UFC’s Most Notorious Bad Boys: Fighters Who Loved to Play the Villain

At the end of the day, every hero does need a villain. Throughout UFC history, a lot of fighters have been given the role as being the “bad boy” in the organization. These fighters have earned great success inside the Octagon, showing an ability to compete at the highest level while engaging in voluminous controversy and trash talking, alongside general antics, that strangely endear them to fans. These fighters have desecrated the UFC, whether it was by brash personality, provocative statements, or unsportsmanlike behavior. This article churns through some of the most notorious bad boys in UFC history and how their playing-the-villain role perfectly affected their own careers and the sport itself.

1. Conor McGregor: The King of the Trash Talk

Nobody can deny that Conor McGregor is definitely the UFC’s bad boy. With sharp words of tongue, and a very flamboyant lifestyle, McGregor has been able to masterfully get under the skin of his opponents. His God-given talent in promoting fights through trash talk and mind games is incomparable and is one of its largest key factors to date on his rise to stardom. McGregor’s bad boy style made him freely talk to the press ahead of his fight with Jose Aldo at UFC 194. McGregor was relentless and boisterous toward getting his hands on Jose Aldo, calling him a “little Brazilian” and promising to knock him out in the first round. Some of his antics were snatching Aldo’s belt during a press conference and having a heated exchange that almost led to a brawl.

Come fight night, McGregor emulated his words and knocked Aldo out cold in just 13 seconds to claim the latter’s featherweight title.

But the most villainous side of McGregor came at the fighting event against Khabib Nurmagomedov. Prior to the fight at UFC 229, McGregor indulged with personal animosities against Khabib, his family, and religion. Such hostility between the two led to the post-fight scuffle, wherein it also went into the fans, consequently, both faced fines and suspensions.

Beyond all the hype, though, McGregor is also one of the most successful and best-patronized fighters in the history of UFC. He articulates the face role in being the bad boy more than any man alive, but that is part of what has made him such a global household name and figure apart from his peers.

2. Chael Sonnen: The American Gangster

Before Conor McGregor stormed into the UFC, Chael Sonnen was the king of trash-talking in MMA. Sonnen, the former UFC Middleweight and Light Heavyweight contender, is infamously brash of personality, quick of wit, and superb at selling a fight. He became one of the most famous bad boys within the sport by constantly bad-mouthing his way to victory.

One of Sonnen’s most famous feuds was with Anderson Silva, to whom he challenged for the UFC Middleweight Championship at UFC 117. Leading up to the fight, though, Sonnen verbally assaulted the champion, calling him “a fraud” and labeling him as being highly “overrated.” Sonnen even played a foul game, insulting Silva’s home country of Brazil, which brought humongous outrage from the fans of that country.

Sonnen talked big, but he certainly backed it up by completely dominating Silva for four and a half rounds of the fight. Silva was up against it, but in a dramatic turnaround, he was able to catch a triangle armbar with a minute and a half to go in the final round, and it forced Sonnen to tap out. But for this strong performance by Sonnen and his continuous trash talk, he got a rematch, in which he came off second best against Silva once again.

Sonnen could play the villain like very, very few others could. He’s feuded with nearly every fixture in his weight class, the most high-profile of them including Jon Jones, Tito Ortiz, and Michael Bisping. His willingness to say whatever needed to be said to get under his opponents’ skin had set him up as a must-see fighter, at one time even when his fans tuned in to see him lose.
Chael Sonnen’s swagger, the bad guy image in the cage, was more fun than him putting up a front; because of it, he would go on making himself one of the most memorable characters in UFC history, where his orations and bravado would form the way nowadays the sport promotes fights.

3. Nick Diaz: The Anti-Hero

Nick Diaz is a fighter who has lived and fought by his own code. Chris Cox, writing for Bleacher Report, has labeled Diaz, along with partner Nate, as notorious bad boys, whereas a separate writer on the same platform, Jordy McElroy, writes, “Diaz is the reputation tarnisher”.

Much of Diaz’s identities of being bad derive from his attitude both in and out of the octagon, never down to mince his words but even less so when it comes to crapping on the UFC, its fighters, or the sport. His trash talk is usually intended not to promote a fight but instead to tell the truth about his irritation toward the opponent and the establishment.

Among Diaz’s more memorable moments came during his feud with all‐time great Georges St‐Pierre. Leading up to their bout at UFC 158, Diaz accused St‐Pierre of being coddled by the UFC and also of ducking the tough fights, and this made the UFC increase the interest between Diaz and St‐Pierre. As heavily as St‐Pierre tested Diaz’s resiliency, he emerged the winner via decision, though the showdown is one that was worth the watch. Not only does this lend a lot to his bad boy persona but it makes him a favorite with so many people coming out on the losing end.

