A tshirt that has your favorite fighter on it is not the same thing as a concert shirt, though you might notice that these fighters are filling arenas faster than the newest has been rock star can. Instead, MMA shirts are more like football jerseys. They do not say, this is who I like but this is who I like, do you have a problem with that? As a fashion item, they are quietly confrontational and wearing one almost dares a fan of a rival to stand up for his fighter the way that you are standing up for yours.

When an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) battle is taking place, you can bet that both fighters are looking out into the crowd for the support of their fans. The ability of them to see their own snarling face looking back at them from a shirt on your chest tells them without a word who you hope is about to win the bout that day. A show of support such as this can make the difference in the morale of that fighter to push them a little harder when they are not sure they can go on. It can mean the difference between a win and a loss in a close fight.

What if your fighter loses? These are human beings, and he probably does not feel great about himself the next day. But if you are in Las Vegas or Los Angeles for a big fight and your guy ends up losing, what better way to lift his spirits than to walk down the street proudly wearing a shirt with his image on it? He may be looking out his hotel room window and see that he has not lost his fans despite losing his fight, and you could be the one who makes a difference in how that day goes, how that week goes, and ultimately how his image of himself remains strong and confident in the face of what would otherwise feel like failure.

Plus, the shirts themselves are really cool. That alone is reason enough to own one.