Issue 060

March 2010

Brock Lesnar’s ‘rodeo’ antics against Heath Herring, Nate Diaz flipping off the world as he triangled Kurt Pellegrino, and Dan Hardy cupping his hands to his ears to raise the noise levels at UFC105. These are just three examples of the histrionics that annoy and delight MMA fans in equal numbers.

No one likes a cocky smartarse, but everyone loves a character. Most fighters engage in some form of gamesmanship, if not before the fight in trash talk or stare downs, then during the fight, sticking tongues out or smiling after getting caught. Lesnar’s ‘ride ‘em cowboy’ antics while on top of Herring is perhaps the extreme when it comes to instances of showboating during a bout. The former WWE star obviously brought that move from his professional wrestling playbook and while it enraged some MMA fans, it undoubtedly endeared him to others.

This side of the Atlantic, one of the greatest attempts to put an opponent off their game and bait them into a brawl was seen when Brazilian Fabricio Nascimento tried everything to shatter Jim Wallhead’s concentration, stomping around the cage and nodding like a madman, sticking his gumshield out and exaggerating his every movement. To the Englishman’s credit, he stuck to his game plan and while the fans were entertained, they cheered all the louder when Wallhead won the judges’ decision.

Is there any harm in it? Some believe you should show your opponent every respect. Clean cut, well-behaved fighters are deemed ‘professional’, even though their preparations for the fight are likely no more comprehensive than the ‘bad boy’ who trash talks, provokes his opponent at every turn and plays to the crowd in the cage.  

Georges St Pierre is an example of a fighter who is above reproach before, during and after a fight. He bows to opponents, represents the sport impeccably and would probably buy your mother flowers rather than insult her – before smashing you to bits in the Octagon. The French Canadian will probably never do a single thing to set the sport back or allow the mainstream press to point fingers and roll out the clichés we all loathe so much.  

But other fans love to see fighters display personality, wit, and showmanship. The sport undoubtedly needs characters, fighters who can sell tickets and entice newcomers to the sport – especially if they have the skills to back up their antics.  

The number one contender for St Pierre’s welterweight strap, Nottingham’s Dan Hardy, is usually the talk of Internet forums in the run-up to his fights, thanks to supreme self-confidence and choice words for his opponents. He picked Marcus Davis apart mentally before their bout in Germany, mocking the American’s pride in his Irish heritage. Before the fight, the keyboard warriors were up in arms about Hardy’s ‘cocky’ attitude.  

Afterwards, when Hardy’s hand was raised and a worse-for-wear looking Davis was left to complain about the judges’ decision, fans lauded the Rough House stand out for showing he was more than just a big mouth. Suddenly, his pre-fight jibes were roundly classified as banter and good fun.  

But this is no black and white argument. There is a happy middle ground that won’t cause the ‘purist’s’ high horse to rear up in disgust and will satisfy those who crave histrionics. Almost any pre-fight talk and any in-cage showboating is consigned to the history books when the fight finishes – if the combatants shake hands, share a hug or simply nod in begrudging respect.  

Nick Diaz, arguably the baddest of the sport’s bad boys, helps beaten opponents to their feet and shows the respect that is due after a war in the cage. If the rivalry and any perceived disrespect is left in the ring when the timekeeper brings the fight to an end or when the referee steps in to halt a bout, everyone can go home reasonably happy.  

If fans remember that most trash talk is said to put bums on seats or make an enemy of an opponent for motivation’s sake, then no one needs to get all het up or offended, and so long as we recognize the level of confidence in your abilities needed to pull off some showboating when someone is trying to land leather on your chin, let’s celebrate that MMA is a sport that encourages self-belief.