Chael Sonnen and the 5 UFC Fighters Who Need to Put Up or Shut Up

The sport of mixed martial arts has clearly become one of the world's fastest-growing sports for a reason.

That reason is mainly credited to the world-class athletes who dedicate their lives to the sport they deeply love.

But it's also grown from the entertainment these athletes produce outside of the Octagon.

More specifically, the UFC is filled with fighters who trash-talk until they turn blue in the face.

While it's easy to talk the talk, at some point these mixed martial artists will have to walk the walk.

The following slides display five UFC fighters who need to put their money where their mouth is.

Let's take a look.

Rashad Evans

It's hard to deny Rashad Evans' talent, as he is a former UFC Light Heavyweight champion.

But even though he's a former champ, he's never even defended his title, as he was knocked out by Lyoto Machida in his first title defense.

Even still, Evans hasn't been the slightest bit shy to call out current champion Jon Jones, even entering the Octagon following a Jones victory on more than one occasion.

Tito Ortiz

Everyone knows how great Tito Ortiz once was—but we're no longer living in the past.

In his first fight back in nearly a year, Ortiz defeated Ryan Bader via submission in the first round of action at UFC 132.

But Ortiz proved he isn't who he used to be when he displayed a subpar performance on the very next fight card at UFC 133 against Rashad Evans.

While Ortiz may feel he's at the top of his game, fans know better than to believe him.

Chael Sonnen

Arguably the biggest trash talker in the history of mixed martial arts, Chael Sonnen hasn't hesitated to say exactly how he feels, ever.

While Sonnen may have dominated the world's greatest fighter for four-and-a-half rounds, he still came up short in the win column.

Following his defeat, Sonnen has said just about everything a man can possibly say, calling out Anderson Silva in his post-fight interview at UFC 136, on Twitter and even on The Jim Rome Show.

It's time to put your money where your mouth is, Chael.

Nick Diaz

While it's more common for Nick Diaz to miss a mandatory event than to run his mouth, he still finds time to do both.

Diaz ran his mouth to the media the entire way leading up to his scheduled bout with Georges St-Pierre at UFC 137, only to be dropped from the fight.

Despite being dismissed from the championship bout, Diaz continued to babble on, even stating that St-Pierre didn't want to fight him to begin with.

Dan Hardy

Dan Hardy has been known for being one of the biggest trash talkers in the UFC today.

At one point, Hardy had a right to be, as he had won seven consecutive fights that eventually led him to a title shot against Georges St-Pierre at UFC 111.

Hardy went on to lose not only his UFC 111 bout, but his next three fights as well.

Hardy, who's now lost four straight fights, needs to put up or shut up.