10 Biggest UFC Villains

Sometimes fighters transcend all expectations by thriving in the spotlight of a usually barbaric media front.

Sometimes these ex-champions, future contenders and top-notch prospects of mixed martial arts perpetuate their images through gritty commentary, infamous in-ring antics and an overall villain-esque demeanor.

These comic book-like characters have helped MMA grow within the most competitive sports market in the universe. Whether it has sparked the mindset of loving to hate them or hating to love them, their public images have satisfied even the most common fan's appetite.

But beyond the immediate pros and cons that these "diabolical" fighters possess, how do they stack up against their fellow competitors?

Here are the 10 biggest villains in the UFC today.

10. Tony Ferguson

While Tony Ferguson is still relatively unknown to the common UFC fan, his hard-noised mentality puts him on this list full of current MMA elites.

Ferguson's most memorable UFC moment easily came during his time on The Ultimate Fighter, but it unfortunately came outside of the Octagon.

After drinking at the house with his fellow fighters, Ferguson got into an altercation with teammate Charlie Rader after he poured water on Ferguson's head. Following a scuffle that showcased Ferguson's arm slamming through a table, The Ultimate Fighter winner proceeded to make comments about Rader being unable to take care of his son.

For those of you who don't know, Rader had been fighting for nearly two years to be in his kid's life but was unsuccessful.

While Ferguson's actions during his stint on the popular reality show fail to ultimately portray his skills as an all-around MMA fighter, his harsh remarks heard by millions of people will never be forgotten.

For that, his legacy going forward in the UFC lightweight division will always be tainted as villain-esque, no matter how good of a guy he tries to be.

9. Rampage Jackson

More often than not, Rampage Jackson enters a fight as the good guy. 

The hero, if you will.

But sometimes, when stacked up against more favorable opponents, Jackson seemingly takes on the role of the villain with ease.

Chalk it up to his street thug persona or his gritty tendencies to wear a chain to the ring and howl after every victory. Whatever sparks his flame, the former UFC light heavyweight champion-turned-movie star never backs down from a challenge.

And while fans embrace his sometimes erratic cage behavior as well as his infamous pre-fight trash talking, Rampage is still a manipulator at heart.

With that said, Jackson is still beloved, but when he wants to dial it up, it's hard to match his intensity.

8. Rashad Evans

For some reason, Rashad Evans stands out more than he should.

Whether it's his feud with fellow coach Rampage Jackson on The Ultimate Fighter or his swagger inside the Octagon, Evans encompasses everything a true bad guy needs at his disposal.

Add in the fact that most of his high-profile victories have come against some of the most popular fighters around, including Chuck Liddell, Tito Ortiz, Forrest Griffin and the aforementioned Rampage Jackson, and you have a solidified mixture for a top-10 UFC villain.

But beyond all of his prior accomplishments in MMA, Evans' arrogant and confident demeanor pose the biggest threat to fellow light heavyweights and hardcore fans alike.

At this point in his career, Evans is going to be pegged the villain almost every time he steps foot in the ring.

That's likely because the light heavyweight division doesn't offer too many bad guy characters, but the fact of the matter is that Evans has always been more than willing to prove his critics wrong.

7. Diego Sanchez

Diego Sanchez is easily one of the biggest villains around.

Just look at this picture.

Sanchez has been all over the UFC radar since making his debut back in 2005. The man formerly known as "The Nightmare" has done his very best since then to make his presence felt.

Scary weigh-ins, unmatchable Octagon intensity and the knack for making fans feel like they have to root against him, have all culminated into a successful seven-year UFC career.

Sanchez has seemingly toned it down a notch after changing his nickname to "The Dream," but despite his minimal efforts the 30-year-old is still one of the most feared, outspoken bad guys the game has to offer.

6. Nate Diaz

To go along with being one of the most outspoken fighters in the UFC today, Nate Diaz is easily one of the most hated.

He sometimes talks trash for no reason, even though it helps promote fights and spark immediate fan involvement.

Diaz is easily one of the biggest characters in the sport today.  With a loud mouth, skills to back it up and the endless Octagon pace of a 155-lb. Georges St-Pierre, Diaz never seems to escape his bad guy identity.

And while many fans respect his realness and street toughness, Diaz is more hated than loved.  All of which makes for a great villain resume.

