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Din Thomas says its on UFC fighters to make themselves into stars: 'Go out there and create your moments'
TL;DR
Din Thomas emphasizes that UFC fighters must take initiative to become stars by creating memorable moments. He argues that current fighters possess high-level talent but lack the connection with fans seen in past stars.
Key points
- Din Thomas discusses UFC star power.
- Current fighters have high-level talent.
- Fans feel current fighters lack connection.
- Thomas believes fighters must create moments.
- Past stars had stronger fan connections.
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Star power has become a hot topic around UFC.
Compared to the days of Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz, or Brock Lesnar, or Conor McGregor and Ronda Rousey, the current day features higher-level talent overall, with guys like Alex Pereira, Ilia Topuria and Islam Makhachev. But for many fans, those fighters have not connected in the same way as athletes in the past.
The "Deep Waters" crew dove into the perceived "starpower problem" on Monday, though Din Thomas believes fans who claim the problem exists are wrong.
"A lot of times people go, 'Oh man, there are no stars, and we don't tell the stories of the fighters enough,'" Thomas said. "I don't believe that. Listen, if you want to be a star, it's up to you. You have to go out there and create your moments. The UFC can't make you a star; you have to go out there and create your moments."
Thomas even claimed to have devised his own mathematical formula for stardom in the UFC.
"I have an algorithm to being a star. ... The equation is this: (PT + 2m) x C. PT stands for personality trait, plus two "M" memorable moments, times consistency," Thomas said. "Now, the personality trait is one of three things: You either have to be a guy that fans can aspire to be, or fans want to hang out with, or they have to hate you. It's easier to have people hate you because there's no responsibility in that. A lot of people like Colby [Covington]. Then you need a memorable moment, and that memorable moment can come from in the fight or from trash talk, but it has to be memorable. Then you have to take that and times that by consistency. Then you've got a star."
Thomas never reached the superstar heights of his co-hosts, Jorge Masvidal, Chris Weidman and Dustin Poirier, though he was a talented fighter who became a prolific trainer who has seen stars come and go across decades in the game.
The rest of the crew agreed with Thomas' general theory, with Masvidal even explaining what it's like once you have dedicated fans who have your back no matter what.
"You've got your army of guys, and no matter if you win or lose or you rob a liquor store," Masivdal said. "It doesn't matter what it is, they always think you did right, and you did good."
Deep Waters streams live every Monday at noon ET on the UFC on Paramount+ YouTube channel.
Q&A
What does Din Thomas say about UFC fighters and star power?
Din Thomas believes it's up to UFC fighters to create their own star power by making memorable moments in the octagon.
How does Din Thomas compare current UFC fighters to past stars?
He notes that while current fighters like Alex Pereira and Islam Makhachev have high-level talent, they haven't connected with fans as effectively as past stars like Conor McGregor and Ronda Rousey.
What is the 'starpower problem' in UFC according to Din Thomas?
Din Thomas argues that the perception of a 'starpower problem' among current UFC fighters is misguided, as he believes the talent level is high.
