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[bgamma]

This has been going on for quite some time, but I still have to ask...why do fighting orgs use a fighters nickname as their announced ring name?

Most recently, this was done on the Strikeforce card when Ronaldo Souza was announced, both by Jimmy Lennon and via the on screen graphics as "Jacre" Souza. They also referred to Christine Santos as "Cyborg".

Other examples include the UFC calling Mirko Filipovic, Mirko "Cro Cop"..."Minotauro" Nogueira was used in lieu of Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira....there are others, but you get the point.

Fans of MMA generally are smarks(smart marks), similar to prowrestling....we like to know..or at least profess to know alot about the sport and it's participants.
It feels kind of insulting that major organizations don't take the knowledge of the fans into account. I realize that it doesn't matter to the casual fan, but for the hardcore, it's kinda puzzling.

And if I were fighting, I'd sure like to have my actual name used....but I suppose for the right price they could call me what ever the heck they wanted....just don't call me late for dinner.

[Daellusx]

Just cause it sounds cool i guess. It adds a little more excitment to know that you will be watching Hands of Steel instead of generic Scott Smith.

Heck even Fedor Emelianko doesnt sound as cool as The Last Emperor.

[bgamma]

No, no...I totally get and enjoy the use of nicknames, and in the case of Scott "Hands Of Steel" Smith, that's the way, IMO a nickname is to be used. I'm talking about the way Goldy and Rogan never even mention the fighters real name. In the example of Cro Cop, a new fan of MMA would think the guys actual last name was Cro Cop and not Filipovic.
IMHO his name should have been displayed and said as Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic.

I obviously don't expect an answer. Only the fighters and suits producing the show know why, I just find it interesting.

One could augue that the causual fan may be more likely to recognize the nickname vs the fighters real name. I'm just pondering the question... why the drop the real name in lieu of the nickname instead of just saying it all.

[beau420]

I think it's more of an international thing. In Brazil, you get a nickname and that is your new name....like Jose "Pele" Landi-Jons.....he is known as Pele. Or even in the States, Tank Abbott, he marketed himself as Tank. Much more memorable then some guy called David.

Some guys get their notoriety in other sports, like Bam Bam Bigelow. He fought Kimo in Japan, and his name was known around the world as Bam Bam, not like he is going to change it so the fans don't come.

Some nicknames are cool and stick, other are lame and don't.

Frankie 'the Answer' Edgar = stupid, no one is gonna call him the answer unless they are looking to use some lame pun using his name. Hands of Steel is a good one. Then there are some nicknames that already exist is other sports and it can get confusing. Like on the Tennessee Titans, they have some guy they call Big Country. Only Big Country I know is Roy Nelson....come to think of it, I think there was a wrestler names Big Country way back in the day (before Big Slow....like in the 80s....early Sting time)

Wrestling made it popular, makes it memorable and people say it more often. Example, casual MMA fan asks me who fought on the weekend. I said Scott Smith and Josh Thomson and Donald Cerrone and Mohammed Lawal.....he was like who the fuck are they. Then I said Scott Hands of Steel....highlight reel double KO against Pete Sell....oh yeah...now he remembers.

And Josh...the Punk....and Cowboy and King Mo.

Especially guys like Scott Smith where you go to any city in the States and look in a phonebook and there are pages or Smith's and several dozen S Smiths. Same With Josh Thomson....apart from not being a Thompson, but a Thomson, he could be any random white guy.

With King Mo, I don't see too many people cheering for a guy called Mohammed.

In this business some guys are there own managers others have their own managers, but either way, you are fighting for yourself and trying to make your name popular.

[bgamma]

I definately see your points and don't disagree at all.
I guess the two that I'm mainly confused by are Cro Cop and Minotauro because they were pretty well known as the full name w/nickname over in Pride and marketed as that fighter world wide, so I guess I found it more interesting that the UFC went out of their way to modify the guys and use their nicknames, when on the global stage, they were stars using the full deal.

[blackfox]

pretty much answered your own question there bud. It's a thing called "Name Recognition" it goes hand in hand with marketing. The average sports fan off the street will know who "Iceman" Liddell is or "Tank" abbot (maybe 10 yrs ago), or "cro Cop" because they have built names for themselves with those nicknames plus names like that are way cooler than just, Chuck, David, or Mirko.

[Pasha K]

BTW Fedor doesnt like at all his nickname of "The last emperor", he said that in an interview, its annoying for him to be called like that, and hates when even people in Russia calls him like that.

[Smaciman]

I agree with pretty much everything that's been said, but I'd like to throw in that some people really need to re-brand themselves.

Wanderlei Silva is a great fighter. "The Axe Murderer" is a stupid name. He's never killed anyone with an axe.

Tito Ortiz is a credible fighter. "The Huntingdon Beach Bad Boy" takes too long to say, and makes him sound like a 13 year old Bart Simpson Wannabe.


It is all about name recognition.
Kevin Ferguson is forgettable. Kimbo Slice isn't
Mirko Fillipovic sounds like just nother serb. The name CroCop carries the image of skull-staving kicks to old & new fans alike