The top ten heels in MMA
Who do you love to hate? Who do you want to lose every time they step inside the ring or…
Who do you love to hate? Who do you want to lose every time they step inside the ring or the cage? MMA has a long, rich history with heels like Frank Shamrock, Tank Abbott, Phil Baroni, Tito Ortiz and too many others to count. Even the most dispassionate, analytical fans still get riled up by certain trash-talking fighters. So who are the most hated heels in MMA today?
10. Chael Sonnen
Chael Sonnen might be trying harder to sell himself as a heel than anyone on this list. Largely regarded as a boring lay-and-pray fighter before he came to the UFC, he’s reinvented himself in the UFC as the man destined to beat Anderson Silva. At least, that’s what he’ll tell you. He’s talked more outlandish trash about Anderson Silva than can be recounted, pitching himself as a savior come to rescue the UFC from the curse of the dancing Brazilian. In the process, he’s somehow generated a good deal of hype for a fight where the oddsmakers have him as a very large underdog.
9. Anderson Silva
Anderson Silva joins his UFC 117 opponent on this list due to a string of bizarre fights and condescending remarks made about the fans who buy his fights. Despite his reputation as the pound for pound best fighter in the world, Anderson Silva doesn’t have a lot of fans these days. Three of his last four fights have been incredibly dull snoozers, and his bout against Demian Maia at UFC 112 was even worse. Silva spent nearly the entire fight taunting Maia, verbally insulting him several times, dancing around the ring, avoiding engagement, and generally making an ass of himself. He won the fight via unanimous decision, but lost far more than he gained. Although initially recalcitrant, at the press conference after the fight he claimed he “owed nobody an apology” and “couldn’t please everyone”
8. Josh Koscheck
Koscheck has generally taken a heel approach to MMA from day one. He admits that he doesn’t particularly care what the fans think of him or what other fighters think of him. As a result, he’s got a legion of haters, and even Dana White has accused him of not being a team player. However, despite his generally rude and standoffish behavior, Josh Koscheck’s real introduction into elite heel status came when turned his post fight interview at UFC 113 into a heel promo any pro-wrestler would be proud of. Note the classic heel techniques of insulting the local sports team as well as the hometown hero.
