Why do we love certain athletes? They entertain us. They could be from your hometown. Maybe they got you into your favorite sport. Whatever the reason might be, our most beloved athletes are connected to us on an almost personal level.
Don’t be fooled however, some can’t stand this kind of athlete. Why do we hate certain athletes? They cheat. They’re usually the “bad guy." They’re bad role models. They give the sport a bad name. Or the most common reason; we just flat out don’t like them. But then again, people may love those kinds of athletes for just those reasons.
This Saturday’s UFC 148's historic main event featuring Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen will highlight two athletes that you either love or hate. I have never seen a fight like this, featuring two polarizing figures that have divided fans straight down the middle. All of the predictions and picks by fans, analysts and fighters alike have gone either way. Every fan has their opinion on why they either love/hate these fighters, but I can only speak for myself.
Don’t be fooled however, some can’t stand this kind of athlete. Why do we hate certain athletes? They cheat. They’re usually the “bad guy." They’re bad role models. They give the sport a bad name. Or the most common reason; we just flat out don’t like them. But then again, people may love those kinds of athletes for just those reasons.
This Saturday’s UFC 148's historic main event featuring Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen will highlight two athletes that you either love or hate. I have never seen a fight like this, featuring two polarizing figures that have divided fans straight down the middle. All of the predictions and picks by fans, analysts and fighters alike have gone either way. Every fan has their opinion on why they either love/hate these fighters, but I can only speak for myself.
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| Leben had no chance against the Spider |
Anderson Silva has been my favorite fighter since joining the UFC in 2006. His fateful dismantling of respected middleweight Chris Leben got me hooked to this sport. Silva is the reason why I’m even writing MMA articles to begin with. To top that all off, I had the pleasure to meet the champ himself. He was extremely nice and humble, as well as a class act to everyone he met. But more importantly than my love for the Spider is my undying hatred for Chael Sonnen.
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| Sonnen was the closest to beat Silva |
Where do I start? Well let’s start with my most obvious reason for despising Sonnen; he was caught with elevated testosterone after his UFC 117 showdown with Silva. There is nothing I dislike more in sports than a cheat. Sonnen is known as the best trash talker in the game, but there are limits. Calling a man a coward or an amateur is one thing, but to disrespect a man's family and country is taking it too far. Here's one of Sonnen's many quotes that exemplifies his disrespect towards the champ.
“You tell Anderson Silva I'm coming over and I'm kicking down his backdoor and patting his little lady on the ass and I'm telling her to make me a steak, medium-rare just how I like it."
My biggest problem with may be that he’s a hypocrite. Sonnen recently argued with ESPN’s Dan LeBetard that he never said the quote above. In one interview he’ll say he lost to Silva fair and square and then in the next interview he’ll say he’s the reigning champ. He says he’s been the best in the world for the past ten years, but when you look at his splotchy record you would think otherwise. He’s also unprofessional on radio/podcast interviews. He went as far as accusing one show host of beating his wife.
Some people might disagree with my opinion towards Sonnen despite the evidence I've laid out in this article. People love Chael for his realness and for saying things others are afraid to. Others hate Anderson because of his embarrassing performance against Demian Maia at UFC 112. Whatever the reason, there will always be a fan justifying their favorite fighter.
“You tell Anderson Silva I'm coming over and I'm kicking down his backdoor and patting his little lady on the ass and I'm telling her to make me a steak, medium-rare just how I like it."
My biggest problem with may be that he’s a hypocrite. Sonnen recently argued with ESPN’s Dan LeBetard that he never said the quote above. In one interview he’ll say he lost to Silva fair and square and then in the next interview he’ll say he’s the reigning champ. He says he’s been the best in the world for the past ten years, but when you look at his splotchy record you would think otherwise. He’s also unprofessional on radio/podcast interviews. He went as far as accusing one show host of beating his wife.
Some people might disagree with my opinion towards Sonnen despite the evidence I've laid out in this article. People love Chael for his realness and for saying things others are afraid to. Others hate Anderson because of his embarrassing performance against Demian Maia at UFC 112. Whatever the reason, there will always be a fan justifying their favorite fighter.
The entire UFC fan base has been divided over these two individuals and the rivalry has done wonders for the sport. If you think about it, this has never happened in any sport, period. This fight even has non-fans talking about Sonnen and Silva.
The bottom line is that UFC 148 may not only break UFC 100’s record of PPV buys, but may also go down as the most important card in UFC history.
The bottom line is that UFC 148 may not only break UFC 100’s record of PPV buys, but may also go down as the most important card in UFC history.
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