Much like any other sport, fight fans enjoy the liberty of rooting for and following the careers of any particular fighter that they choose to follow. This freedom often bring a certain loyalty to their respective fighter(s). Many fight fans mutually enjoy well-respected, top athletes across the globe like ONE Championship‘s Rodtang and UFC‘s Alexander Volkanovski. Of course, the opposite side of the coin here is true as well. There are certain figures within the combat sports community that fight fans, well, simply can not stand. So, in no particular order, here is the most disliked figures in combat sports today.
The Most Hated Combat Sports Figures in 2023
1. Jake Paul
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Jake Paul, the annoying 26-year-old ‘fighter’ from Cleveland, Ohio, has made a name for himself across the combat sports scene—mostly a name that is especially detested. Paul, admittedly, has done quite a bit for the sport of boxing over the past few years, bringing fresh eyes onto the sport.
Paul, who suffered his first ever professional boxing defeat in February of this year, is a signed athlete to the Professional Fighters League and is expected to fight UFC great Nate Diaz in a boxing match in August. From sexual assault allegations to lawsuits, to run-ins with law enforcement to simply being outright and utterly irritating, Jake Paul certainly has earned his spot of the list.
2. Andrew Tate
Although no longer active in competition (although that may change), Andrew Tate is someone who could not have possibly escaped this list. The 36-year-old British-American put together an impressive kickboxing career retiring with a record of 76-9 with 23 KO’s.
Fight fans do not take offense with the professional combat sports career of Tate, but rather the long list of ugly situations that has come to be since his retirement. In 2022, Tate was involved in a plethora of lamentable situations. From sketchy and potentially illegal online business ventures to a countless number of outlandish and offensive moments on social media, Tate has grown particularly infamous.
Tate has been banned several times on several social media platforms for his remarks that have been labeled misogynistic and hateful. On December 29th, 2022, the Tate brothers, along with two other women, were arrested in their Romanian home on the suspicion of human trafficking among other charges. The Tate brothers were held in jail through March 31st of this year and have since been released on house arrest.
3. Bob Arum
Bob Arum is boxing’s most infamous boxing promoter. Having been in the sport since the 1960s, Arum has been apart of his fair share of controversies. The now 91-year-old promoter developed a wild rivalry with UFC president Dana White, with White even calling Arum a “piece of f—king s—t’.
Arum has also made enemies with several other major figures in the combat sports world including Floyd Mayweather Jr., Bas Rutten, Don King, and Terrance Crawford. He has been successfully sued, raided by the FBI, and has even admitted to paying out a bribe.
Loved Yet Hated—Jon Jones and Conor McGregor
The next two athletes find themselves in an interesting spot amongst fight fans. Although Jon Jones and Conor McGregor have been apart of some of the most iconic moments in UFC history, both athletes have faced criticism for their involvements in several incidents over the past several years.
Jones, who returned to competition and defeated Ciryl Gane to win the UFC Heavyweight Championship at UFC 285, has dozens of highlights, dazzling victories, and iconic moments across his mixed martial arts career. Unfortunately, his legacy is stained with failed drug tests and ugly situations involving the law.
The same is true for “Notorious” (a perfect nickname). McGregor is the most influential combat sports figure of all time. Becoming the first ever UFC two-time simultaneous champion, McGregor has gone on to be involved in a slew of altercations and has been arrested on several occasions.
