Do you think it is a series of unrelated coincidences that almost all black fighters are not liked?

[Crimson Glory]

I see it all the time. When a white fighter behaves the way DJ does, they are called "humble and classy." When a black guy does it, they are "boring."

Neil Magny will be next on the list.

I don't feel that way at all.

I like DJ.

 

[ChildoftheCorn]

This era in MMA will be known as "The Great Shaming." I've always liked Woodley but this neverending shaming is making it difficult. Even though I like him, I'd kinda rather not have him as champ if this is always going to be the discussion. It got old Saturday night and here we are on Thursday still talking about it, still pointing fingers back and forth. If some people don't like him, shaming them into liking him isn't going to work.

 

[Agnawedbone]

I don't see it. Woodley and Jones are just dislikable people.

Most of the bigotry in MMA is focused on the Brazilians, IMO.

 

[Codpiece]

I see it all the time. When a white fighter behaves the way DJ does, they are called "humble and classy." When a black guy does it, they are "boring."

Neil Magny will be next on the list.

Humble Rumble is pretty damned popular. But we're talking about lower weight classes and you didn't address my point exactly. At FLW there were two somewhat popular fighters on Sherdog - one black (Dodson) and one white (Creepy).

MM is dealing with the stigma of being small and having a lengthy decision streak. Race doesn't need to be a factor.

 

[HI SCOTT NEWMAN]

Nope wrong, always trying to bring up the racial stuff when it never is. Rampage, Rumble, Yves Edwards, Anderson, Bob sapp.. were all very well liked and had many fans.. there are many others too, to lazy to list them all.

 

[Coughman]

Just had a look at the "Oh great. More Luke Thomas racism talk over at MMA Fighting.." thread and it went as expected Sherdog fans (Majority white and American) complaining that anyone would dare suggest that racism had any part to play in the unpopularity of black fighters.


Use your brain do you really think it is a coincidence that most black fighters are not really liked and that get more hate for the same crimes (EG Steroids.)


Sherdog at times can be a echo chamber but i think objectively you can only conclude that black fighters are not as popular or as liked as white fighters.


I know i will have multiple people reading the title getting triggered and responding with one liners or not addressing the points made.

Yes because white fighters NEVER get criticized. fucking idiot

 

[Agnawedbone]

One thing that baffles me is how DC gets booed.

He's a great fighter and a great human being and before Silva he didn't have a single boring fight besides Frank Mir.

Yet people still booed him even though he's as nice and honest as GSP and Wonderboy.

I guess people don't like that type of humility and grace from a black guy- they expect some Mayhem Miller type bullshit.

I see right through you racist fucks.

I remember being genuinely shocked when people started booing him. Never would have seen that coming, I can't think of a single good reason to not be a Cormier fan.

 

[MMA]

People root for athletes they relate to. It's human nature to relate to people who look/talk/act like you. If roles were reversed, and blacks were the majority and whites were 13% of the population, the white fighters wouldn't be as supported.

It's not racism, it's human nature. Stop calling everything racist.

I'm half black (half white), BTW.

I agree but one might argue you're just saying racism is human nature...

Just because something's in our nature doesn't mean it's not racist.

 

[Lucifer Alpha]

Humble Rumble is pretty damned popular. But we're talking about lower weight classes and you didn't address my point exactly. At FLW there were two somewhat popular fighters on Sherdog - one black (Dodson) and one white (Creepy).

MM is dealing with the stigma of being small and having a lengthy decision streak. Race doesn't need to be a factor.

I'd rather if he were hated for being black than having a decision streak that hasn't been relevant for years. At least the former is true.

MM is dealing with the stigma of being small and having a lengthy decision streak. Race doesn't need to be a factor.

I disagree. He would have more fans if he was a badass nerdy white guy obsessed with video games, especially on an internet forum.

 

[MMA]

I remember being genuinely shocked when people started booing him. Never would have seen that coming, I can't think of a single good reason to not be a Cormier fan.

He's a bleeder. When people see teasing affects someone, that person gets teased even more. Cormier doesn't handle the hate well, so he gets more of it.

 

[Diaz or Woodly or some1 that is still good]

black fighters are not liked because they win to much. The white and red people dont like losing to black men. Btw im not racist. I just am stating a fact blacks are better fighters than whites. Im white. Im allowed to say that

This is what I was going to say but not as good.

