure.

Luis Pena also happens to be an animal lover - yet another thing he shares with the legendary painter in a long list of resemblances.