A cult hero is generally defined as a person who engenders a passionate following from a relatively small but dedicated fan base. Think about that quirky indie rock band. That underground movie. Pabst Blue Ribbon. The McRib sandwich.
In a lot of ways, MMA, despite its burgeoning popularity, is still very much a cult sport when compared to the Cowboys and Yankees and Crimson Tides of the world. Because of all the, how should I put this, blood, it will probably never fully ingratiate itself to Main Street USA. That doesn’t mean it can’t be tremendously successful. It’s just never going to be everything to everyone.
That simple reality—that you’ll never appeal to all demographics and, come to think of it, probably don’t want to anyway—is part of what makes a great cult hero. And it’s part of what makes MMA fans among the pound-for-pound most knowledgeable and passionate on the planet. They don’t just love their sport. They protect it. They preach it.
That cult mentality probably explains why those fans so greatly value and enjoy the cult heroes who color the history of their favorite cult sport.
So these are the cult heroes within the cult hero.
These 15 guys represent old school and new, good guy and bad, great fighters and, eh, less great. They’re all here. Although I did restrict this to actual fighters, with the goal of keeping the list manageable and at least something of an apples-to-apples proposition.
Also keep in mind that, while many of these fighters are popular, this is not strictly a popularity contest. Most of these fighters won’t appear on a cereal box any time soon.
But don’t tell their fans that. You might be standing in that corner for a looooong time.