The Worst Nicknames In MMA

Mad respect to these guys for taking it to the cage and fighting some of the best in the world. No respect for their really bad nicknames.

10. Rich Franklin- “Ace”

You won’t find a bigger Rich Franklin fan than me. But his nickname is spawned from a slight resemblance to “Ace Ventura”, the loony, goofy-looking movie character played by Jim Carrey. He should have never let that one stick.

9. Kenny Florian- “Ken-Flo”

OK, the reason you have a nickname is because people want to call you something cool and different than your real name — not just a shortened version of it. Plus, Ken-Flo sounds like some sort of product you’d buy from an infomercial. Florian says that he “finishes fights”. Well, go finish finding a real nickname too.

8. Lyle Beerbohm- “Fancy Pants”

Beerbohm is one of MMA’s best stories. He’s gone from the real cage — prison — to the fighting cage with great success. His pro record currently sits at 13-0. But his nickname sounds like something that might have been considered name calling by schoolgirls in the 50′s. “Sally called me Fancy Pants!”

7. Jorge Masvidal- “Gamebred”

Masvidal is mainly known for two things: beating up Kimbo’s boy Ray in You Tube street fights and being submitted by Toby Imada earlier this year by an inverted triangle, a move never before seen in pro MMA. But let’s make it 3. I get the meaning behind “Gamebred”. I just still think it’s bad.

6. Frank Trigg- “Twinkle Toes”

Twinkle Toes is the name of a type of girls shoes. It is also the name of a boutique where you can find bows for your hair. And it was originally the nickname of Fred Flintstone. It should not be the nickname of an MMA brawler. It’s good to see Trigg back in the UFC, but his nickname has to be on this list.

5. Sean Sherk- “The Muscle Shark”

I am a big Sherk fan. If they fought 10 five-minute rounds in the UFC, Sean Sherk would be champion again. He has only 4 losses in his career, and those are to BJ, Matt Hughes, GSP and most recently Frankie Edgar. Sherk brings it everytime. But he also brings his nickname, which sounds like a failed kids cartoon or comic book. So he makes this list.

4. Michael Bisping- “The Count”

Bisping is reported to be in the line of royal ancestry, so that’s one reason for the nickname. I like to think that the updated version of the nickname is because you could count all day when Dan Henderson knocked him silly at UFC 100. Either way, it’s not exactly a fear-inspiring nickname. Makes you think of cereal or Seasme Street.

3. Tim Sylvia- “The Maine-iac”

If it was just “The Maniac”, it would not have ended up on this list. But because of the horrible play on words, Sylvia’s “The Maine-iac” (get it? He must be from Maine!) lands at #3 on this list.

2. Gegard Mousasi- “The Dream Catcher”

I think usually MMA fighters should have masculine, intimidating nicknames, or at least something cool and memorable. Mousasi’s “The Dream Catcher” has none of the above. It evokes imagery of arts and crafts, Feng Shui and tranquil waters. Mousasi is one of the best up and coming fighters in MMA. His nickname is one of the worst.

1. Brad Imes- “The Hillbilly Heartthrob”

Imes is an interesting dude. He played pro football in the Arena League and was a combatant on the 2nd season of “The Ultimate Fighter”. But his agent or whoever came up with the nickname must have thought he was trying out for the country-music version of American Idol or WWE-type wrestling. Seriously–The Hillbilly Heartthrob? Not the best way to build a fanbase. I bet there are fans that want him to lose solely because of his nickname.

Brett Rogers Has ‘Got the Power’

Heavyweight fighter Brett Rogers may have another budding career when he is done with MMA. What you might ask? How about rapping? Check out this remake by Rogers of the popular 80′s song ‘The Power’ by Snap. And if you dont….’he will attack and you don’t want that’:

MMA Fighter Gets Brutal Corndog

This is pretty painful to watch. At Sengoku 10, the Maximo Blanco vs. Tetsuya Yamada bout ended in a way I have never seen before: tapout due to corn dog. What is a corn dog? Basically it’s when you take a knee right to the rectum. The official result in this fight was TKO via punches, but the corn dog was just too much. If you want to get to the goods, get to about the 12:25 spot of the video.

Before Chuck Liddell Went Dancing With the Stars

Who knows if Chuck Liddell makes it back into the cage again? He’s hasn’t won since 2007, has lost 4 of his last 5 fights and UFC president Dana White says he hopes that “The Iceman” retires from MMA.

But I refuse to remember the man that beat Tito Ortiz, Wanderlei Silva, Vitor Belfort and Randy Couture as some guy dancing the Cha Cha Cha. No. Chuck Liddell viciously knocked people out and is one of the greatest MMA fighters of All-Time. Here are a few of my favorite old-school Iceman moments:

Chuck Liddell vs. Alistair Overeem at “Pride: Total Elimination”

Chuck Liddell vs. Paul Jones at UFC 22

UFC Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell Fighter T-Shirt

Video of the Day: Top 10 UFC Knockouts

The Best MMA Nicknames

MMA is filled with the best fighters and martial artists in the entire world. So why wouldn’t they also have the best nicknames? Here’s a look at 10 of our favorites…

10. Kevin Ferguson- “Kimbo Slice”

Maybe you thought his real name was Kimbo. That’s OK. But it is just a nickname. Kimbo was a childhood nickname and fight fans added the “Slice” after he left a huge gash over an opponent’s eye in his first taped fight. Whether or not you think Kimbo can cut it as an MMA fighter, his nickname is definitely top 10.

