MMA Fans Booing: Both Sides of the Equation

As mixed martial arts become larger certain issues will arise and need to be examined. Fans booing fighters and fights seems to be the latest issue to over take the media. While I am fully against the booing of fighters and fights I see both sides of the equation and will examine them both here.

Sports has always had booing for as long as it has been around. It seems to go hand in hand with the competition. Does this make it right or any less abrasive? No it does not but as you will see, it can be viewed as the right of the fan or just a means to vent frustration.

MMA is a young sport so we will look at another sport and use it as an example. The NFL has been around much longer and booing seems to be common place at games around the country. The same goes for college football and it’s fans. Can you imagine going to an Ohio State versus Michigan game and not hearing one side or the other boo for the opposing team? This is a way for fans to show dislike for the other team. Passion in college football runs deep amongst the fans and that is not limited to the passion for their favorite team. No, that passion also is seen in the hatred they have for their biggest rivals come game day. I have been to a few college games and never once heard another a player or coach from my favorite school tell the fans to not boo our rivals. The opposite seems to hold true in college football. The coaches and players want a raucous crowd to be loud, crazy and boo the team as they come out of the tunnel.

This can’t be said of MMA fighters, coaches and managers. While attending UFC 77 in Cincinnati, Ohio I saw former UFC champion “Ace” Rich Franklin (26-5) try and turn the boos around into applause as his opponent, UFC champion and Fighters.com top-ranked middleweight “The Spider” Anderson Silva (25-4) entered the cage. Remember that this is in Rich’s hometown and yet here he stands making sure the crowd cheers for Silva and not boo him. This is due to the mutual respect we see in combat sports. Sure, there is pre-fight trash talking and the occasional true bad blood but for the most part all fighters have respect for anyone that trains and is willing to put it all on the line by stepping inside the cage. They show this respect by touching gloves before the fight starts and by usually saying something good about their opponent in the post-fight interview. So as fans of a sport or a particular fighter, is it ok to boo their opponent?

Some say no, it is not ok and that we should respect all fighters. I am one of those people. I have never booed a fighter nor will I. I do understand how someone could do it and feel that is ok though. If you are a fan of fighter A and his biggest rival is fighter B, does it not seem right to boo fighter B anytime you get the chance? Sure it does but does it make it right?

As we have seen in football, it is not just fans booing for the opposing team. There are times when fans will boo their own team in order to show frustration for the play calling, for coaches decisions and for awful plays by players or the team in general. This is a way to vent these frustrations and make your voice heard in a sport that is generally not as interactive as MMA tends to be today. Very seldom due fans get easy access to players and coaches like we have come accustomed to getting with fighters, trainers and others involved in the sport of mixed martial arts.

There are many who believe that it is ok to boo a fight that for one reason or another they feel is boring. As I have said, I despise the booing of fights as I feel both men deserve respect just for stepping in there and willing to go to battle. I understand some fights can be boring at times. When you end up with a guy who does the lay and pray and the guy on the bottom can’t seem to get up, it is not exciting. However I have heard people boo as soon as the fight hits the mat and also when one guy is passing from half guard to side mount. This could be attributed to drunken fans or maybe just those that don’t understand the jiu jitsu side of the sport. Either way it is uncalled for in my opinion but I see their side of it as well.

They are paying to get into an event and many times they pay big money to be there. It can be said that they have the right to show their dissatisfaction when a fight becomes boring or when a guy refuses to engage and instead runs around the cage in what can only be described as a reaction to fear. This reaction to the fight by the fans lets the promoter and the match maker know that they are unhappy with what is taking place. It is a means to an end I suppose but I much prefer the Japanese fans. Never do you hear them boo. While they are quiet most of the time and I find that odd, they have a more focused knowledge of the sport and will cheer for something as simple as a pass from full guard to half guard.

As you can see, there is an argument to be made for both sides of this equation. So now I throw the question to you, the MMA fan. Do you think it is ok to boo fighters and/or a fight and why?