Bisping vs. Sonnen: Why MMA Would Fail Without Villains

Michael Bisping finally bit down and started really trash-talking Chael Sonnen on Inside MMA. At one point, he claimed the popular anti-hero had one testicle, which is why he used testosterone replacement therapy.

The truth is that Sonnen suffers from hypogonadism, as stated in an article from Cagepotato.com, but it was a slap in the face and got a huge reaction. The video can be seen below.

If Bisping had said this about any other fighter, he would have been bombarded with hate from fans all over the world and a desire to see him lose. He chose to say it about Sonnen, so the impact isn't as bad.

Sonnen hasn't done much to endear himself to MMA fans, the people of Brazil or many other UFC fighters. He constantly talks trash about people and half of it seems so inane that he can't mean it. There have even been times in the past where he contradicted himself.

Tack these things onto the fact that he was busted for TRT and his legal troubles and he is left with few supporters.

But the shocking truth is that fighters like Michael Bisping, Chael Sonnen and even Nick Diaz are a large part of why MMA can thrive.

It's easy to believe that the fights speak for themselves and that people want to watch good technique and respectful martial artists. It just doesn't happen to be true.

Most people want to watch someone they can root for take on someone they can't stand and engage in a fight that doesn't make them think so hard that it gives them a bit of an adrenaline rush.

They want a slugfest. 

It isn't what MMA diehards want to acknowledge, but a lot of the fan support comes from those people and their willingness to tune in and watch.

The fight is what pulls serious MMA fans in, but it is the storytelling and the idea of good vs. evil that gets the casual fan's attention. It's easy to digest and it makes it so even if they lack the understanding of what is needed for proper striking or grappling, they can still immerse themselves in the fight.

And it is easier to hate something than to enjoy it.

For every fighter like Chuck Liddell or Wanderlei Silva, who the fans support and love, there are three or four Bispings and Sonnens. Think about articles that have been written about characters like Justin Bieber or articles that criticize fighters or famous people.

As much as some people will read because of a genuine support for the person involved, most will not only read, but post a negative comment about how they despise the subject. Sonnen realized this a while ago and marketed himself into what might be two title shots if he gets past Bisping.

The same goes for Bisping. He earns massive paydays partially for his skills, but also because he draws a certain emotion out of people and gets them to pay to see him lose.

It may not be the best feeling in the world to know that people pay to see you get punched in the face, but its large paychecks help.

It's a hard pill to swallow, but villains are who people pay to see get beaten up in movies and in MMA it is the same.

It is a strange case of life imitating art instead of the reverse, but so is MMA.

Matthew Hemphill writes for the MMA and professional wrestling portion of Bleacher Report.  He also hosts a blog elbaexiled.blogspot.com which focuses on books, music, comic books, video games, film, and generally anything that could be related to the realms of nerdom.