5 Most Hated Fighters In MMA History
Identity is one of the most important traits to Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighters across the sport. This is because promotions and fans need an exciting reason to watch or even buy a fight. There are many different character types in MMA that shape not only an event in general, but the sport as a whole.
There are guys like Conor McGregor who are very flashy and has a knack for catchy one-liners in press conferences; some fans love him and some fans hate him, but all fans of the sport love to see him fight. There are also guys like Stipe Miocic, who has embraced the blue collar reputation of hard work without being much of a verbal fighter.
And last but not least, there are the villians of the fight game, who fans watch in hopes that they lose. These characters are normally raw, rude, and obnoxious to their opponents and media members. With that being said, let’s check out the 5 most hated fighters in MMA history.
#5 Tito Ortiz
The Legendary Tito Ortiz was one of the first villains in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). Ortiz was considered one of the original trash talkers in MMA and his fighting definitely backed him up. His charisma paved the way for him to become one of the early stars of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
Since then the UFC has expanded, more stars have formed and Ortiz has cemented his name in the UFC Hall of Fame. Ortiz was hated by people for many reasons, such as his blond dyed hair, the pre-fight beanie, and the large shades.
Ortiz didn't make himself anymore likable after he bailed on a fight against UFC Executive Dana White. The two were scheduled to compete in a three-round boxing match in which Ortiz failed to show up for the weigh-ins.
More MMA fans gravitated towards Chuck Liddell after he defeated Ortiz twice. At one time, Ortiz went on a brutal losing streak and many questioned his love for the sport because he was involved in so much outside of the octagon.
Since then, Ortiz has picked up a new positive following with Bellator as he was recently victorious January 21, 2017, where he defeated Chael Sonnen in his farewell retirement fight.