UFC Kansas City saw Bill Algeo go full heel, a rare sight on UFC programming.
As much as some fans will deny it and decry any mention of their shared history being made, pro wrestling and mixed martial arts go back a long, long way. From Muhammad Ali vs. Antonio Inoki in 1976, to MMA pioneers like Ken Shamrock and Dan Severn excelling at both art forms, to more modern day stars like Brock Lesnar, Bobby Lashley, and Ronda Rousey, the professions’ histories are intertwined.
That most certainly includes the art of the promo, and a good post-fight promo — callouts especially — can capture fans’ imaginations. But rarely do MMA fighters take the heel route (that’s wrestling parlance for “bad guy”). Oh sure, fighters get fired up, swear, and names like Nick and Nate Diaz have made careers out of it — “where you at, Georges?!?” being just one example. But neither Diaz is playing a heel in those instances, they’re just being themselves.
Actually putting on the bad guy persona and pulling it off, at least to some degree? That’s a different story. Algeo did it pretty darn well at UFC Kansas City this past Saturday — here’s a look at that promo, and some other heel performances in the UFC over the years.
