5 of the greatest storytellers in UFC history
The UFC is now heading closer and closer to its third decade. With over 500 events in the books, the promotion has its fair share of legends and stories to tell.
In its near three-decade existence, the UFC has been home to some truly amazing storytellers. They're characters who’ve been around the block and seen some crazy and unique things over the years.
These storytellers are renowned for their tall tales based around stories from inside and outside of the octagon. And whether or not they’re somewhat embellished, they’re definitely a lot of fun.
With that in mind, here are five of the best storytellers in UFC history.
#5. Chael Sonnen – former UFC middleweight title contender
One of the greatest storytellers in UFC history is undoubtedly former UFC middleweight title challenger Chael Sonnen.
‘The American Gangster’ traveled a genuinely fascinating path when it came to his UFC career. He transformed from a largely anonymous journeyman into not only a high-level contender, but also into one of the best microphone workers in MMA.
Unsurprisingly, for someone so comfortable on the microphone, Sonnen quickly developed into one of the UFC’s best storytellers. It’s a spot he easily retains today despite being retired from MMA since mid-2019.
A fighter who competed during MMA’s ‘Dark Ages’, Sonnen has multiple stories to tell from those days. That includes a bizarre tale about his 2002 fight with Jason ‘Mayhem’ Miller at a regional show. According to Sonnen, a double leg takedown saw both men disappear through the ring due to a broken section of plywood.
Other stories told by Sonnen involve supposedly crooked promoters, gangsters who wanted to murder future UFC lightweight champ Eddie Alvarez and fights taken on 15 minutes’ notice.
Are all of Sonnen’s crazy stories true? Who knows. The truth is that it honestly doesn’t matter. ‘The American Gangster’ is so entertaining to listen to that it’s easy to become engrossed in his tales, no matter how tall they might seem to be.