A guy who knows he's good, feeds off of any type of hatred and fully embraces all-out wars, in the media and the ring.

Could you ask for anything else?

5. Tito Ortiz

Even on the last legs of an historic and much-respected MMA career, Tito Ortiz is still a top-five villain in the UFC.

Unfortunately for the fans that love to hate Ortiz and embrace everything evil he does, the former champion has toned it down over the past few years. But that doesn't mean he has lost his touch.

"The Huntington Beach Bad Boy," or more recently "The People's Champ," is one of the most heralded trash-talkers to ever grace the sport of MMA. Ortiz has grown accustomed to spitting his best game when the cards are stacked up against him, such as his bouts with Chuck Liddell, Ken Shamrock and Ryan Bader.

Along with his public feud with Dana White, who stands for everything authoritative in the UFC, Ortiz has done nearly everything in his power to command the role of comic-book villain. Unpredictability, harshness, greatness and toughness have been foundations for his 15-year career. 

And at this point, nobody possesses the mass appeal that Ortiz does, for better or worse.

4. Josh Koscheck

Honestly, Josh Koscheck embraces the villain role better than anyone else.

He simply thrives on the opportunity to prove his opponents and fans wrong.

No matter the circumstances or potential for disappointment, Koscheck is always ready to fight. And you better bet he's coming full force.

With elite wrestling skills and one-punch KO power, Koscheck has all the weapons to back up one of the biggest mouths around.

The guy literally called out the entire country of Canada, making comments about the fans, their hockey team and Georges St-Pierre following his victory over Paul Daley at UFC 113.

Everything that Koscheck has done against the grain in his career screams "villain."

He doesn't care when he goes after fans, fighters before and after bouts and anybody else willing to test his formidable personality.

You gotta love it.

3. Nick Diaz

Similar to his brother Nate, Nick Diaz is as real as they get.

Diaz is one the most talented fighters in the world, but his lack of discipline has led to many negative outlooks on the Californian's career.

Missing PPV promotions and media days are not a good way to dispel those well-known bad boy tendencies, but Diaz doesn't seem to care.

The welterweight contender hasn't done nearly anything that Dana White has asked of him, making him something of a disobedient misfit.

Add in the fact that he and his posse jumped Jason "Mayhem" Miller during a post-fight interview at Strikeforce: Nashville, and you have one of the most corrupt MMA fighters in the game today.

However, nothing that has been said here takes away from his potential to hold UFC gold for the next five years, which makes his brash actions in the past that much more bad-ass.

Like him or not, Diaz is the most talented villain on this list.

2. Michael Bisping

Michael Bisping has done his very best to promote the UFC overseas, more specifically the United Kingdom.

But while his international progression has transformed him into one of the most recognizable fighters in the UFC, his legacy in the United States will forever be skewed unfavorably.

I guess Americans don't like that cocky, hard-nosed, annoying British attitude that the 32-year-old brings to every fight, interview, weigh-in and reality show he participates in.

Quite frankly, along with his days as a coach on The Ultimate Fighter and a consistent main-card attraction every time the UFC crosses the Atlantic, Bisping has been shoved down our throats.

And for that, everything he does seems villain-esque.

1. Chael Sonnen

Over the past two years, Chael Sonnen has gone from basically an unrecognizable state to one of the most talked-about fighters in the world of MMA.

Kudos to whoever or whatever sparked his emergence as an interview killer, because the middleweight title contender has transformed into one of the most quotable athletes of the last decade.

Despite his hard efforts to manipulate the media and structure his own popularity by entertaining fans outside of the Octagon, Sonnen's success inside the ring supersedes any trash talking or publicity stunts he has pulled.

The fact of the matter is that the guy was literally seconds away from beating Anderson Silva for the middleweight championship, which would have ended one of the most prominent win streaks in UFC history.

Beyond that fight, along with his consistency to provoke opponents, reporters, fans and anyone else willing to listen to him talk for more than a minute, Sonnen has become the most unpredictable, self-confident marketing tool that Dana White has at his disposal.

He plays the villain role to a tee, especially when he bashes one of the most popular and greatest pound-for-pound fighters to ever grace the Octagon.

With another year underway, Sonnen has even more room for improvement. At this point, he has all the skills in the ring, and all the key tools out of it, to become the most hated and evil-minded fighters in UFC history.