Rumored Poll: Are Americans more likely to root for foreign fighters than other nationalities are?

[Moral Victory]

I got the feeling that Americans don't care as much about the nationality of a fighter when they're deciding favourites, compared to other countries which might be more patriotic/biased towards their own.

 

[hohner]

There are more American fighters in the UFC so it becomes less an a rallying point. If there was only one or two American fighters you can bet your ass Americans would be backing them in droves.

 

[Hollywood Jack]

I got the feeling that Americans don't care as much about the nationality of a fighter when they're deciding favourites, compared to other countries which might be more patriotic/biased towards their own.

This is probably the case. We're not as nationalistic as say the Brazilians, especially when it comes to rooting for fighters. I can't say that I've never rooted for fighters because they are American or it wasn't a factor at all. But I've rooted for non Americans over Americans plenty of times too. I think maybe fighters being American has meant more to me recently than in the past. It's pretty subjective and situational.

 

[Kenny Powerth]

I do not care at all.

Most of my favorite fighters are Russian or Brazilian and I am American

 

[The UFC Brander Collector]

What I find interesting is how obsessed USA people are with countries they have some tiny relation to

 

[Hollywood Jack]

There are more American fighters in the UFC so it becomes less an a rallying point. If there was only one or two American fighters you can bet your ass Americans would be backing them in droves.

I think this is definitely part of it. Although there are a HUGE amount of Brazilians and they still get hardcore into it. To the point where Dana White realized that Brazilian audiences didn't want to see Brazilians fight Brazilians they wanted to watch them fight foreigners in Brazil. I really wonder how Russian fans feel because there are a ton of fighters with Russian nationality right now, but relatively few are of Russian or at least Slavic ethnicity, and Slavs only or Russians only is a big thing in Russia.

 

[Orochimaru 大蛇丸]

Americans aren't really nationalistic in that way

 

[Jorge Luis Borges]

What I find interesting is how obsessed USA people are with countries they have some tiny relation to

Haha, what? So put another way, you think it is odd that Americans are deeply interested in countries they are not well familiar with.

What you are running into here is American xenophilia. The only people Americans really hate with any commitment are each other, and one of the lies we tell about each other is that we're xenophobic, but nothing could be further from the truth. Americans love traveling abroad, are the world's best tourists by almost every measurement, and are warm towards those who visit us.

 

[Jesus ODI]

i root for the mexican fighter ofc but only if i like the guy, and his fighting style otherwise i dont care, and none of the people i know, even older fellas like my grandpa and his buddies love to see boxing and they just wanna see entertainment and a good fight,

 

[Orochimaru 大蛇丸]

There are more American fighters in the UFC so it becomes less an a rallying point. If there was only one or two American fighters you can bet your ass Americans would be backing them in droves.

That's a part of it, but America is so big, and there are so many nationalities in America that it's different than other countries. I think you see it more state to state, like Frankie Edgar in New Jersey or something.

 

[Milkcarton42]

From what I've seen of American fans, if the fighter is:

White American > Brown American
Brown American > = Foreign (unless Italian, Greek, or Irish)

The level of alcohol consumed can sometimes change things around.

 

[Venom]

Since the UFC from the beginning included a lot of American, Brazilian, Mexican origin fighters I don't think the nationalism in MMA is that strong at all. I could see a situation in which Russian/Caucasian, Irish, Australian, Nigerian, [insert smaller group that's never been big in MMA or without large American exposure] could have more pride in their fighters than the average American fan.

 

[13Seconds]

How many americans were fighting in PRIDE? Felt like there was more Brazilians than Muricans over there, and most Muricans still backed Big Nog when he fought Herring

 

[Drugstore Cowboy]

Idgf who wins but I always root against English. Always enjoy when they get cucked and slaughtered alive.

 

[Orochimaru 大蛇丸]

Haha, what? So put another way, you think it is odd that Americans are deeply interested in countries they are not well familiar with.

What you are running into here is American xenophilia. The only people Americans really hate with any commitment are each other, and one of the lies we tell about each other is that we're xenophobic, but nothing could be further from the truth. Americans love traveling abroad, are the world's best tourists by almost every measurement, and are warm towards those who visit us.

Very tough for people to accept America is one of the least racist/xenophobic countries of all time

 

[Kryptt]

By the anti-Americanism I see on Sherdawg I would say yes. Far too many are wrapped up in a particular demographic bent.

To me - I'm a fight fan over a fighter fan. I'm interested in what goes on in the cage. Don't really concern myself with much else.

Like a Stripper - Dollars for the Dance then done...

I do not see anything wrong with being proud and or cheering one's own but that's not me. We are who we are and like what we like. Long as it's not a shitting on A or B contest I don't mind.

 

[The UFC Brander Collector]

Haha, what? So put another way, you think it is odd that Americans are deeply interested in countries they are not well familiar with.

What you are running into here is American xenophilia. The only people Americans really hate with any commitment are each other, and one of the lies we tell about each other is that we're xenophobic, but nothing could be further from the truth. Americans love traveling abroad, are the world's best tourists by almost every measurement, and are warm towards those who visit us.

It is just a bit weird to me.
Usman acts like he grew up in Nigeria, Stipe in Croatia, Masvidal in Cuba...
I am partially Russian but I would never be waving the flag around and act like I am a native

 

[The Bloody Nine]

Non American. Don't give a shit about nationality. If I rooted for homers I'd be a McGregor fan. Ugh.

That's HOMERS, by the way.

 

[Shaddows]

I got the feeling that Americans don't care as much about the nationality of a fighter when they're deciding favourites, compared to other countries which might be more patriotic/biased towards their own.

IMHO Americans are the majority of fighters. Also, most cards are in US.
That makes Americans uniquely suited to root for all nationalities, since they are exposed to all... though you still hear the "USA" chants here and there.

As for other countries, the UFC always try to have locals fighting exactly to get more support from local crowd.
I recall Brazilian cards, they were deemed "Brazil against the world"... hard not to root for a Brazilian fighter if you are a Brazilian in Brazil and 90% of the card had a Brazilian against someone else....
I reckon the same happened in Canada, UK and any other country the UFC went to visit.

It's all in the marketing team and how they cater those fights.

 

[Hollywood Jack]

What I find interesting is how obsessed USA people are with countries they have some tiny relation to

It's because we're probably as much of a salad bowl as we are a melting pot and we've had continuous immigration for much longer than other nations, even other newer nations in the Americas. And we had official segregation and all that, which really divided us. Countries like Mexico and Brazil haven't had nearly as much mass immigration in recent decades and have been able to form a more cohesive national identity. Mexicans especially because they sort of see themselves as one race, the concept of mestizaje, that ALL Mexicans are mestizos regardless of their actual background. Italian Americans in the US might root for the Italian national association football team over the American team, or Mexican Americans might root for Chivas over the L.A. Galaxy.