Why was Cowboy a popular fighter?

[capnlarge]

I do think that having a personality helped him stand out. He's definitely more popular than guys like Joe Lauzon and Clay Guida who also collected a bunch of FotN awards.

Being a character is one of the most important aspects of prize fighting

 

[The Chosen]

That seems rather subjective. And kind of ironically disproves your initial point and question lol

It’s not subjective, Tony beat Cowboy by doctor stoppage

 

[ThePatriot]

Ah, I forgot him. I like watching him fight, but he's probably not as popular as Cerrone because he's kind of a dickhead, and not in an entertaining way.

You kind of touch on it there, jeremy is a dickhead, cowboy likable

But the boring answer is its a combination of his style, personality, activity, luck, and thats basically what it is

 

[PrinceOfPain]

The hat definitely helped a lot. It made him recognisable when otherwise he kinda looks like a random create-your-own-fighter template.
Add that to the fact the he's primarily an exciting stand-up fighter who fights frequently, and he's kinda served as a comfort blanket for newbies first getting into the sport: someone you recognise and like, who provides you with a name you can say that makes it sound like you know what you're talking about.

 

[Micsterator]

I refuse to participate in this thread, lest someone call me biased based on my avatar. You all have covered the myriad reasons I've always liked Cerrone.

 

[HI SCOTT NEWMAN]

Because he actually fights, rather than these other fights who fight once every 18 months with all these mysterious injuries and problems

 

[MeatWagon06]

You should be banned and never watch MMA again for asking such a question. You’re obviously not into the fighting, and more the personalities.

 

[immyaxl]

My theory is that having a stick like wearing a cowboy hat can get you quite far, and Cowboy was pretty handsome when he was younger as well. Casuals easily recognized him as the cowboy hat guy

He would take fights on short notice, fight more than anyone else per year, Had a kickboxing style that the casuals want to see.

 

[Megatronlee]

People have weird taste

 

[Kvothe_the_kingkiller]

I do think that having a personality helped him stand out. He's definitely more popular than guys like Joe Lauzon and Clay Guida who also collected a bunch of FotN awards.

Being a character is one of the most important aspects of prize fighting

Absolutely.

But with just the cowboy hat and without a few dozen great fights, he's a nobody.

Whereas without the cowboy hat, after those fights with Varner, Bendo, and UFC debut through about Alvarez, he's a somebody.

And those huge fights and personality combined, he became a legit fan favorite.

But for TS to say it's only the cowboy hat is embarrassing. He should be embarrassed. My guess she's never seen a Cowboy fight before 2017.

 

[Hotei]

My theory is that having a stick like wearing a cowboy hat can get you quite far, and Cowboy was pretty handsome when he was younger as well. Casuals easily recognized him as the cowboy hat guy

Having a personality surely help but it won't matter if you don't perform. Cowboy was bringing it in the octagon, winning or losing he was going face first.

 

[Hotei]

Having a personality surely help but it won't matter if you don't perform. Cowboy was bringing it in the octagon, winning or losing he was going face first.

Also a very important thing usually overrated: he was fighting a LOT.

 

[StewDogg11]

I agree.
He fucking sucked.
He got battered by any top guy within the first 2 rounds...
That's the definition of a journeyman.

Journeyman are usually guys who aren’t in the Top 15 let alone fighting for titles. Cowboy also literally battered the current Lightweight champion.

He also holds over two other Lightweight champions besides Oliveira.

 

[StewDogg11]

So did Dan Henderson in the UFC.

Was a UFC Tournament Champion however.

 

[arrmike]

A lot of his early fights were on free tv, or headlining the prelims, the kind of exposure that makes him stick in casuals’s minds.

 

[arrmike]

Was a UFC Tournament Champion however.

By winning 1 fight and then a controversial decision over Newton.

he was a weight bully at 199 at that point of his career when he could fight open weight in rings and then use his wrestling experience to cut to 199.

 

[StewDogg11]

By winning 1 fight and then a controversial decision over Newton.

he was a weight bully at 199 at that point of his career when he could fight open weight in rings and then use his wrestling experience to cut to 199.

So what you’re saying is he won a UFC Tournament? He also weighed in for a Heavyweight fight with Fedor at 206 pounds so I don’t really think he cut all that much weight.

 

[arrmike]

So what you’re saying is he won a UFC Tournament? He also weighed in for a Heavyweight fight with Fedor at 206 pounds so I don’t really think he cut all that much weight.

In 1998 only wrestlers knew how to cut weight so the introduction of weight classes helped them more than other athletes. I just read in wiki that he only weighed 199 in rings so I could be wrong about him cutting to 199 in ufc 17.

He certainly outweighed Carlos Newton.

Frank Shamrock was the champion and fought on the same night when Hendo beat Goes and probably should have gotten a L to Newton. Hendo was not a ufc champion.

 

[StewDogg11]

In 1998 only wrestlers knew how to cut weight so the introduction of weight classes helped them more than other athletes. I just read in wiki that he only weighed 199 in rings so I could be wrong about him cutting to 199 in ufc 17.

He certainly outweighed Carlos Newton.

Frank Shamrock was the champion and fought on the same night when Hendo beat Goes and probably should have gotten a L to Newton. Hendo was not a ufc champion.

So what you’re saying is he was a UFC Tournament Champion? And lol at only wrestlers knew how to cut weight in 1998 which doesn’t really mean anything as I pointed out to you since he didn’t really cut all that much weight anyway.

 

[GeneTunney7]

Might be the dumbest question I have ever seen asked. If you don't like Cowboy, you are simply not a fan of MMA and have personal issues that over ride your ability to be a fan. Cowboy is a fans wet dream of what a fighter should be like: he would fight anyone anywhere (legit even tried to fight Jon jones once), electric on the feet and ground, has a litany of records to his name, fought all the time and was not a pull out merchant, no PED fails and is also a solid dude outside the ring (see relationship with grandma and what he has done for his team at BMF).

"BuT hE nEvEr wOn a TitLe" - you know who did win a title? Nicco Montano. He also beat a lot of champions during his time and, would fight anyone at anytime (even if badly injured) even if he could have waited for more title shots. Furthermore, is beyond me how any one can put any emphasis on titles after the stunts the UFC and WME have pulled: "BMF belt", creating interims if a champion sneezes, having different rules for different fighters (i.e Jones vs Tom Lawlor), stripping titles in two minutes then letting other champs sit out for 2 years, awarding title shots to more privileged fighters off losses, etc.

If one has a problem with Cowboy, that says way more about them than Cowboy.