5 of the greatest storytellers in UFC history

#2. Michael Bisping – former UFC middleweight champion

Michael Bisping is one of the wittiest storytellers in UFC history

Given that his skills on the microphone made him one of the UFC’s biggest villains for the best part of a decade, it’s hardly surprising that Michael Bisping ranks amongst the promotion’s greatest-ever storytellers.

The former UFC middleweight champion seems full of witty quips. It was on full display at UFC Vegas 36 with his subtle put-down of prospect Paddy Pimblett. 'The Count' essentially comes across as a man who can’t resist telling a tall tale.

Like Matt Hughes, many of Bisping’s craziest stories were revealed in his autobiography. Bisping’s Quitters Never Win was released in 2019 and detailed his life in MMA. The stories spanned from his early days fighting in the UK through to his eventual retirement from the UFC in 2017.

was just assaulted 😂 guy got in my face for filming on a public street. I told him to go away and he punched me 😂was literally so soft I laughed at him,So funny that someone that acts so tough hits like such a bitch, I laughed and walked away. Man I’m mature these days 😂

— michael (@bisping) June 27, 2021

Some of the wildest stories in the book will stun any UFC fan, particularly those involving unsavory British gangsters, street fights and home invasions.

But equally interesting are Bisping’s stories from his UFC tenure. They include the way he dealt with his 2009 loss to Dan Henderson and the incident that saw him suffer a serious eye injury at the hands of Vitor Belfort.

Essentially, Bisping can hold the interest of UFC fans like few other fighters can, making him a truly brilliant storyteller.

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#1. Dana White – UFC president

UFC President Dana White is probably the promotion's greatest storyteller

As president of the UFC since 2001, it’s hardly surprising that Dana White has plenty of stories to tell about his time with the promotion.

And due to his powerful position, many of these stories form part of the UFC’s overall mythology. That easily makes him easily one of the promotion’s greatest-ever storytellers.

Some of the tales that White has detailed over the years have opened the eyes of fans like few others would be able to. He’s spoken in detail about contract negotiations with fighters, about managers and agents trying to pull power-plays and about how he and the Fertitta brothers came to take over the UFC in the first place.

Dana White tells the story of Tito Ortiz’s first sparring session with Chuck Liddell.Things didn’t go as expected 😬 pic.twitter.com/DEKoiTUlGH

— 30 for 30 (@30for30) September 27, 2019

And of course, White has plenty of wild tales too. He’s gone on record to explain how Liddell once beat up a hotel security guard, winning White $5k in the process. He's also detailed how he walked in on ‘The Iceman’ "having an orgy in a Las Vegas hotel room."

Of course, fans have heard the story about how the UFC’s deal with Spike TV was signed in an alleyway close to the Hard Rock Hotel just minutes after the Forrest Griffin vs. Stephan Bonnar fight.

Quite how much White embellishes the truth is a major question mark. Some fans would probably accuse him of having a propensity for such things. However, there’s no disputing that the man in charge of the UFC is also one of the promotion’s greatest storytellers.