There are some fighters I realized I underappreciated during their careers and either because of retirement or because of their careers winding down it became obvious to me. I'm sure the rest of sherdog can relate.
Here are a few:
Carlos Condit- I know he is a fan favorite but for some reason I was never such a big fan. Looking back, he is a total bad ass and a stand up guy. He has admitted that his favorite fighter is probably GSP which is rare for a fighter to admit to if they lost to them in the past. This shows what kind of guy Condit is. No grudges pure class.
Jose Aldo- His overall antics towards Mendes before both of the fights as well as him grabbing the cage in the first fight rubbed me the wrong way. Jose Aldo was never my friend. But years after he has shown to be a true martial artist and an overall good guy. His career accomplishments are a bit underrated nowadays.
BJ Penn- Another guy I didn't dislike but at the same time was never a fan. Dude was a tough SOB and arguably the best talent to ever fight in the UFC to this day. Balls of steel. He was just a bit lazy at times (similar to Shogun but Shogun wasn't as skilled). His brutalization of Diego Sanchez was one of the most impressive performances I ever seen.
Here are a few:
Carlos Condit- I know he is a fan favorite but for some reason I was never such a big fan. Looking back, he is a total bad ass and a stand up guy. He has admitted that his favorite fighter is probably GSP which is rare for a fighter to admit to if they lost to them in the past. This shows what kind of guy Condit is. No grudges pure class.
Jose Aldo- His overall antics towards Mendes before both of the fights as well as him grabbing the cage in the first fight rubbed me the wrong way. Jose Aldo was never my friend. But years after he has shown to be a true martial artist and an overall good guy. His career accomplishments are a bit underrated nowadays.
BJ Penn- Another guy I didn't dislike but at the same time was never a fan. Dude was a tough SOB and arguably the best talent to ever fight in the UFC to this day. Balls of steel. He was just a bit lazy at times (similar to Shogun but Shogun wasn't as skilled). His brutalization of Diego Sanchez was one of the most impressive performances I ever seen.