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MMA reporter Ariel Helwani has named one reigning UFC champion as the biggest babyface in the sport.
In mixed martial arts, not least on its biggest stage, trash talk and animosity are common practice. In the UFC, it’s often seen as the bedrock for some of the most appealing and intriguing rivalries, with bad-blood feuds like Conor McGregor vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov receiving huge mainstream coverage.
But sometimes, niceness goes a long way.
That’s been the case with fighters such as Stephen Thompson. The man widely regarded as the UFC’s ‘NMF’, or ‘Nicest Motherf**ker’, has competed for welterweight gold twice and become a fan favorite owing to his personality and fighting talents.
With that, he fits the description of a ‘babyface’, a professional wrestling term used for characters who adopt a likeable persona. While that term would apply to the likes of “Wonderboy,” trash talkers like Colby Covington enter ‘heel’ territory.
And during a Q&A session on a recent episode of The MMA Hour, Helwani was asked who boasts the status of MMA’s biggest babyface. While the Canadian named Thompson, as well as heavyweight Tai Tuivasa and reigning strawweight queen Zhang Weili, as contenders, it was one Lego-loving flyweight who took the crown.
“Brandon Moreno? Is he up there. Volk? (Alexander) Volkanovski that is, I would say he’s up there,” Helwani said. “Who else? (Dustin) Poirier is up there, but I guess there’s some Conor (McGregor) fans who might not like him. I mean, Moreno’s the first guy that came to mind… Wonderboy? But I don’t think Wonderboy’s the biggest babyface, right? Who’s someone that everyone just loves? Tai Tuivasa? Lot of people love Zhang Weili. I think Moreno is the guy. I feel like everyone loves Moreno.”
Be it through his loveable personality, contagious laugh, entertaining interviews, or one particular hobby outside the Octagon, Moreno has certainly captured the hearts of most in the MMA community.
Although, the Mexican becomes less harmless when the cage door shuts…
Moreno Turns The Heat On Inside The Octagon
While Moreno has become one of the few fighters universally loved in the premier mixed martial arts organization, the personality adored by fans certainly doesn’t show itself when it comes to handling business inside the Octagon.
“The Assassin Baby,” a nickname that captures both sides of the Tijuana native, is currently ruling over the flyweight division for the second time. After capturing the gold in 2021, submitting Deiveson Figueiredo with a tight rear-naked choke, Moreno was dethroned before recording a single successful defense.
Having had an interim belt wrapped around his waist last year with a gruesome body-kick TKO against Kai Kara-France, the Mexican regained his place on the throne last month, with a left hook forcing Figueiredo’s eye shut and ending their tetralogy bout.
But given the drinks and items launched his way by angry Brazilian fans at UFC 283, perhaps there’s one set of supporters “The Assassin Baby” isn’t in the good books of…
Do you agree with Ariel Helwani’s pick? Is Brandon Moreno the biggest “babyface” in MMA?
Please provide transcription credit with a link to this article if you use any of these quotes.
MMA reporter Ariel Helwani has named one reigning UFC champion as the biggest babyface in the sport.
In mixed martial arts, not least on its biggest stage, trash talk and animosity are common practice. In the UFC, it’s often seen as the bedrock for some of the most appealing and intriguing rivalries, with bad-blood feuds like Conor McGregor vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov receiving huge mainstream coverage.
But sometimes, niceness goes a long way.
That’s been the case with fighters such as Stephen Thompson. The man widely regarded as the UFC’s ‘NMF’, or ‘Nicest Motherf**ker’, has competed for welterweight gold twice and become a fan favorite owing to his personality and fighting talents.
With that, he fits the description of a ‘babyface’, a professional wrestling term used for characters who adopt a likeable persona. While that term would apply to the likes of “Wonderboy,” trash talkers like Colby Covington enter ‘heel’ territory.
