What's up with Aljos lack of popularity?

[HHJ]

I'm genuinely perplexed about the animosity directed towards Aljamain. Although I completely understand how his disqualification victory over Yan may have irked many people, including myself, he has subsequently soundly defeated every opponent he has been pitted against. Sterling is on his path to establishing himself as the top bantamweight in UFC, and I appreciate how this bothers certain individuals.

If you dont like Aljamain,theres alot of ammunition,some of which isnt his fault.

 

[SeattleFightFan]

I just rewatched the knee. It was pretty violent. I believe it was Anthony Smith that said the ref should’ve just called the fight based on Sterlings mannerisms afterwards. Not sure if it would’ve helped his likability though.

It was incredibly violent.

And it's a whole nuther thing when a guy has no reasonable expectation of a blow coming, eating a blow like that.

 

[Corona]

He won the title in a cheesy manner. His personality is boring, his fights have been close less than thrilling decisions. The most popular champions either have great shit talk or have highlight reel finishes or exciting fights. That’s why Anderson, Brock, gsp, rampage and Conor were so big. It’s why people currently like guys Justin/Dustin/Black beast/oliviera/Diaz/masvidal. Even Khabib and Cruz got shit for being boring. Izzy and Jones are currently the biggest names/draws on the ufc roster. Crying racism is such a lazy excuse.

 

[Mr Fahrenheit]

We can pretend like that pattern doesn't exist in MMA fandom in you want. When the last time you heard a white champ being bood, in his own city. Coby covington says cringy things and is arguable a more boring fighter. Its alright though he keeps winning people will have to come around. They hated DC at one point as well

And Colby gets shit on all the time by fans. So does Paddy, Till, etc.

Likable people get cheered. Unlikable people get booed.

Do some people root for or against a fighter due to their race? I’m sure some do. But I don’t see any evidence that that’s the predominant force in deciding who is popular.

Fans loved it when Rampage knocked out Liddell and Wanderlei. Fans loved it when Anderson knocked out Chael. Fans loved it when Usman knocked out Colby. Fans loved it when Masvidal knocked out Askren. Fans loved it when Diaz choked out McGregor.

Why gloss over all that and then claim that the Aljo thing is racial when there are other obvious explanations (the acting job, the cringey banter and the point fighting)? It’s like people are genuinely rooting for racial animosity in this country.

 

[woodsideQ]

He's a little bit corny and tries a bit too hard to force a personality imo.

He seems pretty chill in most things but forces it when a mic is put infront of him. Same thing happens with Usman.

his face off with o'malley was cringe

 

[UFCIsNOTRigged]

Ok so he felt he had to ham it up after being hit by a legit illegal knee against Yan

This is the reason, which you seem to understand, yet you still felt compelled to make this post?

He grew from that and properly defeated Yan in the rematch.

You may feel that he properly defeated Yan but a healthy plurality felt he lost the second fight

He's got a persona and image I'd have thought most UFC fans would go for. Outside of the cage he seems more plausible than the Suga Show but OMalley is wildly more popular.

So you thought a fighter antagonizing the fanbase for months on social media, no matter how justified, in the aftermath of a DQ win would make him more popular?

Also:

O'Malley is not wildly popular, or even mildly popular, with hardcores. I would go as far as to say O'Malley is extremely unpopular amongst hardcore fans in the same way Conor McGregor and Colby Covington are. This is repeated ad nauseam but it doesn't make it any more true.

Fighting style isn't as attractive as, again, say OMalley, but gets the job done pretty ruthlessly. has all those BW records that have been quoted elsewhere (so I won't repeat).

So having a fighting style that even a fan like yourself admits isn't attractive is supposed to make him more popular?

a reigning champ gets booed in his own back yard?

New Jersey is a border state to Sterling's home state of New York it is hardly his backyard.

If Sterling were fighting in Vermont which is also a border state to New York would you be asking why the champ is being booed in his backyard?

So what it is?

You answered this multiple times in your post so you seem to understand exactly why.

The onus has always been, and always will be, on the fighter to win over the fans.

 

[Siver!]

Ok so he felt he had to ham it up after being hit by a legit illegal knee against Yan, but:

He grew from that and properly defeated Yan in the rematch.

He has comfortably beat the title challengers the UFC has put in front of him since. Not his fault if they're putting in hurt or over the hill guys.

On his way up, he knocked the heads off the unranked and top 15 guys as needed. He ran through Sandhagan who is a beast.

He's got a persona and image I'd have thought most UFC fans would go for. Outside of the cage he seems more plausible than the Suga Show but OMalley is wildly more popular.

Fighting style isn't as attractive as, again, say OMalley, but gets the job done pretty ruthlessly. has all those BW records that have been quoted elsewhere (so I won't repeat).

