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In the UFC, post-fight interviews are opportunities for fighters to accomplish many things. It is a chance for mixed martial artists to thank their coaches, training partners and families for their continued support. In other cases, it's an open avenue for fighters to cut promos that could make or break their careers.
Colby Covington cut an infamous promo in his post-fight interview after defeating Demian Maia at UFC Fight Night 119. In front of the Brazilian legend's hometown crowd in São Paulo, Brazil, 'Chaos' referred to the country as a 'dump' before labeling the Brazilian fans as 'filthy animals' in a vitriolic rant.
The promo served as a launching pad for Covington's subsequent superstardom. While there's yet to be a true star-making post-fight interview since then, there have been excellent ones, and this list compiles five of the best from 2022.
#5. Paddy Pimblett, UFC Fight Night 208
Paddy Pimblett is one of the most colorful personalities in MMA. He's a boisterous presence who has captured the imagination of the promotion's fanbase due to his Scouser roots and superficial similarities to Conor McGregor. At UFC Fight Night 208, he faced Jordan Leavitt.
After emerging victorious via second-round submission, 'The Baddy' stood ready for his post-fight interview. While many likely thought he'd echo a classic promo teeming with entertainment value, what instead happened was far different. Pimblett gave a profound speech about mental health.
He revealed that he woke up to a text notifying him of a close friend's suicide and urged men across the globe to start taking their mental health seriously. He punctuated his post-fight interview by mentioning that he'd rather have a friend cry on his shoulder than attend his funeral.
#4. Khamzat Chimaev, UFC 279
Khamzat Chimaev may very well be the next big UFC star. The undefeated Chechen wrestler is a hyper-aggressive finisher who has destroyed every single opponent in the promotion besides Gilbert Burns. He is entertaining inside and outside the cage.
Right before his main event bout with Nate Diaz at UFC 279, however, 'Borz' suffered a mishap outside the cage that compromised his upcoming moment inside the cage. He missed weight by seven and a half pounds, leading to the cancelation of his bout with Nate Diaz.
Instead, 'Borz' was demoted to a co-main event bout with Kevin Holland. After easily dispatching his foe, he cut a vicious promo against the wave of criticism he received after his weigh-in mishap. He called out MMA fans for easily shifting their alliances as they loved him for one moment then hated him the next.
Furthermore, he parroted his close friend Darren Till's infamous "Say, what now!?" phrase from his post-fight interview after defeating Stephen 'Wonderboy' Thompson.
#3. Michael Chandler, UFC 274
Michael Chandler has been angling for a bout with Conor McGregor for some time now. The three-time Bellator lightweight champion is a physical force of nature in the UFC's 155 lbs weight class. Unfortunately, to face 'The Notorious', 'Iron' needed to acquire a certain level of prestige.
He did so by becoming one of the most exciting fighters in the promotion. At UFC 274, he faced Tony Ferguson. The first round didn't go the former Bellator fighter's way, however. 'El Cucuy' outstruck and even dropped his foe. Due to his wrestling, however, Michael Chandler survived but only just.
In the opening seconds of the second round, however, he landed a brutal front kick that crushed Ferguson's chin. After his KO win, Chandler made an emphatic callout to the world's most famous Irishman. He proclaimed himself the most exciting lightweight in the world and demanded a matchup.
#2. Leon Edwards, UFC 278
Leon Edwards was once taunted by his peers as forgettable. Perennial welterweight contender Colby Covington has even branded him as 'Leon Scott' to poke fun at how seemingly forgettable he was. The Englishman has been oft-ignored by top contenders for years.
However, at UFC 278, his 10-fight unbeaten streak could no longer be ignored. He was awarded a title fight with Kamaru Usman and was the centerpiece of one of the greatest comebacks in recent memory. He duped 'The Nigerian Nightmare' into slipping his head on the outside of a straight left.
Unbeknownst to the former P4P king, he slipped his head right into his foe's rising shin. A devastating high kick flattened him and Edwards captured the title that Usman held for years. In his post-fight interview, 'Rocky' was emotional and echoed a memorable quote.
"Look at me now! Pound-for-pound, headshot. Dead!"
It was one of the best post-fight interviews of the year, and it was a promo made by a fighter many once described as boring and forgettable.
#1. Renato Moicano, UFC 281
Renato Moicano's post-fight interview at UFC 281 came as a surprise to many. However, the promo he cut was humorous and led to his new moniker of 'Money Moicano'. On November 13, the Brazilian faced Brad Riddell. Within three minutes of the first round, Renato Moicano was victorious.
After a brief striking exchange, he secured a bodylock takedown and quickly finished his foe with a rear-naked choke. Once Joe Rogan stepped into the cage for the post-fight interview, Renato Moicano couldn't help himself. He immediately cut a promo in which he declared that New York was awesome.
He warned everyone that he was there to take over, that he had only ever lost to the best but that he was now the best. His promo only escalated from there. He demanded a ranking and claimed that he was eating steaks and drinking beer in Brazil before accepting a short-notice five-round fight against Rafael dos Anjos.
He punctuated his rant by demanding a bonus because, in his words:
"Moicano. Wants. Money!"
