One Fighter to Persuade Someone to Get Into MMA: Who Would it Be?

[Can’t Handle My Riddum]

So imagine an alien lifeform lands on planet earth and for whatever reason wants to get into MMA... You can't just recommend any old fight. You need to pick ONE fighter in which they can watch their whole library of fights. Your goal is to persuade them that this is an awesome sport.

Which fighter do you pick and why?

Which fighter would be the worst to recommend?

I'm a bit torn on which fighter I'd pick but my 18-year old self harkens back to the Pride era and being ridiculously excited every time Fedor fought. It always felt like such a huge event and I was never disappointed.

As for worst recommendation? GSP is my favourite fighter of all time but I would not recommend that anyone new to the sport watches him straight away especially post UFC 79 against Hughs. I think you need to know a little but about what's going on to appreciate GSP properly.

What say you?

 

[JonJonesNeedle]

Conor Mcgregor

 

[hohner]

Sakuraba

 

[Holli]

I second Conor. Huge mass market appeal, crazy personality, great on the mic, good one liners and was finishing opponents on his crazy run. Good entry level fighter for newcomers to watch

 

[Nathan LaMontagne]

I got my GF into MMA by showing her Genki Sudo.

 

[Can’t Handle My Riddum]

Sakuraba

I was going to go for this as well from a sheer excitement value.

 

[Jose Beehive]

 

[Holli]

I got my GF into MMA by showing her Genki Sudo.

damn what an introduction to MMA. def unique

 

[BenjaminDuffy]

Maybe Robbie Lawler? Not only is it a all-timer of a body of work, it's like watching a movie: You get an incredible saga of the Next Big Thing kid, then the washed up middleweight journeyman, then the redeemed UFC champ. You get him being in the Fight of the Year...for three years in a row. You get one of the gnarliest highlight reels in MMA history.

 

[Fossor]

CM Punk, obviously. I would show how brutal he was in wwe. The stupid alien would think it is real dammit. And then I would show how easily he got destroyed in mma.

 

[Can’t Handle My Riddum]

Maybe Robbie Lawler? Not only is it a all-timer of a body of work, it's like watching a movie: You get an incredible saga of the Next Big Thing kid, then the washed up middleweight journeyman, then the redeemed UFC champ. You get him being in the Fight of the Year...for three years in a row. You get one of the gnarliest highlight reels in MMA history.

That's an excellent point. As far as storyline arcs go, that one is pretty awesome.

 

[hohner]

I was going to go for this as well from a sheer excitement value.

Excitement. Heart. Balls. Humor. Respect. Dude was an absolute warrior.

 

[Grandwizard666]

Fuckin khabilov vs pichel
Suplex city brother

 

[Jozo Sha]

Sakuraba.

 

[Dijardo]

I second Conor. Huge mass market appeal, crazy personality, great on the mic, good one liners and was finishing opponents on his crazy run. Good entry level fighter for newcomers to watch

I got my GF into MMA by showing her Genki Sudo.

i can imagine this being a common way to became a McGregor fan - introduced by a boyfriend

 

[EndlessCritic]

Just bleed king: Luque.

 

[Holli]

i can imagine this being a common way to became a McGregor fan - introduced by a boyfriend

I know three people who were introduced this exact way.

 

[BenjaminDuffy]

I got my GF into MMA by showing her Genki Sudo.

Respect.

Sudo, or really anyone in the link in my sig, is a decent-to-great call.

 

[Islam Imamate]

Really depends on the person but in general I think the grappling element is usually the biggest turn off for casuals so introducing someone to a fun grappler like Sakuraba, Hughes, or Fedor would be a good starting point. That or someone like Shogun or Aldo who are know for their stand up but have a decent grappling game that have won them fights.

 

[StoneWT]

1. Ronda Rousey for her last two fights.

2. BJ Penn for his fights after Penn/Edgar 1

3. Anderson Silva for his fights with Weidman