Don't be surprised, but Tim Sylvia is a total dick. I only say this because I've talked to him twice... guy seems to have a huge chip on his shoulder for most of humanity. Out of all the guys I've interviewed, these were the nicest: Randy, Rampage (super cool in person), Militich, Matt Hughes (even though he missed his scheduled appearance and left me hanging live on air), and Griffin.
But remember, like most people it's any given day. These guys have personal lives that affect how they act professionally just like anyone else. And once they win a belt or gain popularity, their lives totally change. Forget about it. I am sure it depends on what day you catch them on.
I used to talk to GSP all the time before and after he won the title the first time for a weekly Canadian MMA news column I did for The Fight Network. I had his cell # and he was always really gracious and open to talk whenever I called him. I was at a TKO show in Montreal and was actually shooting the shit with Rashad and Denis Kang (both of whom are always cool and readily available for phone calls, text or email conversations) backstage and GSP walked up to tell them he was leaving. I asked him if I could ask him one really quick question for TFN and he snubbed me, telling me "Call my manager"...
I know he's busy and has a million requests for interviews but I was always extremely supportive of his career up to that point and it would have taken him like 2 minutes max.
Made me see him a bit differently than the humble, fan-friendly nice guy persona he tries to perpetuate.
Mike Russell - I used to talk to GSP all the time before and after he won the title the first time for a weekly Canadian MMA news column I did for The Fight Network. I had his cell # and he was always really gracious and open to talk whenever I called him. I was at a TKO show in Montreal and was actually shooting the shit with Rashad and Denis Kang (both of whom are always cool and readily available for phone calls, text or email conversations) backstage and GSP walked up to tell them he was leaving. I asked him if I could ask him one really quick question for TFN and he snubbed me, telling me "Call my manager"...Yeah, once they get the belt it is different. Torres was telling me how much of a demand on his time there was after winning the belt and what his travel schedule was like, just for press conferences! It would probably make me grouchy too. Any given day.
I know he's busy and has a million requests for interviews but I was always extremely supportive of his career up to that point and it would have taken him like 2 minutes max.
Made me see him a bit differently than the humble, fan-friendly nice guy persona he tries to perpetuate.
Actually, this was after he lost to Serra...
ahhhhh, that's even worse.
cdiorio13 - Before somebody says Brock based on his "in ring" pesrona, Brock in person is cool as shit.
Towe you logged into the wrong account!!
How the hell did I not make this list?
Everyone I've met has been super nice, but the ones who stand out as being the most fan friendly (to me, at least) were Dana, Sean Sherk and Forrest Griffin. At the weigh-ins for UFC 69 I watched Forrest sign pretty much EVERYTHING people shoved at him. He even got on someone's cell phone to talk to their friend.
Big John and Mike Goldberg were also incredibly nice when I met them.
Also, when I lived in Chicago Shonie Carter turned up at a bar to watch a Pride show wearing some belt he'd just won (not sure what show it was from). He just put it on the bar and sat there shooting the shit with everyone. Cool dude.
Matt Hughes is cold,
The Best, Forrest Griffin, Joe Lauzon,Tim Sylvia,Tank Abbott
and Dana was pretty cool
My son and I met Rampage and Bisping at UFC 59 and both were very cool. My son went on and on to Rampage if he was coming to the UFC. He finally lightly bitch slapped him and said you talk too much. But then still talked to him for like 10 minutes.
Chris Leben was at a small show right after TUF and he was selling shirts and shit, the army was also there and they gave away T shirts. So this little kid about 9-10 years old came up to Leben with an army shirt to autograph and Leben says no way buy one of my shirts and keeps giving this kid some major shit and attitude as the kid walks off. Next girl comes up and he signs the shirt she was wearing and it wasn't a Leben T shirt. I was glad to see him go to sleep last night.
jay1220 -Sean McCorkle - How the hell did I not make this list?
your not in the UFC so no one cares enough to ask you for an autograph
How the hell did jay1220 not make this list?
Tyson Griffin and Cung Lee are by far the two
biggest assholes towards the fans I've ever seen!
Punk09 - Randy was not so nice the time i met him.
On the flipside, he was awesome to me when I met him.
Put Matt Hughes in there and that'd be your top three right there!
Not that he's in MMA or anything, but Bob Backlund has this weird rule. I met him at the CT State and State Open Wrestling championships after I graduated and was watching a buddy compete. He's cool as hell to talk to and he really just loves amatuer wrestling. He kind of slinks away to a dark spot high in the bleachers and watches every match. Sat next to him and talked to him for a while. During an intermission, I asked for his autograph. He said if I could name every US President, in order, he'd sign something for me. I couldn't do it.
Randy Couture was cool when I met him at the Arnold Classic back in 2004; so was Shonie Carter.
Kenny Florian was humble & took a few minutes to chat & take pictures at UFC 71.
I've heard that Sean McCorkle is one hell of a nice guy.
Lion Of Zion -Other really nice guys are Antonio Banuellos(i hope I came close to spelling it right) Joe Doerksen, Krystof Sosynski, Jason McDonald, Shaolin, Sean Sherk , and Brock Larson. Chris Brennan and Enson Inoue have all answered my emails and seem like nice guys.
Joe Doerksen is fan friendly and a great guy.
Dougie -Lion Of Zion -Other really nice guys are Antonio Banuellos(i hope I came close to spelling it right) Joe Doerksen, Krystof Sosynski, Jason McDonald, Shaolin, Sean Sherk , and Brock Larson. Chris Brennan and Enson Inoue have all answered my emails and seem like nice guys.
Joe Doerksen is fan friendly and a great guy.
+1
I met dana and he really could not have been nicer or more accommodating to all the fans.
Seriously that guy cares about the fans in a big way.