Diaz is a notorious figure who has courted controversy from his actions over the years. He has been suspended for indulging in marijuana use on more than one occasion and, with the exception of his early career, has always had a controversial relationship with the UFC. Diaz remains one of the most celebrated fighters in mixed martial arts. He has a cult following that appreciates his rebellious nature and unbridled desires. Nick Diaz made his name as the anti-hero of the UFC and solidified his infamy as arguably one of the biggest bad boy statuses in the sport. His readiness to flout the norms and say whatever he wants, no matter the consequences, made him a polarizing figure but also one of the most respected combatants in the game.

4. Michael Bisping: The Brash Brit

The former UFC Middleweight Champion, Michael Bisping, is said to be zurpy-tongued, fast-witted, and lacking in nonsense. Throughout his career, Bisping embraced the role of the bad boy, often getting under his opponents’ skin with his come-uppance and trash-talking. The bad boy star had always identified with Bisping from the beginning of his career in the UFC. Winner of “The Ultimate Fighter” season 3, Bisping quickly set his precedent as a fighter who didn’t care about being vocal. His subsequent and menacing rivalry with Dan Henderson broke all bounds leading up to their fight at UFC 100.

The trash talking and cocky attitude of Bisping had made a target out of him as Henderson responded with one of the most vicious knockouts in the history of the sport—one more play than any other highlight.

Despite that, he went on to still act the bad guy for the most part throughout his career. He worked on verbal wars with different fighters: Luke Rockhold, Sandersson Silva, Jorge Rivera. Often, Bisping, by engaging in so much psychological warfare, managed to psychologically pencil a few opponents before he ever really got started.

The greatest moment of Bisping’s career was knocking out Luke Rockhold at UFC 199, under short notice, to capture the UFC Middleweight Championship in 2016. The high of that win was truly magnificent considering he was an underdog in that fight.

Bisping’s post-fight trash talk, in which he called out his critics and declared himself the best in the world, was nothing short of classic Bisping and the highlight of a fantastic knockout win.

The career of a man like Michael Bisping is that the role of the villain, if taken correctly, is something positive. Indeed, while many fans booed him on his walk-ins and his critics criticized him harshly with its many words, Bisping loved the role and used it to fire his way to the top.

5. Tito Ortiz: The Original Bad Boy

Tito Ortiz, more commonly known as “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy,” was one of the trailblazing real-life superstars and the first recognized bad boy in the UFC. His boldness, trash-talking, and willingness to play the heel turned Ortiz into one of the most polarizing figures the sport of mixed martial arts saw in the early parts of the century.

First breaking into the comfortable grounds of the UFC as a light heavyweight contender, Ortiz would go on to win the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship in 2000. He is also perhaps best known for engaging in one of the most bitter rivalries in history with Ken Shamrock, both verbally and within the octagon, that captivated and captivates fans today. Fans either loved or hated Ortiz, and his cocky attitude made him the type that was hard to stay away from.

Ortiz also maintained the image of a bad boy outside the ring. Ortiz never ceased in new ways to come into conflict with UFC president Dana White, which at some point turned into a rather public washing of dirty linen and seemed to just never want to end. Ortiz even challenged White to a boxing match at one point, further sealing his reputation in the eyes of the public as a fighter who thrived on controversy.

Despite all his brashness, Ortiz was a good and determined fighter and he went on to defend his title successfully several times over, until his loss to Randy Couture. His willingness to take on the role of the bad boy helped lift the UFC in the early years and no doubt served as a kind of template for fighters to come.

Yelled insults and all, Tito Ortiz ensured his legacy as one of the UFC’s original bad boys is not tarnished. His contributions to the sport, both as a fighter and promoter, indeed have left a great mark. Till this day, his influence can be seen in many fighters’ self-promotion techniques and trash-talking ways.

6. Brock Lesnar: The Crossover Star of WWE

At the same time, Brock Lesnar brought a totally different kind of bad-boy energy to the UFC; ex-pro wrestler, the man, was already quite the towering presence in the world of WWE, being one of its superstars who could truly be a villain in the very world of sports entertainment.

That all changed well before Brock Lesnar became one of the more fascinatingly confrontational people to ever get into the UFC. His brash attitude, size, and NCAA wrestling background made him a force in the heavyweight division—more his willingness to accept it, though.

Among the low points in UFC history remains the post-fight interview of Lesnar after beating Frank Mir at UFC 100. Pounding out the man responsible for his lone defeat, Lesnar then went on to trash the booing crowd, a UFC sponsor, and then somehow explain his celebrating the win by getting on top of his wife. The outburst shocked fans and commentators alike, solidifying Lesnar’s reputation as a sport heel.

