Issue 071

January 2011

Some fighters are great talkers. They’re able to entertain fans as much behind the microphone as in the cage. Enticing fans to shell out hard-earned cash in the hopes of seeing them win (or lose)...

1 Chael Sonnen 

When first announced, wrestler, fighter, real estate agent and Republican politician Sonnen’s UFC 117 crack at the middleweight title seemed anything but a blockbuster event. Few observers gave him the slightest chance of dethroning peerless champion Anderson Silva, robbing the show of its intrigue. Enter the practiced one-liners, the hilarious insults and willingness to say absolutely anything (no matter how outlandish) from Sonnen. After months of ripping Silva to shreds, Sonnen had convinced fans he either had a genuine chance of winning, or that he’d enraged the usually laid-back Brazilian so much they’d be seeing one of the greatest ass-kickings of all time. Even fairly conservative estimates would peg Sonnen’s antics as generating an extra 200,000 or so North American pay-per-view buys for a truly fantastic piece of self-promotion.

2 Frank Mir

Those who saw his stint as a WEC color commentator are well aware of former UFC heavyweight champion Mir’s verbal skills. He’s never lost for words plus he’s supremely confident in his own ability and knowledge of the sport’s intricacies. But it was in the build-up to his very personal rematch with Brock Lesnar that Mir truly shone. Appalled that anyone on the planet thought a muscle-bound ‘fake’ like Lesnar could possibly beat him, Mir tore holes in Lesnar’s skills and accomplishments, more than doing his part in hyping the most successful pay-per-view fight in MMA history. Of course, we all know how that one ended up (Mir’s face mashed into burger meat as the victorious Lesnar mocked him) but Mir did a fantastic job of making sure everyone who knew about the fight would be intrigued by the contest.

3 Dan Hardy

The opening bout of any televised MMA show is usually a good opportunity for fans to settle down, catch a little action, set the scene for the rest of the evening and look forward to the main event. Not when Dan Hardy’s in the opener, though. Thanks to his needling of Marcus Davis, their UFC 99 show starter was actually one of the most anticipated, heated fights that evening. ‘The Outlaw’ also managed (and still does to this day) to pull off the very difficult balancing act of remaining liked while talking trash. Clearly, Hardy understands that while it’s great to be loved, it’s almost as good to be hated. Those who love him will pay to see him win, and those who hate him will pay to see him lose. Obviously both sets of fans can’t go home happy, but they’ll both be passionately invested in his fight.

4 Javier Mendez 

While seemingly millions of people eagerly leapt aboard the Cain Velasquez bandwagon in the wake of his stunningly exciting obliteration of Brock Lesnar at UFC 121, Mendez has been driving it for years. One of the founders and head trainers at AKA (American Kickboxing Academy) in San Jose, California, former kickboxing champion Mendez was singing the praises of Velasquez from day one. Wisely drafted in to do much of the quiet, reserved Velasquez’s talking for him in the build-up to the fight, Mendez’s firmly respectful hyping of the bout was admirable. He also came up with the ‘first Mexican heavyweight champion in combat sports’ promotional tag that helped make UFC 121 such a gigantic success, only he did so several years ago, sure in the knowledge his prize pupil would be that man when the time was right.

5 Joe Rogan

Comedian, TV presenter and rabid fighting fan, Rogan brings many things to the commentary table, including a refreshing sense that he may say literally anything at any time. Over the years he’s advocated the shooting of inept judges, berated fighters for their grappling errors and admonished ‘meathead’ fans for daring to boo fights he enjoys. But Rogan is far more than just a loose cannon. His knowledge and sincere enthusiasm make him ideal for hyping upcoming events. For years now, his contributions and insight on the UFC’s very successful countdown specials have helped make even the most mundane of fights seem like epic, once-in-a-lifetime events. Every promotion needs an on-air pitchman like Joe Rogan.