Why is UFC star Erick Gonzalez nicknamed "The Ghost Pepper"?

Erick Gonzalez is a UFC lightweight prospect with a UFC record of 14-7. He is nicknamed 'The Ghost Pepper,' and the backstory for this is quite interesting and spicy.

According to the Mexican-American fighter, he chose the nickname after a suggestion by a "business guy" following an incident Gonzalez will probably never forget. The incident in question had Erick Gonzalez eating the infamous Ghost Pepper - a chilli pepper native to Assam, India, with a Scoville rating of 855,000 SHUs (Scoville Heat Units).

In an article by Steve Latrell on the official UFC website, Erick Gonzalez elaborated on how he got his nickname:

"My uncle brought these peppers, and I didn't know one of them was a ghost pepper. I just thought they were habaneros. And he was just like, ‘Hey, you won't eat these. You won't eat the whole thing.’ And me being a young guy, I just grabbed the whole thing and bit it. Man, I suffered the consequences. I started burning up, and I just never forgot that moment."

Gonzalez continued to talk about how he adopted the nickname following the incident with the Indian-origin chilli pepper:

"When the fight nickname came around, there was this business guy. He's like, ‘Hey, I remember that day, you're the ghost pepper. How about you name yourself the ghost pepper?’ I was like ‘Ghost Pepper? That's a little different.’ I actually liked it and I ended up sticking with it. And I’ll never forget that day. And I like to think of it when I bring it into the fight. People go in there, I bring out a fight and I make it sting. And then when I get into the ring, I make sure that you don't f****** forget me."

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What is Erick Gonzalez's UFC record?

Although Gonzalez has a terrifying nickname, he hasn't been able to turn up the heat inside the octagon in his two UFC bouts. Prior to joining the UFC, Gonzalez compiled a professional record of 14-5.

'The Ghost Pepper' debuted on UFC Fight Night 195 against veteran Jim Miller. Gonzalez was unable to find success as he was knocked out with an overhand left by 'A-10' in the second round of their bout.

Gonzalez then faced Terrance McKinney at UFC Vegas 59 in his second UFC bout. This time, he lost via a standing-rear-naked choke in the first round at the hands of 'T-Wrecks.'

Erick Gonzalez is currently 0-2 in the UFC with an overall MMA record of 14-7. Despite his losses, Gonzalez has eight career wins by knockout and one submission victory. Of his nine wins, six have come by way of first-round finishes.

'The Ghost Pepper' is slated to face Trevor Peek in the prelims of UFC Fight Night 220 on February 25. The bout will be headlined by the No.6-ranked Ukrainian light heavyweight Nikita Krylov against the No.8-ranked Ryan Spann. The event will take place at the UFC Apex arena in Enterprise, Nevada.