Love him or hate him, Brock Lesnar was very successful in the Octagon. Lesnar became the UFC Heavyweight Champion after defeating Randy Couture at UFC 91. He successfully defended his title two times before his knockout loss to Cain Velasquez. He was one of the biggest draws for the UFC in history, managing that something special in a fighter to make people care.

Though Lesnar’s career with the UFC was short, it had some pretty big shoes on its behalf. He slid into the bad boy role quite nicely, in addition to his freakish athletics and fighting ability to become one of the more memorable characters in the history of the sport.

7. Ronda Rousey: The Rowdy Bad Girl

Ronda Rousey reigned as a former Women’s Bantamweight Champion in the UFC, also being one of the sport’s pioneers. But that’s not it—during her time with the UFC, she grasped the role of the “bad girl.” With an intimidating aura, a refusal to shake hands with her opponents before bouts, and an unapologetic attitude, Rousey soon took her place as one of the most dominant and polarizing stars in the sport.

The bad girl about Rousey displayed from the beginning of her career in the UFC. Within a short period, she became the greatest female fighter in the world by finishing her opponents in record time with her signature armbar. It is, however, her confrontational attitude and willingness to speak her mind that made her stand out.

One of her most notorious moments came right before her fight with Miesha Tate at UFC 168. There was bad blood between these two fighters, with Rousey refusing to shake Tate’s hand immediately afterward. The unabashed conduct of Rousey showed a lot of disrespect toward her opponents, making her a controversial figure among some fans who either loved her confidence or viewed her as arrogant.

Rousey’s commanding performances in the Octagon and her so-called bad girl persona turned this young woman into a superstar of global scale beyond MMA. However, all that invincibility went out the window when she tasted back-to-back losses to women’s bantamweight rivals Holly Holm and devastatingly Amanda Nunes. Following her UFC 207 loss to Nunes, Ronda Rousey moved to the WWE, where she would achieve great success in professional wrestling.
Ronda Rousey became a legend for opening up the whole male MMA world to accepting a female presence inside that cage rather than preparing fighters to get in line at the sacristy on Sunday. By playing the bad girl in the sport, her role had as much to do with her rise to the top as with her undeniable talent. It essentially marked Rousey up to being the most significant ever involved with the UFC.

8. Colby Covington The Divisive

Colby Covington has so far been the former interim UFC welterweight champion—an athlete at the forefront of operation polarization. He’s been in the sport today. He has wholly embraced the bad-boy-in-the-business role, trash-talking and giving political opinions while trying to raise attention and build his brand through provocative behavior.

Covington’s misbehavior emerged at its height post his 2017 fight with Demian Maia, where after having defeated him he branded Brazil a “dump” and its fans as “filthy animals”. This was taken as outrageous by the MMA world, which thus led to a backlash against Covington. That instead saw Covington double down with his pro-Trump, loudmouthed, in-your-face press persona. One of his most heated rivalries is with reigning UFC Welterweight Champion Kamaru Usman. The two trash-talked a heap before their scrap at UFC 245, in which Usman won but in a full-on grudge match. Again, even after losing, Covington pushed through with the bad-boy act by calling out opponents such as Usman.

As much as Covington’s antics within the UFC turn him into one of the most talked-about fighters, his uniqueness in moving outside sport to draw controversy results in his being a lightning rod. Willing to play the villain role has made some fans enjoy him, though others find him past clearly crossing the line. At any rate, the must-see viewing within the UFC’s highly competitive welterweight division lies in Covington’s ability to make headlines and sell. Covington’s taking on the bad guy role is really, perhaps, quite a savvy, considered act. So, that helps him pursue whatever level of material gain he’s going to get in the arena and keep his name in the public eye. Fans can love him or hate him, but no one can deny at the moment that Covington has become one of the UFC’s most deplorable bad boys.

Conclusion
UFC has always been a sport that has eerily fit personalities that are larger than life, and some of its best fighters have never shied away from being the bad guys. Fighters from Conor McGregor through Chael Sonnen to Colby Covington have all harnessed their brash personalities, trash-talking prowess, and controversial behavior en route to ascending into the ranks of champions while selling fights and fattening the bottom line. Being the sport’s bad guy doesn’t exactly do everyone justice, but it has worked for a few, as they are able to actually live up to the verbal commitments inside the cage. These are the fighters who, besides entertaining people, have left a legacy on the game, having a means of propelling the UFC to a global business. Whether you love or hate them, the UFC bad boys have earned their place in the annals of MMA history, proving one day it is quite good to be bad.