5 times renowned trash talkers got owned during UFC press conferences
UFC pre-fight press conferences are media events designed to give fighters an opportunity to promote their bouts and generate interest in their careers. Often-times, trash talkers steal the show at pre-fight press conferences, embarrassing their rivals for the enjoyment of the fans.
More often than not, renowned trash talkers get the best of their foes in these verbal jousts, often driving their targets to the point of uncharacteristic outbursts. On occasion, however, fighters known for being incessant trash talkers either meet their match or are stunned by well-timed responses they did not anticipate from their targets.
It is a situation of exceeding rarity, but when it does happen, it catches the attention of spectators around the world. This list compiles the five times that renowned trash talkers were stunned at press conferences.
#5. Luke Rockhold at the UFC 199 pre-fight press conference
While Luke Rockhold isn't a particularly witty or clever trash talker, he is effortlessly disrespectful towards his opponents. He constantly denigrates their skills while exaggerating his own, often coming across as condescending in his dismissal of his foes.
The extent of Rockhold's attitude is such that even after brutal losses, he never wavers. It's not so much that he comes up with excuses for his losses—it's that he barely acknowledges his losses ever even took place as he continues his verbal assault.
So, when he was scheduled to face former foe Michael Bisping in his first title defense at UFC 199, Rockhold's usual confidence was riding high. After all, he'd already defeated Bisping in the past.
"Conceive, believe, achieve!"
It's safe to say that Luke Rockhold and Michael Bisping saw life differently.
The trash talk was 🔥 https://t.co/91Kj5Zg5nI
At the pre-fight press conference, Rockhold described Bisping as "an average bloke," for which the Brit mockingly praised Rockhold due to his use of English terminology. Typically, Rockhold's opponents merely sit next to him, growing increasingly irritated as the former middleweight champion casually dismisses their skills.
Bisping, however, fired back, culminating in a now well-known exchange after Rockhold claimed that by conceiving and believing, he can achieve things such as defeating Bisping. In response, 'The Count' mocked his foe's words as being similar to quotes found in poor self-help books before snapping at him to shut up. This earned the laughter of Dana White in what became an embarrassing moment for Rockhold, especially given the loss he suffered to Bisping in the actual bout.