UFC 131's Shane Carwin and Fighters with Some of the Worst Nicknames in MMA

A good nickname in MMA is never a bad thing to go along with solid, committed training, and a few quality wins on a resume. 

So what does a bad nickname do?  In all likelihood, probably next to nothing, but it is pretty amusing how terrible some nicknames can get.

That’s what this slideshow is about: nicknames that should have no place in the world of mixed martial arts.

I did my best to stick with known fighters that have at least been in one major American MMA promotion; of course there are a number of worse aliases out there in more obscure fight leagues. 

Shane “The Engineer” Carwin

Carwin is definitely the most accomplished and talented man on this list, but let’s call a spade a spade: this nickname is really lame.

He remains at the bottom spot as well, as there are many worse nicknames that lie ahead, but…The Engineer?

That’s simply stating someone’s profession…it is simply not a fitting nickname for someone involved with high level MMA.

Carwin is 12-1 heading into UFC 131’s main event against Junior Dos Santos, where he hopes to earn another shot at the heavyweight title after coming up short against Brock Lesnar just under a year ago. 

Vladimir “The Janitor” Matyushenko

Nick Laham/Getty Images

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - APRIL 04: Vladimir Matyushenko in the green and white trunks of Midwest Combat lands a left hook on Jamal Patterson of the Renzo Gracie Jiu-Jitsu in the International Fighting League match at the Izod Center on April 4, 2008 in East

Before anyone jumps to conclusions about this nickname, apparently it came about after Matyushenko beat some quality members of the US freestyle wrestling team while wrestling for Siberia. 

Apparently, everyone from team USA expected Matyushenko to be a slouch in competition after they saw him cleaning the mats in poor looking clothing prior to the dual meet.

Ok, so this nickname actually makes sense…but it is still completely outrageous for a professional mixed martial artist.

Matyushenko, at 40 years old, boasts a rock solid record of 26-5.  He has won five of his last six fights, losing only to the formidable UFC light heavyweight champion Jon “Bones” Jones. 

While Matyushenko will probably never hold a title outside of the IFL light heavyweight belt (from November 2007 until April of 2008), one has to respect the Belarusian’s competitiveness in his twilight years.  

Jeremy "Lil' Heathen" Stephens

When's the last time anyone used the term "heathen?"  1962 or so?  Was Stephens walking on some 112 year old guy's lawn when he got the nickname?  

Dictionary.com defines the term as "an irreligious, uncultured, or uncivilized person" for the many readers who have probably never heard the term before.

Apparently, all is well because "heathen" rhymes with "Stephens."  Seriously though...who thought this nickname was a good idea?

Stephens actually has a pretty respectable professional record of 20-6, but has struggled to beat anyone relevant in the lightweight division.  

He did dial in a pretty solid performance against Melvin Guilliard back at UFC 119, losing a pretty tight split decision.  Otherwise, Stephens has basically remained an afterthought amid a very competitive 155 pound division in the UFC. 

At least Stephens continues to dominate the weaker members of the weight class, decimating Danny Downes at "The Ultimate Fighter" season 13 finale in the former WEC fighters UFC debut. 

Tamdan “The Barn Cat” McCrory

Does anyone know what this nickname means??? Does McCrory resemble a barn cat???

Funny enough, McCrory actually isn’t a bad mixed martial artist.  His professional record sits at 11-3, with pretty solid wrestling and respectable Muay Thai skills.

McCrory went 3-3 in the UFC before being cut in August of 2009 after dropping a split decision to John “Doomsday” Howard. 

The Barn Cat has stated that he feels more comfortable at middleweight, and would like to continue his career at 185.

However, his career is in limbo after Bellator would not sign him in time for their spring 2010 middleweight tournament.

As he mulls over when, or perhaps if, he ever will enter the cage again, McCrory should have plenty of free time to come up with a better nickname. 

Frank “Twinkle Toes” Trigg

This nickname is atrocious.  God awful.  The worst part is, Trigg brought this upon himself. 

After a little research, it turns out this nickname came about because Trigg paints his toenails.

He also has a “tramp stamp” tattoo on a lower back, so it seems safe to say that Trigg is not concerned with breaking the “macho man” stereotype associated with most MMA fighters. 

Trigg is a solid grappler with a second degree black belt in Judo, a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and a former respected wrestler at the University of Oklahoma. 

However, he has lost every time he has faced a top notch opponent including Matt Hughes (twice), Georges St-Pierre, Carlos Condit, and Josh Koscheck. 

Matt Serra is another fighter who owns a victory over Trigg; where you rank Serra at this stage in his career is a completely different story.

Twinkle Toes is currently active on the British Association of Mixed Martial Arts, defeating John Phillips by TKO recently on May 21. 

Trigg avoids the top spot on this list for amassing a pretty decent 21-8 record, and the motivation to keep pressing forward with his career at 39 years old. 

The fighter in the number one spot not only has one of the worst nicknames known to mankind, he is not even a talented mixed martial artist.  

Elvis “The King of Rock ‘n Rumble” Sinosic

Some may think it is hypocritical to involve Sinosic on the list since he is anything but a household name. 

However, he actually had seven fights in the UFC from February 2001 until April of 2007. 

Considering many readers have never heard of this guy before, it is probably anything but surprising that his record was 1-6 with MMA’s premiere promotion.

Fans with a good memory may recall him getting knocked out by Michael Bisping in his last UFC appearance.

Sinosic’s claim to fame was going the distance with Frank Shamrock back in 2000, and swears that he was the first man to hit a gogpolota in MMA competition back in 1997.

Whether that is true or not has not been debated much considering that Sinosic did not even score the submission with the move.

So to address the elephant in the room: how horrible is this nickname?

It’s absolutely ludicrous in every way possible, and gets even worse when one considers that the fighter who has it only went 8-11-2 in professional MMA.