Khamzat Chimaev and 4 other UFC fighters who embraced heel personas

#4. Tony Kelley

While Tony Kelley has fallen off the radar of most UFC fans since his disastrous exit from the promotion, the bantamweight contender is a fighter who became a heel without ever intending to.

At the time of the incident that engulfed him in infamy, Kelley was cornering fellow fighter and girlfriend Andrea Lee at the UFC on ESPN 36 fight card. Between rounds, Kelley used shocking language when referring to Lee's Brazilian foe, Viviane Araújo.

Not only did Kelley imply that Brazilians have a natural instinct for cheating, but he also branded them "dirty." While he didn't expect the moment to be captured by a cameraman, Kelley was unapologetic when asked for his thoughts on his own remarks.

Instead, he claimed people were simply eager to victimize themselves and that he hates everyone equally. In his matchup with Adrian Yanez at UFC on ESPN 37, Kelley sought to capitalize on his newfound notoriety.

During his walkout, he flipped the Texan crowd off to a deafening chorus of boos. That, however, was the end of his heel run. Within three minutes, Kelley fell to Yanez and was TKO'd out of the UFC.

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#3. Ronda Rousey

Ronda Rousey never pretended to be anyone she wasn't. The former UFC women's bantamweight champion has always been outspoken and brash. She often spoke highly of herself before aiming bold trash talk in her opponent's direction.

Despite some of the more vitriolic comments she reserved for hated rivals like Cris Cyborg, 'Rowdy' was not being a deliberate heel.

However, a turning point came when Rousey faced her other rival Miesha Tate in a rematch of their Strikeforce matchup. Tate was the first opponent to survive Rousey's 1st round onslaught, although she eventually surrendered to an armbar in the 3rd round.

Right after the bout, a defeated Tate sought to shake Rousey's hand but was snubbed. In a moment that few people expected, the crowd in attendance booed Rousey's actions.

However, the former champion was unbothered by the reaction her actions garnered. It was the beginning of the MMA fandom's turn on Rousey. From then onwards, she became a polarizing figure, equally loved and hated.

Yet she never shied away from it all, embracing her role by being as unapologetic as possible. She even tried to manufacture ill will towards Holly Holm at the weigh-ins before their bout the next day.