I have no idea where this myth of Rockhold being awkward became fact, but IMO it's complete bullshit.
People don't look at him objectively and are just jealous because he's good looking in addition to having so much else going for him. Their are some pretty bright guys in the UFC, and there are some absolute bricks, at least on camera.
He's definitely not awkward relative to other fighters. If anything he's well above average, but I love how people think that people like McGregor and Bisping are a cut above the rest intellectually because they're loud and obnoxious and come up with an occasional sound bite.
It's actually funny because if McGregor sounded like he does, but was a worse fighter people would be calling him a dumb, Irish prole.
But instead, since he's been relatively successful, people worship him like a god. I mean I have no ill will towards him or Bisping. I actually like them. They seem like good, honest dudes, but you can't tell me they're these social savants.
McGregor is always nervous as fuck doing press. He's jittery and anxious. When he's on a national TV / talk show like Jimmy Kimmel it's even worse. And Michael is just fucking loud, like McGregor. He talks over people and talks so fucking much.
People laugh because they guys talk without a filter, which is fine, but then why do we need to go back and retroactively declare them to be gods of the social sphere?
I mean, is yelling over someone "Have I been wrong yet? Have I been wrong yet?" really a sign of being well adapted socially? Personally, I think it's headed more in the direction of circus freak.
Not to mention they come up with one line or group of phrases and just continue to repeat them ad-nauseam until fight time.
Like McGregor's gazelle comments and Bisping talking about how every fight is different. No shit? If every fight was the same why would we even bother having a rematch?
That and talking about some fucking sparring match he's had years ago? Are you kidding me?