 

[rakeleaves]

Race definitely plays a factor. The people who completely deny the existence of that element are being intentionally dense or have digested too much right wing propaganda in their life. Cormier, DJ, Jones, and Woodley are not particularly well liked champions despite putting on great fights.

Just the other day, some lowlife made a threat about everything T Wood has said that he doesn't like, and then concluded that race plays no factor in his perception. That is not solid logical reasoning. You can also tally up all the dumb shit Diaz, Conor, Brock etc have said over the years yet they all have huge fanbases. Infer from that what you will.

 

[Agnawedbone]

He's a bleeder. When people see teasing affects someone, that person gets teased even more. Cormier doesn't handle the hate well, so he gets more of it.

That just feels like a cop out, though. He's a great fighter and champion, skilled commentator, and comes of as a good and genuine person. I could see your regular haters and trolls doing it but not the amount of hate we've actually seen.

 

[SPB]

Just had a look at the "Oh great. More Luke Thomas racism talk over at MMA Fighting.." thread and it went as expected Sherdog fans (Majority white and American) complaining that anyone would dare suggest that racism had any part to play in the unpopularity of black fighters.


Use your brain do you really think it is a coincidence that most black fighters are not really liked and that get more hate for the same crimes (EG Steroids.)


Sherdog at times can be a echo chamber but i think objectively you can only conclude that black fighters are not as popular or as liked as white fighters.


I know i will have multiple people reading the title getting triggered and responding with one liners or not addressing the points made.

My favorite fighters are:

GSP
Anderson Silva
Jon Jones
BJ Penn

Yes, I have a white guy at the top of my list. I am white. Therefore, I must be a racist.

My least favorite fighters are:

Diaz Bro #1 (more racism by me)
Diaz Bro #2 (even MORE racism)
Chael Sonnen
Connor McG


My favorite baseball player of all time is Willie Mays. My favorite football player of all time is Gale Sayers. My favorite basketball player of all time is Jerry West (there's my racism slipping out).

The love of my life is Mexican-American.


I have no doubt there are racists who dislike fighters because of their heritage. There are others who only like fighters because of their heritage. But not everyone who likes one fighter over another does so because of racism. I doubt it is a majority of fans in the USA. At least I hope not.

 

[Wolf Of Sherdog]

Soft people like you are the reason why america is declining. Maybe you need Trump Stop being bitches and talk about racism the whole time. Where is your proof that almost all black fighters are hated here? WTf?

 

[Codpiece]

I'd rather if he were hated for being black than having a decision streak that hasn't been relevant for years. At least the former is true.


I disagree. He would have more fans if he was a badass nerdy white guy obsessed with video games, especially on an internet forum.

If he were a badass nerdy black guy obsessed with gaming he'd be more popular too. You're muddying the waters by adding in additional factors.

I part company with you about your preference for why people dislike DJ too. I'd much prefer people to be disinterested in him due to something he had a hand in - whether or not the information is out of date - than something he had no control over (his skin colour) and something as divisive as racial discrimination.

 

[Jorge Luis Borges]

I don't really care. Fans don't owe any fighter love.

So long as the UFC doesn't actively discriminate based on race, I couldn't care less what color the most popular or least popular fighters are. In the meantime, some folks act all self-righteous, as if pointing out alleged racial preferences puts them above it all. Race baiters like TS are never constructive, and in my experience they are far more racist than your average person on the street.

 

[soulsstealer]

I really like rampage, the big french black guy and im sure there are some other black fighters im forgetting also.

 

[Bartinho]

BAN TS

 

[Heelhook71]

Conor and Ronda are not hated equally, not even close.

And many fans dislike them because they were shoved down our throats by UFC hype machines.

Mayweather actually had to struggle and toil for his success and notoriety while the boxing media machines were focusing all-in on guys like De La Hoya.

Not to mention they're loved by the media and general society. Their negative traits are spun as positive ones and the general public applaudes and almost worships them for those traits and their antics.

Now imagine them with a different ethnicity. Posing with guns or or acting crazy at weigh ins and spouting craziness on their instagram pages afterwards. I'd bet those would be the things focused on and there would be no positive spins on the those not likeable parts of their personalities. Those traits would be exactly how they were defined by the masses.