It’s that time again, time again to open the door and start up another meeting of the All-Nicknames Club. Two months ago, against the backdrop of the Christmas holiday, the second meeting of the club was held.
Since then, we haven’t gathered to induct any new MMA fighters to the club. This, however, changes tonight. In case you needed a refresher course as to how this club operates, our official ground rules are posted in the minutes of the first meeting.
You can refer back to those rules at any time. Remember, it’s just like Cosmo Kramer said on Seinfeld: “Without rules, there’s chaos.” Absent of any further delay, let’s press on with the first of the nicknames to be inducted here this evening.
The All-Nicknames Club: Inductee No. 7: Austin “The Gentleman” Vanderford
For our first inductee in tonight’s meeting, we turn to a veteran at welterweight of three MMA promotions, Austin Vanderford. Nicknamed “The Gentleman,” he began his professional career in the sport of MMA back in March of 2017 with a first-round knockout in two minutes and 33 seconds by way of punches over Sol Renato (1-2 MMA.)
By the time his third pro bout rolled around, he was in line for a chance at a championship in CageSport 47 that October against 11-fight veteran Ben Fodor (7-3-1 MMA.) The man on the other side of the cage was no match for Vanderford, who claimed the title by way of unanimous decision after five rounds of action.
At 4-0, UFC CEO Dana White came calling with a spot on the second season of Contender Series, and although Austin Vanderford would emerge victorious via second-round submission (rear-naked choke), he would not, however, be signed to the world’s top MMA promotion.
Vanderford Breaks Through in UFC on Short-Notice in 2025
Undeterred, Austin Vanderford would join the active roster of the now-defunct Bellator MMA in February of 2019, going 5-2 in the now-defunct organization. Upon an October 2024 fight in the LFA, “The Gentleman” would get a short-notice call-up to the UFC in February of 2025.
In a contracted catchweight at 175 lbs, Vanderford would draw Nikolay Vertennikov (12-6 MMA, 0-2 UFC) during UFC Seattle, accepting the contest on the Tuesday of fight week. “The Gentleman” scored a second-round knockout by way of ground and pound shots.
Love him or hate him, Austin Vanderford’s got one of the great nicknames in MMA.
The All-Nicknames Club: Inductee No. 8: “The Notorious” Conor McGregor
For our second inductee here tonight, you knew that it would only be an eventuality that Conor McGregor would find his way into The All-Nickname Club. Now, we make it official.
A seasoned combat sports veteran, “The Notorious” began his MMA career in March of 2008, and by the end of 2012, McGregor would become the Cage Warriors Lightweight Champion after already having captured the featherweight strap the previous June. Within the next few years, the man with one of the most notable nicknames would secure six consecutive post-fight awards.
Along the way, McGregor scored the ovation of fans throughout the world and became a household name, en route to winning the UFC Featherweight Championship. Controversies aside, he’s one of the sport’s greats.
“The Notorious” Turns to Business Side of Combat Sports
While McGregor’s time as a fighter has stalled out, with a planned fight versus Michael Chandler on June 29, 2024 getting called off ahead of fight night due to sustaining a broken toe, he’s stayed in the fight game on the business side. In April of 2024, he became a partial owner of Bare Knuckle Fighting Championships (BKFC.)
Ahead of the Jan. 26, 2025 BKFC KnuckleMania V card in Philadelphia, McGregor made an appearance at the ceremonial weigh-ins the evening before the show. He isn’t just satisfied with ownership of the bare-knuckle boxing promotion, however. He’s looking for a fight.
Whether or not McGregor knuckles up for a bout in BKFC remains to be seen, but his is one of MMA’s awesome nicknames.
The All-Nicknames Club: Inductee No. 9: Stephan “The American Psycho” Bonnar
For our final inductee in this third meeting of the club, we have our first posthumous entry. The late Stephan Bonnar (1977-2022) spent time in both the UFC and Bellator MMA. During his professional MMA career, Bonnar, nicknamed “The American Psycho” went 15-9 in 24 fights inside the cage, including an 8-7 stretch in the UFC from 2005 to 2012.
Bonnar split his UFC wins right down the middle, with four wins coming by way of stoppage and four via decision. Between July of 2010 and November of 2011, he was on a three-fight winning streak.
Kyle Kingsbury was on the other side of Bonnar’s last MMA victory.
Bonnar Took Part in Critical MMA Bout
In the spring of 2005, Bonnar made it to the finale of the inaugural season of The Ultimate Fighter television series after being a third-round selection of Randy Couture’s team. During that live finale, he fought Forrest Griffin for a guaranteed contract in the UFC.
Although Griffin was the man who got his hand raised in the end, this was the singular contest that made the UFC a household brand to stay. It’s for this reason that Stephen Bonnar’s legacy will be long-remembered.
Meeting Adjourned
With that, the third meeting of the All-Nicknames Club will now be adjourned. Join us at our next meeting, when we’ll enshrine more fighters.