5 fighters apart from Conor McGregor who cut the best promos
There is one promo king in MMA. No one would ever confuse him for anyone other than Conor McGregor. The UFC's first-ever double champion is as good a fighter as ever been with a microphone.
Over the years, the Irishman has cut scathing promos designed to tear down his foes. The wit and peaking confidence McGregor exhibited was unlike anything MMA fans had ever seen.
While McGregor's promos have become legendary MMA moments, he's backed up most of his words with inimitable in-cage performances.
He is not, however, the only fighter to have the gift of gab. McGregor was partially inspired by the venomous verbal assaults launched by retired MMA fighter Chael Sonnen.
As the Irishman's wit has waned in recent years, replaced by shock value, others have risen to challenge him for the crown of MMA's resident promo king. This list looks at five of those fighters.
#5 Nick Diaz
While Nick Diaz is on his way out of the sport, he remains an active fighter on the UFC roster. He fought Robbie Lawler late last year and even called out reigning welterweight champion Kamaru Usman for a fight recently.
Like his younger brother Nate Diaz, he cuts promos like few others. They're not especially witty or clever. Instead, they're as authentic as any a fighter has ever cut.
Both Diaz brothers have garnered a cult following in MMA for their unapologetic authenticity and in-cage grit. At UFC 137, Nick's most memorable moment on a microphone happened.
Fresh after beating legendary UFC lightweight and welterweight BJ Penn in what remains the last win of Nick's career, he paced around the cage calling for then reigning welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre.
Once Joe Rogan placed his microphone in front of him, Nick expressed his doubts over the authenticity of the knee injury St-Pierre suffered. It was that injury which led to him cancelling a scheduled title defense against Carlos Condit, who had replaced Nick, St-Pierre's initial opponent, due to Nick missing several press events related to the fight.
Not only did Nick question St-Pierre's injury, but branded St-Pierre a coward by claiming he was avoiding fights. It was a vicious verbal assault for the time and defined the most memorable rivalry in both Nick and St-Pierre's careers.