And during a Q&A session on a recent episode of The MMA Hour, Helwani was asked who boasts the status of MMA’s biggest babyface. While the Canadian named Thompson, as well as heavyweight Tai Tuivasa and reigning strawweight queen Zhang Weili, as contenders, it was one Lego-loving flyweight who took the crown.
“Brandon Moreno? Is he up there. Volk? (Alexander) Volkanovski that is, I would say he’s up there,” Helwani said. “Who else? (Dustin) Poirier is up there, but I guess there’s some Conor (McGregor) fans who might not like him. I mean, Moreno’s the first guy that came to mind… Wonderboy? But I don’t think Wonderboy’s the biggest babyface, right? Who’s someone that everyone just loves? Tai Tuivasa? Lot of people love Zhang Weili. I think Moreno is the guy. I feel like everyone loves Moreno.”
Be it through his loveable personality, contagious laugh, entertaining interviews, or one particular hobby outside the Octagon, Moreno has certainly captured the hearts of most in the MMA community.
Although, the Mexican becomes less harmless when the cage door shuts…
Moreno Turns The Heat On Inside The Octagon
While Moreno has become one of the few fighters universally loved in the premier mixed martial arts organization, the personality adored by fans certainly doesn’t show itself when it comes to handling business inside the Octagon.
“The Assassin Baby,” a nickname that captures both sides of the Tijuana native, is currently ruling over the flyweight division for the second time. After capturing the gold in 2021, submitting Deiveson Figueiredo with a tight rear-naked choke, Moreno was dethroned before recording a single successful defense.
Having had an interim belt wrapped around his waist last year with a gruesome body-kick TKO against Kai Kara-France, the Mexican regained his place on the throne last month, with a left hook forcing Figueiredo’s eye shut and ending their tetralogy bout.
But given the drinks and items launched his way by angry Brazilian fans at UFC 283, perhaps there’s one set of supporters “The Assassin Baby” isn’t in the good books of…
Do you agree with Ariel Helwani’s pick? Is Brandon Moreno the biggest “babyface” in MMA?
Please provide transcription credit with a link to this article if you use any of these quotes.
Click here to view the article.
In mixed martial arts, not least on its biggest stage, trash talk and animosity are common practice. In the UFC, it’s often seen as the bedrock for some of the most appealing and intriguing rivalries, with bad-blood feuds like Conor McGregor vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov receiving huge mainstream coverage.
But sometimes, niceness goes a long way.
That’s been the case with fighters such as Stephen Thompson. The man widely regarded as the UFC’s ‘NMF’, or ‘Nicest Motherf**ker’, has competed for welterweight gold twice and become a fan favorite owing to his personality and fighting talents.
With that, he fits the description of a ‘babyface’, a professional wrestling term used for characters who adopt a likeable persona. While that term would apply to the likes of “Wonderboy,” trash talkers like Colby Covington enter ‘heel’ territory.
And during a Q&A session on a recent episode of The MMA Hour, Helwani was asked who boasts the status of MMA’s biggest babyface. While the Canadian named Thompson, as well as heavyweight Tai Tuivasa and reigning strawweight queen Zhang Weili, as contenders, it was one Lego-loving flyweight who took the crown.
“Brandon Moreno? Is he up there. Volk? (Alexander) Volkanovski that is, I would say he’s up there,” Helwani said. “Who else? (Dustin) Poirier is up there, but I guess there’s some Conor (McGregor) fans who might not like him. I mean, Moreno’s the first guy that came to mind… Wonderboy? But I don’t think Wonderboy’s the biggest babyface, right? Who’s someone that everyone just loves? Tai Tuivasa? Lot of people love Zhang Weili. I think Moreno is the guy. I feel like everyone loves Moreno.”
Be it through his loveable personality, contagious laugh, entertaining interviews, or one particular hobby outside the Octagon, Moreno has certainly captured the hearts of most in the MMA community.
