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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
"I think that guys just shouldn't try [hyping fights]. Chael had it. Conor McGregor has it. This guy can fight and talk. I think some of the guys that can't talk as well as others think they have to talk more. No you don't. You need to be a great fighter. As long as you're a great fighter, nobody gives a s**t about that other stuff. Yes, some guys may stand out a little more, but if you have the talent you're going to get where you want to go anyway."
-UFC President Dana White talks about fighters trying too hard to hype fights in the latest edition of "The Download" on UFC.com.
Penick's Analysis: There are varying levels of fighter in this sport. There are those who have both the ability in cage and on the mic to be an absolute superstar, a "far and few between" distinction; those whose elite talent brings them to the forefront regardless of what they do or say outside of the cage (i.e., Jon Jones); those who have a mixture of very good talent and trash talking ability to rise above the pack regardless of what else they've done (McGregor, Sonnen); those who are good, but won't hit the next level because the talent doesn't rise them above; those who can talk and keep spots despite perhaps lacking in-cage; and finally, those who simply are good enough to be on the show, but won't go up the ladder. There are probably some other categories you can mark down in there, but sometimes it's not as simple for some as "you're going to get where you want to go anyway." In the case of someone like Sonnen, it wasn't until he began talking that he moved up the ladder, because before that he had never been more than a middle of the road middleweight. Now, White's right that it doesn't make sense to force it if it doesn't come naturally, because that's not going to help you either, but it's certainly not always as simple as "be good and you'll earn your spot." Not for everyone, anyway.
[Dana White art by Travis Beaven (c) MMATorch.com]
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Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
(mmatorcheditor@gmail.com)
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