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The UFC has one of the deepest rosters in MMA. Fighters signed to the promotion come in all shapes and sizes, stemming from different backgrounds that render each of them unique. These details often go a long way in determining who the fans like and dislike, but it is not only the fans who have expressed favoritism or dislike for specific fighters.
Throughout the years, the UFC has featured fighters that have endeared themselves to top executives in the promotion. Conor McGregor and Ronda Rousey are two fighters—one semi-active, the other retired—who have earned the approval and support of upper management. However, for every mixed martial artist that Dana White favors, there are fighters who have earned the ire of White and his colleagues in upper management.
Some are fighters who have since retired from MMA. Others are fighters who are active in other promotions after being unceremoniously cut from the UFC. A few are even fighters currently under contract for MMA's premier promotion. This list examines five of these fighters.
#5. Tony Kelley
At one point, former bantamweight Tony Kelley was a fighter with a record of 8 wins and 2 losses who seemed set for a solid career. While no one ever mistook Kelley for a future champion, he'd bested the power-punching Randy Costa in a definitive two-round affair and finished his foe via TKO.
However, while cornering Andrea Lee on a UFC on ESPN card headlined by Jan Blachowicz and Alexander Rakic, Kelley made xenophobic comments targeting Brazilian fighters. When he was later confronted with the situation, Kelley was unapologetic, claiming to be a victim of cancel-culture before stating that he hates everyone equally.
Not long after, he was scheduled to face Adrian Yanez in Austin, Texas. Kelley infuriated the hometown crowd by flipping them off during his walkout to the octagon. Unfortunately for Kelley, it took Yanez less than a round to defeat him.
Yanez snapped his foe's two-fight win streak with a brutal TKO. Many cheered the result, as the Texan entered the fight with a legion of supporters eager to see Kelley punished for his distasteful behavior. In the aftermath of the bout, Adrian Yanez claimed that even UFC staff members had pleaded with him to win the fight due to how intensely they disliked Kelley.
The news that the Team Alpha Male fighter has reportedly been cut from the UFC following the loss lends credence to Yanez's words.
Listen to Yanez discuss the fight below:
#4. Colby Covington
Colby 'Chaos' Covington is one of the most polarizing figures in MMA. The former interim welterweight champion courts controversy, using everything at his disposal to stir up interest in both him and his upcoming bouts.
Three years ago, when Tyron Woodley was the reigning welterweight champion, Covington was passed over in favor of Kamaru Usman for a title fight with Woodley at UFC 235. Due to the UFC's decision, 'Chaos' took it upon himself to seek out Dana White for answers over what Covington felt was unfair treatment.
He ended up filming his encounter with White at a casino, where footage showed an irritable White rejecting Covington's attempts at discussing the matter. After 'The Nigerian Nightmare' successfully captured the title from Woodley, Covington was given a title fight against the Nigerian at UFC 245.
Hoping to build off the previous casino encounter with White, Covington claimed that if White attempted to wrap the championship belt around his waist he'd slap the UFC president with it. This prompted White to call 'Chaos' a big-mouthed idiot.
Needless to say, given White's propensity for holding on to grudges, it is likely he has not quite forgiven Covington for his behavior.
#3. Mark Hunt
Years ago, Mark Hunt was an exciting heavyweight who was widely regarded as the hardest puncher in MMA. As a former kickboxer, Hunt possessed a disarming striking technique, often establishing and breaking rhythms to disrupt his opponent's assessment of his speed.
Blessed with an iron chin and true one-punch knockout power, 'The Super Samoan' became known for his walk-off knockout wins and seemed a suitable opponent for Brock Lesnar's return bout at UFC 200.
Things, however, have not been the same since. Lesnar was revealed to have tested positive for a banned substance in a pre-fight drug test, which Hunt alleges he was not made aware of by upper management. He suffered a one-sided loss to the former heavyweight champion, ultimately claiming that the promotion had deceived him before using it, along with a litany of other accusations, as grounds for a lawsuit.
Since then, Hunt has actively disparaged Dana White's character, branding him a parasite while describing the Fertitta brothers as scum in a bizarre callout that he used to challenge all three men to a fight. While the UFC has remained silent, handling all matters in the courtroom, it is unlikely that they have anything but ill feelings for Hunt.
#2. Tito Ortiz
Tito Ortiz and Dana White were once close friends—in fact, White was once Ortiz's manager. However, things soon soured between the two men who were, at one point in time, as close as could be.
A feud between the two ensued, leading to a range of antics, such as Ortiz's infamous t-shirt describing Dana White in unflattering terms, before culminating in a boxing match that White agreed to partake in. It wasn't the first time White had been challenged by one of his fighters, but it remains the only time White was not only pleased to accept, but also swore that his prior boxing experience would serve him against Ortiz.
The fight never ended up coming to fruition, yet the feud never quite died down. When Lyoto Machida faced 'The Huntington Beach Bad Boy' at UFC 84, it was revealed that Dana White had offered to pay Machida a bonus if he defeated Ortiz. While Machida dominated most of the bout, he was ensnared in a triangle choke towards the end of the fight.
Fortunately for White, 'The Dragon' prevailed, becoming one of the only fighters known to have been paid a bonus by the UFC president for beating a specific fighter.
#1. Cris Cyborg
Not many fighters are as decorated as Cris Cyborg is in MMA. She has won championships across multiple MMA promotions, including the UFC, Strikeforce, Invicta, and Bellator, where she currently reigns as the featherweight champion.
Prior to signing with the UFC, Cyborg was the subject of several dream match scenarios, with many fans yearning to see her face off against Ronda Rousey. In the years prior to her UFC signing, however, Cyborg was the subject of hateful ridicule from both Rousey and Dana White.
White once infamously described Cyborg as resembling Wanderlei Silva in a dress and heels before mocking her gait by stomping in front of the cameras as he accused her of steroid use.
It was a blow from which there was no return, even when Cyborg signed with the promotion. Ultimately, the Brazilian great suffered a premature end to her UFC run after a devastating loss to Amanda Nunes. In the aftermath of the loss, White questioned Cyborg's desire for a rematch despite the latter's public campaign to fight Nunes again.
It culminated in Cyborg releasing doctored footage of a conversation between her and White, falsely portraying White as confessing to lying about her to the MMA media. It was a damning turn of events that forced Cyborg to issue an apology and led White to terminate her contract, stating that the promotion was no longer in the Cyborg business.
