5 fighters the UFC brass disliked
The UFC has one of the deepest rosters in MMA. Fighters signed to the promotion come in all shapes and sizes, stemming from different backgrounds that render each of them unique. These details often go a long way in determining who the fans like and dislike, but it is not only the fans who have expressed favoritism or dislike for specific fighters.
Throughout the years, the UFC has featured fighters that have endeared themselves to top executives in the promotion. Conor McGregor and Ronda Rousey are two fighters—one semi-active, the other retired—who have earned the approval and support of upper management. However, for every mixed martial artist that Dana White favors, there are fighters who have earned the ire of White and his colleagues in upper management.
Some are fighters who have since retired from MMA. Others are fighters who are active in other promotions after being unceremoniously cut from the UFC. A few are even fighters currently under contract for MMA's premier promotion. This list examines five of these fighters.
#5. Tony Kelley
At one point, former bantamweight Tony Kelley was a fighter with a record of 8 wins and 2 losses who seemed set for a solid career. While no one ever mistook Kelley for a future champion, he'd bested the power-punching Randy Costa in a definitive two-round affair and finished his foe via TKO.
However, while cornering Andrea Lee on a UFC on ESPN card headlined by Jan Blachowicz and Alexander Rakic, Kelley made xenophobic comments targeting Brazilian fighters. When he was later confronted with the situation, Kelley was unapologetic, claiming to be a victim of cancel-culture before stating that he hates everyone equally.
Not long after, he was scheduled to face Adrian Yanez in Austin, Texas. Kelley infuriated the hometown crowd by flipping them off during his walkout to the octagon. Unfortunately for Kelley, it took Yanez less than a round to defeat him.
Yanez snapped his foe's two-fight win streak with a brutal TKO. Many cheered the result, as the Texan entered the fight with a legion of supporters eager to see Kelley punished for his distasteful behavior. In the aftermath of the bout, Adrian Yanez claimed that even UFC staff members had pleaded with him to win the fight due to how intensely they disliked Kelley.
The news that the Team Alpha Male fighter has reportedly been cut from the UFC following the loss lends credence to Yanez's words.
Listen to Yanez discuss the fight below: