5 UFC stars as Batman villains

The UFC and Batman are connected by one thing: martial arts. The promotion is an apex combat sports organization in the martial arts world. Meanwhile, Batman is a fictional crimefighter who is equipped with numerous skills, chief among them being his mastery over countless different martial arts styles.

At times, this is true for many of his rivals as well. The supervillains that make up his rogue gallery, though, are varied. Some are highly skilled fighters, while others are criminal masterminds who work behind a slew of henchmen who engage in grunt work for them.

There's no such UFC fighter who can depend on another fighter to win fights on their behalf. However, there are several mixed martial artists under Dana White's banner who resemble Batman villains. This list compiles five such fighters.

#5. Colby Covington, UFC welterweight - The Riddler

At first glance, Riddler and Colby Covington don't seem to have much in common. The former All-American wrestler is a chaotic presence in the welterweight division. Everything he does seems to be with the intention of drawing as much attention to himself as possible.

.@ColbyCovMMA says Khamzat Chimaev “hasn’t beat any fighters to get his “attention”:

“I’m not worried about some hype job that just got in the UFC that hasn’t even had a ranked win in the UFC yet.”

Full interview
🎥: youtu.be/sOguU0Z7kgE https://t.co/fmQHFUNJ3z

The former UFC interim welterweight champion uses vitriolic trash talk against anyone to force everyone to pay attention to him. Riddler does the same in the DC Universe. His riddles and plans are designed to get him as much attention as possible.

'Chaos' has a deep need for attention to continuously elevate his profile, therefore ensuring better pay for himself. Meanwhile, Riddler also has a deep need for attention. But his need is rooted in narcissism.

#4. Valentina Shevchenko, UFC women's flyweight champion - Lady Shiva

Valentina Shevchenko's main selling point as a mixed martial artist is her breadth of skill. She is a former Muay Thai world champion with black belts in Judo and Taekwondo. 'Bullet' has also been exceptionally successful at WMMA despite being at a size disadvantage for most of her career.

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Valentina Shevchenko's stunning head-kick KO of Jessica Eye is two years old today. https://t.co/bEguDCNEDp

Since leaving the bantamweight division, the reigning 125 lbs queen has looked all but unbeatable. This is similar to Lady Shiva, an uber-skilled martial artist and Batman villain who is known for defeating the caped crusader several times during their encounters in Gotham City.

Lady Shiva is feared by countless other characters for her deep pool of martial arts skills. This is similar to the amount of fear and respect that Valentina Shevchenko commands in her division.

#3. Tony Ferguson, UFC lightweight - Two-Face

Two-Face is known for being a villain who represents duality. Typically, this duality revolves around good and evil. Tony Ferguson has also been something of a dualistic fighter. He once promoted himself as a fighter who cares about the UFC compared to what he claimed were Khabib Nurmagomedov's sentiments.

"Dana White privilege" is no laughing matter to Tony Ferguson. 😤

#UFC274 | Full video: bit.ly/3vHetH8 https://t.co/BbIDp1k5W8

During a pre-fight face-off for UFC 249, 'The Eagle' kicked away his rival's belt. In response, 'El Cucuy' claimed that he cared about the UFC before asserting that Nurmagomedov didn't. Furthermore, the former interim champion has been known for flip-flopping on trivial matters.

After jokingly saying that Michael Chandler had 'Dana White Privilege' to a chorus of laughter, he later told reporter John Morgan that he didn't find it very funny before expressing his irritation. Only 'El Cucuy' and Two-Face would get upset over someone laughing at a joke they made.

#2. Khamzat Chimaev, UFC welterweight/middleweight - Bane

Bane is a towering and powerful rogue who possesses the perfect blend of size, strength, and martial arts skills. This combination of attributes rendered him one of Batman's most fearsome villains. He is infamous for breaking the caped crusader's back, a feat for which he earned the moniker 'The Man Who Broke The Bat'.

"Oh my goodness! He's talking to Dana!" - @dc_mma

@KChimaev actually talked to UFC President Dana White as he slammed Li Jingliang! 🤯

#UFC267 https://t.co/uavl3nt97r

This is similar to Khamzat Chimaev, who is known for being the largest 170'er in the welterweight division. He is absurdly strong, enabling him to outwrestle middleweight contender Jack Hermansson in a freestyle wrestling match.

But it's not just the size and strength that 'Borz' possesses. He is an exceptionally skilled grappler with serviceable striking skills. Like Bane, the Chechen phenom is greatly feared, with many welterweights avoiding matchups with him.

#1. Conor McGregor, UFC lightweight - Joker

The Joker is Batman's most famous villain. Meanwhile, Conor McGregor is the UFC's most famous mixed martial artist. The two are known for being exceedingly charismatic and magnetic, commanding legions of followers who try to emulate them to varying degrees of success.

The Joker has had the devotion of Harley Quinn and Punchline. The Irishman, by contrast, has the devotion of an entire country behind him. Additionally, the two are unhinged and unrestrained individuals. The Joker is a lunatic who always escapes Arkham Asylum, never facing true consequences for his actions.

Conor McGregor via his Instagram account: "You need people like me." #UFC264 https://t.co/6UxVecHl1D

Similarly, 'The Notorious' rarely faces serious consequences for his actions. Even his criminal actions typically result in community service with no prison sentences. Another thing that binds them is how the Joker describes himself as a necessary agent of chaos whose job is to prove that Batman needs him.

This is something the Irishman echoed after he lost the trilogy bout against Dustin Poirier. After his vicious trash talk during his post-fight interview, 'The Notorious' tweeted that the UFC needed people like him.