Trash talking is one of the more celebrated forms of gamesmanship in professional sports. There's something satisfying about listening to an athlete try to get inside the head of their opponent by cutting them down with vicious verbiage.
The testosterone-filled world of mixed martial arts contains some of the greatest smack talkers in the game. Here are some of the best trash talkers to have ever graced the UFC with their expertly crafted insults and punishing put-downs.
6 Rashad Evans
The former light-heavyweight champ has had several feuds during his tenure with the UFC. Some of Sugar's more memorable fighting words have been at the expense of the likes of Rampage Jackson and Phil Davis. He is also responsible for this gem of an insult, directed towards one of the UFC's pound-for-pound best fighters, Jon Jones.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XJ3O0FI8ms
5 Michael Bisping
The Count is easily one of the most polarising figures in MMA. He's fond of running his mouth to promote fights and although he's usually hit or miss, he definitely deserves a spot on this list.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqAdFGU7rWE
4 Nick and Nate Diaz
The Diaz brothers have that "zero fucks given" attitude that made the Diaz brothers fan favourites. What they lack in formal education they make up for in quick street wit that can rattle even the most mentally strong fighters in the UFC. The siblings' trademark is talking smack to their opponent for the duration of the fight.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JxFOUyJksdA
As you can see from this clip, Nick isn't particularly fond of the demanding UFC media obligations.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eqz4Jcy9kdQ
3 Conor McGregor
If you haven't been living under a rock for the past year or so, you've heard of this guy. The Notorious is a prime example of how honing your trash-talking ability can propel you to the top. After just two fights in the UFC, he headlined an event and he's currently on the cusp of a title shot. While being an extremely talented martial artist aided his rise through the ranks, his ability to market himself certainly sped up the process.
2 Quinton Rampage Jackson
Rampage is another former light heavyweight belt holder and one of the most memorable characters the UFC has ever seen. Like Bisping, his insults run a bit hot/cold. However, when a Jackson one-liner hits, it really hits.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAl3F8PWVkI
1 Chael Sonnen
Chael P. Sonnen (he claims the P stands for Perfection) is the undisputed king of trash-talking in MMA. He rose to prominence with his unrelenting smack talk at the expense of one of the all-time greats, Anderson Silva, that elevated himself to superstar status in the UFC.
He was recently ousted from the promotion for being at the centre of a performance enhancing drugs scandal but let's try to remember the good old times when he was known for completely destroying opponents with his superior smacumen (smack talking acumen).
