Ian McCall (11-4-1 MMA, 0-2-1 UFC) likes to take momentary steps away from the drain of strategizing, and in advance of his fight at UFC 163 against Iliarde Santos (27-1-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC), he’s got some advice for flyweight champ Demetrious Johnson . It’s direct: Be cooler. “He’s a dork, man,” McCall told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio). “He’s a great athlete, don’t get me wrong. He’s just socially awkward. “But he’s getting better, and I say this as advice, because it would help his career and make him more money and fans would like him more.” UFC 163 takes place Saturday at HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro. McCall vs. Santos opens the FX-televised preliminary-card in advance of main card fights on pay-per-view. Johnson undoubtedly won over the crowd this past Saturday at UFC on FOX 8, where he earned the first stoppage of his title reign by tapping out John Moraga in the fifth round of their title fight. UFC President Dana White awarded the champ a “Submission of the Night” bonus and said true fight fans will get behind what he does in the octagon. The event, however, reportedly drew the lowest overall ratings of the UFC’s live events on FOX, despite winning key young male demographics. There are observers who say that no matter who is at the top of the lighter-weight divisions, big ratings and pay-per-views go to bigger men. While that or may not be the case, McCall said it couldn’t hurt to have someone with that “it” factor holding the belt. That, he said, is him, or Joseph Benavidez , who Johnson beat to win the flyweight title. McCall said he and Benavidez have a likability that might help people to care about the little-man class and thus get it more attention on the pay-per-view stage. Dodson and Johnson, he said, are the kind of fighters people love to hate. “I’m not sure why people don’t like [Johnson],” McCall said.
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Video: UFC 163′s Ian McCall offers advice to ‘dork’ Johnson: ‘Be cooler’ – MMA Junkie