5 most 'gangster' fighters in the UFC today
You will find a lot of interesting characters in the UFC. Some fighters are known for their wicked sense of humor, like Darren Till and Rampage Jackson. There are also fighters who are infamous for getting into trouble time after time. Jon Jones and Mike Perry are two examples.
But there is another category of fighters who are called straight-up gangsters for what they do in and out of the octagon.
Here is a list of five such fighters:
#5 Conor McGregor
The list of gangster moves that the Irishman has pulled in his UFC career is endless. From wearing a 'F--- You' pinstripe suit for a press conference to arriving on Fight Island on a yacht, Conor McGregor has done justice to his nickname, 'The Notorious'.
At one point in his career, McGregor came out dressed like an actual gangster. At the UFC 196 pre-fight press conference, the Irishman arrived wearing a shirt that looked eerily similar to that of Mexican drug lord El Chapo's.
One of the most infamous incidents in UFC history happened when McGregor, upon learning that his friend Artem Lobov was surrounded and slapped by Khabib Nurmagomedov and his friends, flew down to New York and attacked the bus 'The Eagle' was traveling in.
#4 Derrick Lewis
The only thing possibly more exciting and entertaining than a Derrick Lewis knockout is a Derrick Lewis post-fight interview.
But this does not mean that Lewis should be taken lightly as a fighter. He is one of the scariest individuals on the UFC roster with vicious knockout power. Even his face-offs are intense as 'The Black Beast' doesn't hesitate to shove the 'always dangerous' Francis Ngannou.
Lewis recently showed that he should not be messed around with when he knocked out a thief who was trying to steal his car.
#3 Jorge Masvidal
Jorge Masvidal is a fighter who used to have bare-knuckle fights in people's backyards. From thereon, to becoming one of the biggest stars in the UFC, Masvidal's journey has been nothing short of spectacular.
Many may consider his 5-second knockout of Ben Askren or his win over Nate Diaz for the the BMF belt as the highlights of Masvidal's career. But arguably the most badass moment of the 36-year-old's career happened outside the octagon.
Masvidal established that he is a 'no-nonsense' guy when he attacked Leon Edwards backstage for interrupting his interview. 'Gamebred' later referred to the attack as a 'three-piece and a soda'.
#2 Max Holloway
Unlike some of the fighters on this list, Max Holloway's most gangster moments took place in the octagon.
One of these incidents happened in his fight with Ricardo Lamas. With 10 seconds left in the final round, Holloway pointed to the ground and invited Lamas for a slugfest.
A video of this iconic moment can be seen below:
While fighting Brian Ortega, 'Blessed' held T-City's hand at one point to show him how to defend the punches.
During his fight with Calvin Kattar, Holloway started shouting at the commentators:
"I'm the best boxer in the UFC!"
#1 Nate Diaz
Smoking a marijuana joint in an open work-out, choking out 'The Notorious' after taking the fight on a 11-day notice, showing middle fingers to an opponent after trapping him in a submission and calling out Masvidal for a fight for the BMF belt are just some of the many things that make Nate Diaz a legend of the sport.
Diaz is also famous for his 'Stockton Slap' which he has exercised not only against fighters, but also against UFC president Dana White.
Nate Diaz has been the originator of so many iconic lines in the UFC that it would be nearly impossible to fit them all in one video. However, the video below has tried to do some justice to the Stockton fighter:
After seeing Diaz at the top of this list, the only words that should come to a hardcore MMA fan's mind are:
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