RFA 14 co-headliner Mark Dickman is more Richard Nixon, less 'Freak'

When he first got into MMA, RFA featherweight Mark Dickman gave himself the nickname “The Freak.”

Why he gravitated toward that moniker is unclear, but one thing is: It didn’t take.

“My coaches just started calling me ‘Tricky,’” Dickman (8-1), who meets Raoni Barcelos (7-0) tonight at RFA 14, told MMAjunkie Radio. “‘Tricky Dicky,’ like the President.”

If you need a history refresher, he’s talking about Richard Nixon. It’s an unusual figure to invoke as an MMA fighter, but Dickman is apparently stuck with it – not that he minds.

“I think stuff like that is part of the game, and you’ve got to do extra to stand out,” he said. “I’m not opposed to it.”

RFA 14 takes place at City of Cheyenne Ice and Events Center in Cheyenne, Wyo. The event’s main card, including the Dickman vs. Barcelos co-headliner, airs live on AXS TV (10 p.m. ET).

Dickman was like a lot of athletes who tried out many sports before finding MMA. He was voted “Most Improved” while playing JV soccer, and got crushed as an 80-pound running back in football. Wrestling was where he excelled.

“I’m still trying to figure out what sport I fit into,” he said. “I’ve done everything. Soccer, baseball, pee-wee football, cross country, but wrestling really was something I enjoyed doing and was really good at. It stemmed off into a good college career, and then I kind of made the move into MMA.”

Now in his ninth professional fight, Dickman is one of many fighters trying to work his way into the UFC through the RFA, which is now an unofficial pipeline for UFC talent. The industry-leader recently signed away featherweight champ Brian Ortega, and if Dickman can capture and hold the belt, he might be next.

To do that, he must first get through the undefeated Barcelos, whose father studied with his jiu-jitsu teacher. The two also share a wrestling background, though Dickman said the quality of their pedigree is different.

“I like to do my homework on guys,” Dickman said. “He’s a brown belt, no-gi world champion. And he wrestled on the Brazilian national wrestling team, so he’ll have some decent wrestling. But I think American wrestling is definitely better than Brazilian wrestling.”

Dickman doesn’t leave game-planning and preparation to his coaches, so he’s seen what Barcelos has to offer. While he’s not particularly concerned about going to the mat, he does anticipate a fight for supremacy.

“Whether he’s winning or losing, he’s going for the takedown,” Dickman said. “So that’s his game. He swings hard to set up his takedowns and get on top. He could have finished (RFA fighter) Tyler Toner, but he was kind of content. I think I would have finished Toner.”

That’s a subtle dig on Barcelos, but you won’t get much more from Dickman. While he might have a nickname and prepare his walkout music, he’s not big on trash talk.

Pity, because he knows how hard it is to get noticed.

“There are thousands of fighters that are good enough to be in the UFC, but they’ll never get in because they don’t know the right people,” he said. “They’re not appealing to the masses.”

Then again, with the right placement, maybe he doesn’t need to go all Chael Sonnen in pre-fight interviews. Maybe he just needs to keep winning.

For more on RFA 14, stay tuned to the MMA Rumors section of the site.