Coming home from an autograph session to a computer screen filled with insults is a jarring experience, UFC heavyweight Ben Rothwell admits.
Welcome to the double-edged sword of fandom, a split world fighters
encounter when they get to the big show. Up close and personal, they’re
bathed in praise. Online, where MMA lives and breathes, they’re cut off
at the knees at a moment’s notice.
That goes double for the fighters who bring personality to the table,
the ones who don’t consult the public relations manual before they
speak, or the ones who’ve decided they’re better served as heels.