if you see a guy shadow boxing at a commercial gym with tap out gear on, he might as well have a sign on his dome saying, 'i know i'm weak but i'm insecure as well so please don't hurt me.'
i don't train at a commercial gym but i've seen the stickers on cars etc and the same applies there, as Tre pointed out.
i think, with the commercialising of mma contests, fans have noticed that many of these actual fighters don't look much bigger than
they do, so in a world where kids want it NOW and don't want to go through pain and suffering to get it (muscular physique) buying some tap out gear and acting like your favourite fighter is an all too tempting alternative and companies like tapout have taken full advantage of that sentiment.
i have trained with professional fighters for nearly 17 years and i can emphatically state that, unless you actually recognise a fighter, you will not know what they do for a living if they are even at a commercial gym in the first place. the guys that go to commercial gyms either go there strictly to do circuit training (no fight drills) with weights or are with a personal trainer working on strength training. either way, they will be in and out quicker than anyone there because they simply don't have the time, energy or desire to fuck around with intimidating rec bbers.
i will say this as a message to any would be 'tap out' fighters. even if you could back up your fantasy, most girls don't go for fighters anyway (unless you make a lot of mullah, in which case it don't matter if you're a fighter or a drug dealer, money is an aphrodisiac), guys just think you're an insecure tool if you try to show your wares and i haven't seen a fighter yet that can take on a bullet.