So what it is? Why so hated by both casuals and hard core that a reigning champ gets booed in his own back yard? Was he alot more popular before the Yan acting and his match ups have just not given him the chance to let him erase the past? Or something about him has always rubbed people up the wrong way?

He beat Yan, who was the golden boy, but only after the knee fiasco.

So in other words, he cost degenerate gamblers some money lol

 

[Brampton_Boy]

If people recall, the same thing happened to DC.

Wasn't seen as the real champ, and people booed him initially. Then he somehow turned a corner, and is now one of the most popular personalities in the sport. Fans are fickle.

 

[Jeo]

The onus has always been, and always will be, on the fighter to win over the fans.

Fair enough and thanks for taking the time to go through it.

Re Sean, I appreciate that he isn't popular among hard core fans but I was in the stadium for 276 and the pop he got in the stadium was remarkable, he clearly has a lot of fans.

 

[Xandros476]

I was very impressed with his rise to title contention but have found his title reign to be both a little weird and underwhelming..

 

[Simple Southerner]

Beating a dead horse gif

 

[Vogg]

He's an unlikable, decision stealing manlet.

the skin color trope is tiresome, Rampage and Anderson were fan favorites. People love Overeem and loved Derrick Lewis and Ngannou.

 

[Masturbin]

Aljo has never clearly won a fight with no * since his fight vs Sandhagen.

 

[jko1355]

Idk man I am a pretty big Aljo hater and my favorite fighter all time by far is Anderson Silva... I was a huge Rashad Evans fan... Izzy is probably my favorite active fighter...

I dont think it's race... I think there is a specific personality type that rubs people the wrong way.. like Woodley..

Plenty of white fighters have haters like Colby, Suga, Bryce Mitchell, Sean Strickland, Conor...

 

[ragreynolds]

Since winning the belt by a DQ, angering countless viewers across the world, in a fight that he was losing, he has come back to defend the belt 3 times, but each time has been unconvincing or questionable. He beat Yan in a very close fight that many think should have gone the other way. Then he beat TJ, who literally was fighting with one arm and shouldn't have even been cleared to compete. Then he beat Cejudo in yet another super close fight that many people think should have gone the other way. Meanwhile, he's very arrogant and just generally quite obnoxious.

If he had a few CLEAN wins, then people would maybe start to show him more respect. As of now, his cleanest great win was vs Sandhagen.

 

[StonedLemur]

I like Aljo (and always have) I fail to understand the casual (and hardcore) hate tbh. I get the original Yan DQ controversy but he rectified it in the rematch and has defeated all comers. Even though saturdays fight wasn’t the most exciting he was able to land takedowns and some control time against one of the best smaller weight fighters of all time and Olympic gold medalist wrestler. That is an enormous feat that speaks volumes about his tremendous skill set.

If someone's wife/husband cheats on them and they get back together... it's never the same.
Just like his little drama class after the knee made me lose respect for him, and it can never go back to what it was.

All he needed to do was say I can't see, fights over, he wins by DQ.
He didn't have to ham it up at all.

Then he acted like he was sad to win that way, fast forward to that same night he's hamming up the win on the internet.


Just my opinion sir.

 

[UFCIsNOTRigged]

Fair enough and thanks for taking the time to go through it.

Re Sean, I appreciate that he isn't popular among hard core fans but I was in the stadium for 276 and the pop he got in the stadium was remarkable, he clearly has a lot of fans.

O'Malley has an exciting fighting style which has led to him spectacularly finishing his opponents in big spots. Naturally, the casual fans spending their hard earned money to watch live will appreciate him for this, but that appreciation is contingent on him continuing to spectacularly finish his opponents which he hasn't done in almost two years. His time as a featured attraction for the UFC is coming to an end. Bo Nickal/Ian Garry will take his spot on PPV cards once he comes up short against Sterling.

My point wasn't that there is no place for questioning why a fighter is unpopular but rather lets ask questions about the right fighters. I never understood, and still don't understand, why fans were okay with the UFC throwing John Dodson out by the side of the road because he lost to Petr Yan and Merab.

 

[Portland8242]

Aljo does have a degree of charisma but it just ain't enough. I actually like his interviews when he talks real, seems like a chill and real dude. He does try to put on a bit of a character to sell his fights, and although he does an admirable job - he just doesn't stick on people.

A dude like Garbrandt became a big name at BW because his character was authentic in a way and people loved seeing a tempermental meathead on TUF.

 

[ookii]

I'm quite surprised he got booed in his own hometurf

 

[Portland8242]

Fight fans will hate him forever for the way he "won" the first yan fight. It's that simple. He will never be respected.

I hated him at first for that but it's a thing of the past. He ran it back with Yan and got the W.

He had a real opportunity to win some fans with the Dillashaw fight but he just couldn't break through.