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.