Ian McCall (11-4-1 MMA, 0-2-1 UFC) likes to take momentary steps away from the drain of strategizing, and in advance of his fight at UFC 163 against Iliarde Santos (27-1-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC), he’s got some advice for flyweight champ Demetrious Johnson . It’s direct: Be cooler. “He’s a dork, man,” McCall told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio). “He’s a great athlete, don’t get me wrong. He’s just socially awkward. “But he’s getting better, and I say this as advice, because it would help his career and make him more money and fans would like him more.” UFC 163 takes place Saturday at HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro. McCall vs. Santos opens the FX-televised preliminary-card in advance of main card fights on pay-per-view. Johnson undoubtedly won over the crowd this past Saturday at UFC on FOX 8, where he earned the first stoppage of his title reign by tapping out John Moraga in the fifth round of their title fight. UFC President Dana White awarded the champ a “Submission of the Night” bonus and said true fight fans will get behind what he does in the octagon. The event, however, reportedly drew the lowest overall ratings of the UFC’s live events on FOX, despite winning key young male demographics. There are observers who say that no matter who is at the top of the lighter-weight divisions, big ratings and pay-per-views go to bigger men. While that or may not be the case, McCall said it couldn’t hurt to have someone with that “it” factor holding the belt. That, he said, is him, or Joseph Benavidez , who Johnson beat to win the flyweight title. McCall said he and Benavidez have a likability that might help people to care about the little-man class and thus get it more attention on the pay-per-view stage. Dodson and Johnson, he said, are the kind of fighters people love to hate. “I’m not sure why people don’t like [Johnson],” McCall said.
BAD MMA Trending Cloud
UFC • Bellator • Conor Mcgregor • PFL • Jon Jones • Daniel Cormier • Dustin Poirier • Dana White • Khabib Nurmagomedov • Francis Ngannou • Jorge Masvidal • Nate Diaz • Max Holloway • Anderson Silva • WSOF • Ronda Rousey • Michael Chandler • Alex Pereira • Michael Bisping • Amanda Nunes • islam makhachev • Alexander Volkanovski • Donald Cerrone • Kamaru Usman • Tony Ferguson • Jake Paul • Henry Cejudo • Charles Oliveira • Demetrious Johnson • sean o'malley • Jose Aldo • Aljamain Sterling • One Championship • Derrick Lewis • sean strickland • Stipe Miocic • Tyron Woodley • Robert Whittaker • Georges St Pierre • Chael Sonnen
- MMA News (117446)
- PFL Washington D.C. main event fighter withdraws hours before event
- PFL Washington D.C. main event fighter withdraws hours before event
- PFL Washington D.C. main event fighter withdraws hours before event
- PFL Washington D.C. main event fighter withdraws hours before event
- Rose Namajunas searching for ‘purpose and reason’ in fighting again
- Dustin Poirier confirms Bud Light dropped him after drunken airport arrest
- Fatima Kline calls out former two-time champion
- Watch every Islam Makhachev UFC fight
- Dustin Poirier believes airport arrest could have been blessing in disguise
- Conor McGregor details knee injury, sets timeframe for return