Fighters that have won you over?

[Thunderchild]

Ben Askren. He used to just use "the funk" to grind out wins. Now he finishes people.

 

[Enigma87]

Maynard. Guy seemed like a prick at first, mainly after TUF. Then seeing him get KOed and rocked by every single fighter he fought, I actaully found myself rooting for him during his last fight.

I guess that was more pity though..

 

[Sgt Smith]

I've never really disliked Bisping because outside the cage he's such a regular guy, but he did rub me the wrong way a bit mid career. I'm not ashamed to say I smirked when Dan KO'd him. Impossible not admire a fighter with that level of longevity and perseverance.

 

[Chet Ubetcha]

Cowboy. Couldn't stand him at first, but he fights every other week and it's always exciting.

McGregor. Once I tuned out all the rhetoric and blabbing, his fights are always worth watching, win or lose. I just watched Conor/Nate again, and it was a great fight to the end. I can't hate the guy, I just wish he'd tone it down a few notches.

Bisping. He admits he played the heel, and he did it well. However, his longevity and attitude (and the fact it was Rockhold that he starched) made me smile and sincerely happy for him that he made good on the title shot he finally received.

 

[bushidoman]

Roger Huerta after he KOed that POS football player that disgustingly punched some girl.

 

[Martel]

Couldn't stand Nick Diaz at first, always rooted against him and hoped he lost brutally.

But the dude brings it every fight and never stops trying to win. Big fan now.

 

[MMA-woooooh!!!!]

i think i only ever really disliked jones and kennedy, but both won me over eventually

oh and schaub, but he's not exactly a fighter anymore

 

[essie]

Moose is slowly winning me over.

 

[Rod Farva]

Rampage

 

[MMAPhilippines]

Chael, Connor and Bisping. Started out not really paying much attention until I found their showmanship and trashtalk quite entertaining.

 

[Furious77]

Edson Barboza and Chiesa

 

[copyandpasteguy]

I just like to watch a good fight. Not gonna tickle my balls over any fighter like that.

 

[felmmando]

I've rarely disliked any fighter but there are a few who I thought were no big deal or at least overrated whom I now recognise as major players: Frankie Edgar, Tony Ferguson, Max Holloway and Connor McGregor. A special case would be Rafael Dos Anjos, who I think, even in retrospect, actually was no big deal but improved exponentially.

 

[MMAPhilippines]

 

[IndyCovaHart]

Ben Askren. He used to just use "the funk" to grind out wins. Now he finishes people.

Lol im so far from warming up to that guy it's not even funny.

You make it sound Ike he has a 10 fight finish streak or something.

 

[awymore]

Bisping for sure. He used to grind my gears but ever since the eye injury he's grown on me. It's a constant reminder what these guys go through. My fat ass is watching on TV as he gets a detached retina and multiple surgeries to fix it / eye is permanently fucked up. He could have walked away then and been a star in England for life and you know he's just fine financially but he came back because he loves to fight and shit look at him now.

What a soldier.

Very true. It's kind of impossible to hate him now

 

[Chomsky Honk]

Frankie made me so butthurt when he beat BJ. I like him now.

 

[Xtal]

I'll go with Holloway first, because I'm a pretty big fan of his now. At first, he looked like he was a typical douchey Hawaiian moke, but then I saw interviews and videos of him and realized he's a really genuine, good dude with serious skills. Similarly with Jones; I figured he was just another flash in the pan, fighter of the month and the whole "humble" act was pretty annoying. But when he started trolling people on the internet, like the video of him fake crying, I guess a contrarian side of me woke up and he became another of my favorite fighters. Even after the legal issues and failed test he's still the man in my book.

Lastly I'm gonna have to go with Edmond Tarverdyan.





Kidding, of course. He's a douche.

 

[Richard Fannin]

Roger Huerta after he KOed that POS football player that disgustingly punched some girl.

Damn right.
Before, I didn't mind the chap, was neutral (his fight against Clay Guida was awesome, too).
I'm usually not one of those "omg a male hit a grill i hopee he burns in hell!!!" type of guy;
But watching that huge drunk football player punch that little girl seemingly for no reason and so hard, and she was just passing by, (they didn't even know each other IIRC) infuriated me so hard first time I watched it...

Huerta curb stomping him was awesome.

Also, I was never really on the Nate Diaz bandwagon, I liked him but was more ofaNick enthusiast.
Nate boxing McGregor up and then choking him out really made me appreciate the dude.

The Diaz bros have been in situations in which the whole promotion wanted them to lose.
The Nick/Gomi fight, Diaz had just been brought to PRIDE to show the casuals who "The fireball kid" was all about.
(he did put up a good fight, and he was obviously not in the same weight class as Nick).

When Strikeforce/EliteXc were trying to showcase KJ Noons, Nick got fucked over a bad stoppage over a controversial cut. The rematch was HUGE at the time, newer fans might find that hard to believe but it was a nice $$$ rivalry to promote KJ (it was around the time he first spoke of thinking that he might go back to pro boxing) .

You can bet Lorenzo and his do-boy dana were sweating while waiting for the results of Nick vs Carlos Condit, who was supposed to smash Diaz but spent the entire fight running.

I'm sleepy, womm fp,odk

 

[El Fernas]

Nate not being surprised won me over, never liked the Diaz bros before that, i still dont like Nick but i do love Nate now.