Although, the Mexican becomes less harmless when the cage door shuts…
Moreno Turns The Heat On Inside The Octagon
While Moreno has become one of the few fighters universally loved in the premier mixed martial arts organization, the personality adored by fans certainly doesn’t show itself when it comes to handling business inside the Octagon.
“The Assassin Baby,” a nickname that captures both sides of the Tijuana native, is currently ruling over the flyweight division for the second time. After capturing the gold in 2021, submitting Deiveson Figueiredo with a tight rear-naked choke, Moreno was dethroned before recording a single successful defense.
Having had an interim belt wrapped around his waist last year with a gruesome body-kick TKO against Kai Kara-France, the Mexican regained his place on the throne last month, with a left hook forcing Figueiredo’s eye shut and ending their tetralogy bout.
But given the drinks and items launched his way by angry Brazilian fans at UFC 283, perhaps there’s one set of supporters “The Assassin Baby” isn’t in the good books of…
Do you agree with Ariel Helwani’s pick? Is Brandon Moreno the biggest “babyface” in MMA?
Please provide transcription credit with a link to this article if you use any of these quotes.
In mixed martial arts, not least on its biggest stage, trash talk and animosity are common practice. In the UFC, it’s often seen as the bedrock for some of the most appealing and intriguing rivalries, with bad-blood feuds like Conor McGregor vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov receiving huge mainstream coverage.
But sometimes, niceness goes a long way.
That’s been the case with fighters such as Stephen Thompson. The man widely regarded as the UFC’s ‘NMF’, or ‘Nicest Motherf**ker’, has competed for welterweight gold twice and become a fan favorite owing to his personality and fighting talents.
With that, he fits the description of a ‘babyface’, a professional wrestling term used for characters who adopt a likeable persona. While that term would apply to the likes of “Wonderboy,” trash talkers like Colby Covington enter ‘heel’ territory.
And during a Q&A session on a recent episode of The MMA Hour, Helwani was asked who boasts the status of MMA’s biggest babyface. While the Canadian named Thompson, as well as heavyweight Tai Tuivasa and reigning strawweight queen Zhang Weili, as contenders, it was one Lego-loving flyweight who took the crown.
“Brandon Moreno? Is he up there. Volk? (Alexander) Volkanovski that is, I would say he’s up there,” Helwani said. “Who else? (Dustin) Poirier is up there, but I guess there’s some Conor (McGregor) fans who might not like him. I mean, Moreno’s the first guy that came to mind… Wonderboy? But I don’t think Wonderboy’s the biggest babyface, right? Who’s someone that everyone just loves? Tai Tuivasa? Lot of people love Zhang Weili. I think Moreno is the guy. I feel like everyone loves Moreno.”
Be it through his loveable personality, contagious laugh, entertaining interviews, or one particular hobby outside the Octagon, Moreno has certainly captured the hearts of most in the MMA community.
Although, the Mexican becomes less harmless when the cage door shuts…
Moreno Turns The Heat On Inside The Octagon
While Moreno has become one of the few fighters universally loved in the premier mixed martial arts organization, the personality adored by fans certainly doesn’t show itself when it comes to handling business inside the Octagon.
“The Assassin Baby,” a nickname that captures both sides of the Tijuana native, is currently ruling over the flyweight division for the second time. After capturing the gold in 2021, submitting Deiveson Figueiredo with a tight rear-naked choke, Moreno was dethroned before recording a single successful defense.
Having had an interim belt wrapped around his waist last year with a gruesome body-kick TKO against Kai Kara-France, the Mexican regained his place on the throne last month, with a left hook forcing Figueiredo’s eye shut and ending their tetralogy bout.
But given the drinks and items launched his way by angry Brazilian fans at UFC 283, perhaps there’s one set of supporters “The Assassin Baby” isn’t in the good books of…
Do you agree with Ariel Helwani’s pick? Is Brandon Moreno the biggest “babyface” in MMA?
Please provide transcription credit with a link to this article if you use any of these quotes.
Click here to view the article.