9. Jens Pulver- “Little Evil”

Newer fight fans may not appreciate Pulver because he hasn’t had a victory since late-2007. But Pulver deserves props for being the first-ever UFC lightweight champion, and for having a top-10 nickname.

8. Chris Leben- “The Crippler”

Leben is a fan favorite that provides excitement in every one of his fights. He’s had many nicknames since appearing on the season one of “The Ultimate Fighter”, but the one that has stuck is “The Crippler”. Back in 2005 he told MMA Weekly, “I like the Crippler, I like the Catsmasher, I like Lights Out, you can call me Game Tight….your Baby’s Daddy…..it really doesn’t matter to me. I don’t pick my nicknames, people give them to me.”

7. Stephan Bonnar- “American Psycho”

It’s not exactly the most original nickname on the list, but you can’t deny that it is very cool. Plus, when you consider the Bret Easton Ellis character from the book/movie, it’s totally fitting that an MMA fighter wear that nickname.

6. Ken Shamrock- “The World’s Most Dangerous Man”

Shamrock is currently serving a one-year suspension after testing positive for banned substances following his victory over Ross Clifton earlier this year. At age 45, who knows if he even enters the cage again. But the title of “The World’s Most Dangerous Man” was well-earned. He is a UFC Hall of Famer and his nickname is Hall of Fame, too.

5. Mirko Filipovic- “Cro Cop”

The Croatian Filipovic has been a bust since coming to the UFC, but he comes in at #5 on our Best Nicknames list. For those who don’t know, the nickname comes from his service as a Croatian Anti-Terrorist Squad officer. He also has sat on the Croatian Parliament.

4. Takanori Gomi- “The Fireball Kid”

He’s beaten a Gracie, knocked out Jens Pulver, was submitted by a Gogoplata and whooped on Hayato Sakurai. He’s fought in Pride, Shooto and now Sengoku. He’s been everywhere, man. And he has the #4 nickname on the list.

3. Mark Kerr- “The Smashing Machine”

It’s been a tough road for Kerr, as seen in the documentary branded by his nickname “The Smashing Machine: The Life and Times of Mark Kerr”. He hasn’t had a win in a while, but he won his first 11 fights before running into some substance-abuse troubles. The nickname was apt as Kerr routinely won fights in a dominant fashion.

2. Cris and Evangelista Santos- “Cyborg”

I still can’t figure out if that is their legal name now. It’s probably not but everyone uses “Cyborg” for their last name. The married couple have had a fantastic 2009. Cris defeating Gina Carano and Evangelista putting on an excellent performance in a loss to Joey Villasenor. They also share a fantastic nickname.

1. Wanderlei Silva- “The Axe Murderer”

I don’t care if he doesn’t win as much as he used to. There can be nothing more terrifying than watching a guy named “The Axe Murderer” stare you down while doing that crazy hand movement before the fight begins. “The Axe Murderer” is the best nickname in MMA, and maybe all of sports.

Swick out, Daley in at UFC 103

MIKE SWICK is OUT of UFC 103 following a training accident suffered while sparring against Josh Koscheck.

Kos swept the American — nicknamed ‘Quick’ — causing him to land on his head.

Despite suffering a mild concussion, his injuries are not thought to be serious but we can reveal he will be unable to face Martin Kampmann on September 19.

Instead, rising British star Paul ‘Semtex’ Daley, 26, will step in to face the 27-year-old Dutchman on the televised card of the showpiece event, which airs live on ESPN.

Daley — who will be making his Octagon debut — told SunSport: “I got the call and I accepted. I came to the UFC to fight the best, and that’s what I am going to do.

“Kampmann is on a roll with the UFC, but I will roll over him. Semtex is going to explode onto the UFC’s welterweight scene at UFC 103.”

The UFC’s UK president Marshall Zelaznik added: “Semtex has come to the UFC with a lot of hype, a lot of ability and — as he’s already proved — a lot of confidence.

“He was asked to step up and — real fighter that he is — he accepted right away.

“He’s already done the UK proud by stepping up and I know he’s going to go all out to do exactly the same at UFC 103.

“He has an attack-minded style and British fans will be able to see Paul make his debut against one of the best 170lbs fighters in the UK on ESPN.”

Swick, 30, confirmed the news of his injury on his Twitter account. He said: “I got foot swept while sparring this week and lost my legs.

“I landed on back of my head and neck and suffered a pretty bad concussion. I am out of UFC 103. It sucks and I am sorry guys…”

UFC 103 Lineup Finalized