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Trash Talk in Mixed Martial Arts: Detrimental or Necessary?
(Commentary by Johnathen Tan)


I have been a follower of mixed martial arts (MMA) for about three years now. It might not be that long, but enough for me to fall in love with a contest where two individuals step in a cage, with the intention of choking or knocking each other out, or breaking one of the eight limbs. It has recently been labeled a sport – and rightfully so. But what happens in the cage, shall remain in the cage.

Prior to the commencement of the actual fight, fighters have to attend press conferences, media scrums and interviews, and there is where the magic happens – the art of trash talk. Let me run you through on what trash talk is all about in the context of MMA. Basically, a fighter blows out insults and derogatory remarks about his opponent’s skills, with the purpose of building hype for the fight to generate audience attention. Or in more strategic circumstances, to get his opponent frazzled enough to fight with fired up emotions – becoming oblivious to counter attacks.

Trash talk in mixed martial arts transcends the whole idea of professional athletes and their efforts to maintain good public relations. In major spectator sports such as tennis, football, basketball or golf, athletic management firms would attempt to bring about a clean image of their athletes by telling them to avoid making controversial remarks. Like, you never see Roger Federer shouting that he’s the greatest from across the court to his opponents, or Michael Phelps claiming that he can buy and sell his competitors twice after coming in first for the 200-meter freestyle contest. It is undeniable that the verbal aggression in mixed martial arts, if applied in any other sports, would be outrageous.

When it comes to trash talk in combat sports, one cannot help but to mention Muhammad Ali, whose demeanor have become a part of pop culture with sayings like, “I am the greatest!” and “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.” However, the emergence of a “notorious” figure in the mixed martial arts scene a few years ago, has changed the game once and for all. Irish superstar Conor McGregor had discovered his pathway to the big bucks, well-equipped with a bad mouth for anyone who comes in his way, and a heavy left hand that’s been knocking people out left, right and center.

All is well until as of late, when undefeated Russian wrestler Khabib Nurmagomedov decided that McGregor, who made remarks about his father and religion, went a little too far with his words. At UFC 229, Khabib defeated McGregor in spectacular fashion – dominating the first four rounds before submitting the trash talker in a neck crank, to defend his championship. However, what occurred after, upstaged the actual fight. Khabib jumped out of the cage and attacked McGregor’s teammates, who also had their fair share of some verbal attack towards the Russian champion. To cut a long story short – both fighters are now under suspension and are fined a massive amount.

Where is the line drawn then? So, is it abusive or necessary? I was caught in a dilemma, trying to figure out if trash talk is an aspect of the sport that needs to be regulated, or something that needs to live on, to spark the entertainment value of the sport. But, I now have an answer. The sport needs trash talk to keep going. As much as I, a mixed martials arts fanatic, hate to admit it – it is always more interesting to watch fighters who genuinely dislike each other, going at it in the cage.

People like controversy – and I cannot deny that I’m one of them. It’s just an unspoken characteristic of human nature. Two bad-blooded individuals wanting to punch each other in the face, will drum up interest not only amongst fight fans, but also people who don’t even watch mixed martial arts in general. This will benefit the new sport, as it helps to promote and drive traffic to the event. This is shown through the Khabib-McGregor fight in Las Vegas, which became the highest grossing event in the history of the UFC. It also had a major economic impact on the Sin City, generating $86.4 million in total economic output.

In public relations terms, every brand must have a story – to prompt attention from the public, attract talent, propel profitability and to create brand equity. So does the mixed martial arts scene. They need a build-up, hype and story that leads to two men punching each other in the face with bad intentions, in front of a sold out crowd.

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Image source: UFC



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