Watching your favorite fighter

[JWGunslinger]

Everyone is excited when they hear that their favorite fighter is going to be fighting soon, or they get an exciting match up, occasionally your fighter gets a title shot if you're lucky. You love seeing them put on great fights and you absolutely hate seeing them lose, but how severe is your dedication/love for your heros of the octagon?

I have always known that when it comes to football and MMA I take my guys very seriously and when they win I could be feeling like shit and coughing up a lung after losing my job and having my grandparents die but I would still be relatively happy because one of my favorite fighters won. Ofcourse this goes the other way, one of my favorite fighters loses and I am the most angry person on the face of the planet, i'm still nice to people but I am very very unhappy and i'd even say depressed when my boys lose. During their fights I am 100 percent focused, no talking or anything like that and I am as serious as cancer so don't even bother talking to me until after the fight. And then when they win nothing can ruin my night and i've got a huge goofy smile on my face.

A perfect example is UFC 116, me and my friends watching Shane Carwin vs Brock Lesnar, I had been a fan of Shane since I heard he was coming to the UFC and I was behind the guy big time from that point on so when he got his title shot against King Lesnar I was more than amped. I had watched this guy rise up the ranks and I fell in love with this guys fights, looking at his knockouts of Wellish and Gonzaga as more of art than sport. When he was so close to finishing Brock off and then went on to get submitted in the second I was crushed, I was so upset I felt like crying, I didn't because i'm a man but I felt that torn up inside. I paced around the kitchen relentlessly and then when my douchebag friend started rippin on me for rooting for Shane and asking to buy my Carwin walkout shirt for five bucks I had to go outside for air in order to not break his nose(again). When I got outside I ran around and threw a few combos into the spare tire on the back of my Wrangler to calm down, but that night showed everyone that I am very emotionally invested in my fighters.

That's how I am after a bad fight, but more recently i've noticed something else about myself as a fan, I get way too nervous. Watching Brian Stann vs Jorge Santiago at UFC 130 I found myself rocking back and forth in my seat during the fight, and when Jorge threw a good punch or kick I would jump out of my seat I was so freaked out, fortunatly the end result of the fight went my way but I was so worried about Brian winning that I didn't even enjoy watching the fight til I knew he won.
Most recently during the main event of Strikeforce:Barnett vs Kharitonov, when JB was getting hit with some big shots from Sergei I had to stand outside and get some air while my friends watched the fight and then told me to come in and see the replays of Barnett winning. Long story short sometimes I get way to freaked out watching my favorites fight, strangely it doesn't happen every time but when it does I don't really even enjoy watching.

So I ask you, my MMA WZ family
How do you act when watching your favorite fighter? Are you tense and do you ever feel like you can't watch?

How do you feel/act when they lose? And when they win?

What fight were your best and worst fights as a fan and how seriously did they effect you emotionally?

If you'd like to throw anything else in about watching your favorite fighters/how it effects you emotionally please do. Discuss and enjoy

 

[jmt225]

How do you act when watching your favorite fighter? Are you tense and do you ever feel like you can't watch?

Just very attentive. My heart races, but I'm not one to be on my feet going nuts. I just sit there keeping my nerves under control, watching every move and aspect of the fight with my complete attention. A bomb could probably go off down the street and I wouldn't even notice, lol.

How do you feel/act when they lose? And when they win?

When they lose, I simply just change the channel and toss the remote somewhere. I then most likely get on the computer and read reactions and/or make a post somewhere like here bitching up a storm.

When they win, I keep watching to see the post match interview and the commentators kiss my fighter's ass. And then I sit back and enjoy the rest of the show, and when it's over... I get on the computer and read reactions and/or make a post somewhere like here gloating my ass off.

What fight were your best and worst fights as a fan and how seriously did they effect you emotionally?

Nick Diaz vs. Paul Daley probably got the biggest reaction out of me. Diaz got in trouble twice in that fight, and I knew that all it took from Daley was one good shot to finish the fight, so when Diaz took everything Daley had to offer, only to knock him out with just a couple of seconds left in the round, it was fucking exhilarating, to say the least.

