5 times UFC fighters lost after getting personal with their opponents
Outside of a fight, fighters in the UFC often make use of words and actions against their opponents that casual fans would generally regard as distasteful behavior.
However, this behavior not only helps fighters get in their opponent's head, but it also helps to promote their fights by giving fight fans some content to gossip over. Hence, the trash-talking is not going to stop any time soon.
Trash-talking has been present in combat sports since time immemorial, notably the times of Muhammad Ali. Fighters who engage in it and fighters on the receiving end of trash-talk, usually conduct themselves professionally and do not take personally what is being said about them.
The ideal way for a fighter at the receiving end of this behavior to respond is by just being focused on winning and being headstrong enough to not let any of that affect them. That puts their trash-talking opponents under the obligation to live up to their words. If fighters are good at being unaffected by trash-talk, sometimes they dish out trash-talk of their own.
In many cases, when a fighter is unaffected, their opponent tends to go the extra mile by making personal comments. The trash-talker's behavior then goes into irrational territory at this point. The pressure from the obligation to live up to the trash-talk often gets the better of them and sees them lose the fight.
On that note, here are five UFC fighters who lost after getting personal with their opponents:
#5 Ronda Rousey vs Holly Holm at UFC 196
Half a decade ago, Ronda 'Rowdy' Rousey was the most dominant figure in the UFC women's bantamweight division. 'Rowdy' was one of the UFC's biggest cash cows in that era. She was known for being ruthless with her fighting as well as her outspoken nature outside the octagon, the first of her kind in the UFC women's division and even in all women's sports.
'Rowdy' was on a 12-fight undefeated professional streak, with most of her fights being first-round finishes. However, that streak only lasted till she faced 'The Preacher's Daughter' Holly Holm at UFC 193.
Holm is known for being a calm woman despite having a decorated professional kickboxing and boxing career before going into the UFC. She always seems to be the last person, especially among women fighters, to get affected by trash-talk.
However, Rousey tried to impose a raging and arrogant image of herself on Holm during their pre-fight face-off. Prior to that, there was no display of animosity between the two fighters. That made Ronda Rousey's actions in the face-off appear highly out of place.
While it was obvious that Rousey placed her fist on Holm's face after walking aggressively towards her opponent during the face-off, she claimed the opposite when Joe Rogan asked her why the staredown was intense, saying:
"I just wanted to get in her face and show her that I was there for a reason. She's the one that put the fist on my face. I didn't touch her; she's the one that touched me, and I touched her and I told her that fake sweet act, I see right through it. I really do; it's all fake. All until now, all that respect and everything, all you (Holm) being sweet, I see right now that it's fake, and you're gonna get it on sunday."
The fight turned out to be one of the greatest upset wins in the UF,C as Rousey was handed the beating of a lifetime.
After out-striking Rousey in the first round, Holm knocked her opponent out in the second round by way of head kicks and punches.