Top 5 Trash Talkers in MMA

Like it or not, trash talking in MMA isn't going anywhere. Most fans are split down the middle, some love it, as it adds hype and makes the fight more personal, while some hate it, because of the negative press it attracts and how disrespectful it can be. But, like it or not, trash talking is officially part of the sport. While some fighters have been doing it for years, others are only taking it up lately. Some fighters incorporate it into their game plan, to try to get inside the opponents head, some do it because the enjoy it, and some do it just out of dislike for the man soon to be standing opposite them in the cage. A verbal war is the only way to strike a blow before the cage door slams shut.

Over the years, "Talking Smack" has taken many shapes and forms. Outside of the trash talking, the fighters can have next to nothing in common, with them only being grouped together because of their attitudes towards it. While some fighters are terrible at it, some excel in getting to the opponent prior to a match. In my opinion, these are the top Five, and by far most consistent trash talkers in the sport today:

5: Josh Koscheck

Since the original Ultimate Fighter, fans learned quickly that Koscheck is a fan of trash talking. During his time spent in the house, Kos and Bobby Southworth took it upon themselves to pick on an obviously very drunken Chris Leben. Both before and after their fight on the show, Koscheck was seen shouting after a visibly upset Chris Leben, following the loss. More recently, Kos really lived up to his "heel" status, in his bouts with Anthony Johnson and Paul Daley. During the bout with "Rumble" Johnson, the UFC Welterweight was seen to clearly jab his opponent in the eye. In the bout with Paul Daley, Koscheck talked so much smack before and even during the fight, that Daley snapped and threw a sucker punch after the bell has signalled the end of the fight. 

Trash talking Highlight: Effectively accusing GSP of taking steroids, as well as calling for him to be tested on a daily basis.

4: Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal

While King Mo's skills are ever evident, the Strikeforce LightHeavy Weight Champion makes no attempts to hide or disguise his trash talking. The minute his music hits the arena, Mo's arrogance and confidence are clear. Despite only having an MMA record of 7-0, Mo enters each fight wearing his trademark crown, surrounded by a small gathering of female accomplices. Despite only having 7 pro fights, Mo possesses a solid skill set, which he never shies away from discussing. While his Light Heavy Weight title fight against Gegard Mousasi brought him to prominence, Mo spent much of the build up claiming to be among the best LHW fighters in the world. He totally out wrestled the more experienced Mousasi to capture the belt last May.

Trash Talking Highlight: Likening Gegard Mousasi to Kermit the Frog

3: James "Lights Out" Toney

Boxing, far more so than MMA, is a sport almost defined by trash talking. From Fighters such as Muhammed Ali through to Mike Tyson, Boxing and trash talking seem to go hand in hand. While Boxers such as Floyd Mayweather might be better at it, Toney is the only one to transition over to MMA. Every time Toney opens his mouth, it is usually to talk trash about some of the biggest people in the sport, Dana White ( "Pops" to Toney) Randy Couture ("princess") and even Jon Jones ("Homo Jones") It seems nobody is safe from Toney's verbal lashings. Whenever a mic is put in front of Toney's mouths, somebody is gonna take a verbal beating.

Trash Talking Highlight: While there are so many to chose from, my personal favourite is accusing Jon Jones of using "ecsatcy drinks".

2: Chael Sonnen

Few can argue the true passion that Chael Sonnen trash talks with. Since being announced as the next challenger for Anderson Silva, Chael has single handedly turned hyped this fight to one of the most anticipated in years. From promising to "pick Anderson up and slam him on his head" to calling the black belt he received for The Nogueira Brothers "like the free toy you get with a happy meal", Sonnen may actually be more eloquent than he is talented. His way with words made his political all the easier. It is also impossible to argue that anybody has ever taken such a dislike to an opponent quite like Chael has to Anderson Silva. When the two collide in less than a week, with Silva's Middleweight title the prize, fans the world over will look eagerly to see if Chael's words have had any effect on The Spider, or if Silva will walk through him like so many of his previous opponents.

Trash Talking Highlight: His consistency is his a true highlight. Even if Chael were to suffer a KO in the first ten seconds, fans will always remember how he called out Silva, as frequently as possible.

1: Tito Ortiz

Now, before anybody complains, or disagrees, lets look at the facts. Tito Ortiz has made trash talking into an art. For years he has mentally got under the skin of his opponents. From Ken Shamrock to even Chuck Liddell, Tito just has a habit of knowing exactly what to say, in order to piss of a fighter. Some times it works, sometimes it doesn't. But in everyone of jis opponents has received a verbal beat down. Not only this, but Tito has been talking smack way before it was cool. Tito was the original MMA bad boy. Look at his feud with The Lion's Den camp. Not content with beating several of their Fighters, Tito and Lion's Den Leader Shamrock clashed 3 times, with Ortiz coming out the victor three times. Unlike Chael Sonnen and James Toney, Ortiz has backed up his words, especially where Shamrock is involved.

Never one to shy away from a confrontation, Ortiz even took the opportunity to be Shamrock's rival coach on the third Series of The Ultimate Fighter, and spent the entire season winding Shamrock to breaking point. It evidently worked, as he went on to defeat "The World's Most Dangerous Man" a further two times. While it didn't work against UFC legend Chuck Liddell, this didn't stop Tito calling Chuck out a third time. While both were rival coaches on TUF 11, Tito even went so far as to call Chuck an alcoholic, before injury forced him to withdraw as coach and from their fight.

Trash talking Highlight: OK, so its not technically trash talk, more trash actions, but the highlight for me wearing a T shirt that read "Dana is my bitch" at a UFC press conference.

While many have tried, nobody tells it like he does. Take it away, Tito: