Isn’t rooting for a certain fighter ridiculous? Why do you do it?

Jamie Thomson

Yellow Belt
@Yellow
Joined
Apr 14, 2007
Messages
213
Reaction score
0
OK, so I’m guilty of this myself. It’s like when we had to choose between Hulk Hogan or the Ultimate Warrior back in the dark ages. But why do you/we root for certain fighters? We could take it to a deeper and philosophical level and ask why we root for any sports figure or team, but I don't want to get all Aristotle on your asses and blow your minds. I mean we don’t know these people personally. I can understand it being based on geographical reasons, i.e. if you live in North London you support Arsenal, New York, the Knicks, Japan, Aoki but when I watched Mir vs Hunt, two fighters whom I know neither personally, nor have good or bad feelings towards their personalities, nor any connection to them geographically or otherwise, I found myself rooting for Hunt. No idea why.

I personally always root for Fedor when he fights because I like him a person, I find him humble and his fight style exciting. But why do YOU choose to root for a certain fighter when there is no affiliation with either of them? or do you just enjoy watching the fights without supporting one or the other?
 
And it's always Conor. Randy. Dc. ALL silvas besides Bigfoot and RAMPAGE BY KTFO
 
200w.gif
 
Reason 1: I like their style/personality
Reason 2: The fighter winning opens up more exciting match up opportunities
Reason 3: I strongly dislike the other guy
Reason 4: I put money on one of them
Reason 5: I talked a bunch of shit on an internet forum and my fighter winning gives me bragging rights
 
Sometimes I find it best when I don't have any fan investment in either fighter in a fight.

I root for certain fighters because I like their style, plain and simple. I like the way they fight, I like the techniques they use, and I like how they express themselves in and out of the cage.
 
I only support fighters of my race.
 
I root for Ronda because I'm a white knight pussy.
 
There were certain fighters while i was watching early NHB and MMA that i found more "well rounded" and brought something more from what i personally seen, which then in return made me interested in their skill level and as a person. Some of the were Oleg Taktarov,Marco Ruas and Don Frye, incidentally Frye would be my first "favorite" fighter. As MMA continued onward, this list grew slowly as their skills progressed, you are right as we dont have any affiliation with these people......but it is innate in us to choose a side when there is competition, as we are aggressive and competitive creatures by nature.
 
Fuck me, some of these replies makes me feel like I'm reading an Ebaums forum or something, Sherdog used to have healthy discussions now it seems to be all fighter bashing, fighter ball-hugging, trolling and bandwagons. Do you have to be stupid to like fighting or something?
 
The only way I wouldn't already know who I am going to root for before the fight start is if I don't know either fighter. . Then it's simply based on if I like what one guy is doing or if I don't like what one guy is doing. Even just by watching the little prefight hype video you can usually say "he seems pretty cool" or "screw him"
 
It's simple ts. People root for their fighters who they can relate to in someway. Guys like Mark Hunt for example, he is a cool guy, and he knocks guys the fuck out. People can relate to that. They like it, hence they root for them.

The reasons why people to relate to certain fighters is always going to be personal to the individual. Nothing wrong with it. Doesn't mean you have to hate the other guy. Just you prefer a certain guy to win. It is not ridiculous, most people do it. Even if sub consciously
 
Sports are more entertaining when you're emotionally involved in who wins and loses.
 
You have to personally know someone to have an opinion of them? Why do we have heroes? People we respect. ..people we hate..? There's nothing weird about liking, respecting, and rooting for a guy you identify with on some level. I think having favorite fighters makes more sense in MMA than it does in other sports because it's not for arbitrary reasons like "im from the same city (even though the players of the team can be from all over the country)" A part of liking a lot of MMA fighters is liking them as people because you get to see more of them as individuals than you do in other sports
 
Reason 1: I like their style/personality
Reason 2: The fighter winning opens up more exciting match up opportunities
Reason 3: I strongly dislike the other guy
Reason 4: I put money on one of them
Reason 5: I talked a bunch of shit on an internet forum and my fighter winning gives me bragging rights
fedor emelianenko says your right.

xc0600211.jpg
 
I support local guy.
Fighter who I enjoy watching.

What's wrong with that?
 
it is perplexing. I remember in 2013 watching the Blackhawks win the stanley cup and I started jumping up and down and screaming we won the cup we won the cup. then it dawned on me, I didn't win a damn thing, I dont get a penny from it, it doesn't benefit my life in the least. ever since then sports has meant little to me because I had a revelation that we fans are idiots who grovel at the feet of icons. those icons are the only ones gaining anything from it. we get nothing, so why do we care? and you can be certain, they do not give 2 shits about us
 
Back
Top