Old-school wrestling types call it "heat."
It's the authentic reaction—often animosity—that a performer gets from a crowd through their work in the ring and the persona they have created and cultivated beyond it.
It generates buzz. It gets ratings. It sells tickets.
Most importantly, it makes money.
Though he's just 26 and can't be deemed old for anything, Ian Machado Garry gets it.
"All the fighting and everything you do in the Octagon, that's the most important work," he said. "Everything outside of it is to build a fight, build the brand, bring more eyes to the sport.