The Problem with Modern MMA Fandom

The final bell rings. One fighter gets their hand raised, while the other walks back to their corner in defeat. Before either fighter can even leave the cage, MMA Twitter is going crazy, with fans calling one fighter overrated, another saying the judges are corrupt and the opponent is washed, someone complaining that the fight was boring and, apparently, none of it mattered because someone lost their parlay. Welcome to modern MMA fandom. When did watching a fight become so complicated? Since the UFC’s explosive rise to the mainstream, moments of actual enjoyment of the sport and competition have been…