The worst was Gomi vs. Guida. It was the fucking opening fight for UFC 118, and Jesus was it horrible. The rest of the show ended up being really good, but I sat there in misery the entire time, only watching because I paid for it. Guida had the most infuriating game plan ever, and Gomi could not have looked worse. I was so fucking excited going into that fight... it was the fight that was going to put Gomi in title contention, and it could not have gone any worse.

Nick Diaz vs. KJ Noons 1 was a really bad one, too. Bullshit cut stoppage just as Nick was taking control of the fight. Complete horseshit.

And Tito Ortiz vs. Chuck Liddell 2 was another horrible one. I was the biggest Tito fan back then, and I thought the stoppage was early. I could not have been more pissed off. It was like the Saints losing a playoff game due to a bad call by the referees.

 

[Fizzy]

How do you act when watching your favorite fighter? Are you tense and do you ever feel like you can't watch?

I'm the opposite of JMT. I'm going crazy most of the time, shaking and pacing back and forth. I am very tense and attentive to the fight, but I always get a feeling of huge pressure and my nerves are going crazy.

How do you feel/act when they lose? And when they win?

I get really pissy and go on here to see what everybody else thinks. I hate watching them lose. When Randy lost to Machida, I walked away. I didn't watch the rest of the show and I didn't come on here for a while. Same when Brock lost to Cain. I hate watching them lose.

When they win, I usually feel a huge sign of relief and if it's a spectacular win, I go crazy. Nothing huge though.

What fight were your best and worst fights as a fan and how seriously did they effect you emotionally?

The best would be Randy vs Timmeh. I don't think i need to explain why. It's just so special to me. Following close in second is Anderson vs Chael. My two favorite fighters of all time, one put on the performance of his life and the other showed why I am such a huge fan by surviving and catching Chael in the sub.

My worst is Brock vs Cain. I flipped. Threw the remote at the couch and ordered my favorite food from my favorite pizza place as nerve food. I felt horrendous.

 

[CapnKabuki]

How do you act when watching your favorite fighter? Are you tense and do you ever feel like you can't watch?

I have to agree with jmt, when my favorite fighter is on, not a damn thing is gonna distract me from that fight. I watch every single movement both my fighter and his opponent makes. Though, I'm also similar to Fizzy, but only when my fighter gets close to finishing, or if my fighter is in danger of being finished. But mostly, if that doesn't happen, I watch every single bit of action in the fight, in the breaks, and post fight until they announce the winner.

How do you feel/act when they lose? And when they win?

Usually, I feel heartbroken, because my top 2 favorite fighters (Babalu Sobral and Wandy) tend to get finished in brutal fashion, and very quickly too when they lose. I just tend to be a little sad about it, and jokingly will say that the entire show is ruined for me. But really, until the next fight gets going is the only time I'm really upset about it. When Shogun loses, however, I'm either really pissed (see vs. Lyoto Machida 1) or in shock about how dominated he was during the fight. (see vs. Jones)

What fight were your best and worst fights as a fan and how seriously did they effect you emotionally?

The worst fight for me as a fan of Babalu was definitely against Hendo. Words couldn't describe my heartbreak at seeing that happen. I had that little bit of hope, and damn Dan Henderson blew it's head off with his fucking right hand from hell.
For Wandy, well, Chris Leben I'd have to say. That was horrible and I don't wanna discuss that anymore because it was so awful.
Before the Hendo fight, I had really only seen one of Babalu's fight live, and that was the one against Robbie Lawler. (I became a fan of his watching old fights of his) so I guess that's my best moment as a fan? Hopefully in his next fight he utterly destroys whoever he's facing.
Wandy's the same way for me, looked him up, was BLOWN AWAY by what I saw. But it made me feel pretty damn satisfied seeing him beat the tar out of Bisping and then ALMOST soccer kick the limey bastard.