10 Dream Fights We Must See Before the Aging MMA Legends Retire

What constitutes a "dream fight"? There are certainly important elements that come into mind. Typically, the impossibility of occurrence is important. A dream fight generally consists of two champions and/or legends who have been separated by weight class (Jose Aldo vs Frankie Edgar), organization (Randy Couture vs Fedor Emelianenko) or time (Bas Rutten vs Junior dos Santos).

Sometimes, a dream fight can happen simply based on the perception that it's possibility went from fruitful to fleeting. For example, Mirko Cro Cop and Fedor Emelianenko were originally scheduled to meet in late 2003. When Fedor left PRIDE due to a contract dispute and Mirko suffered back to back losses during his absence, it looked as if this championship fight would never happen. When finally announced in August of 2005, this fight became one of the most anticipated bouts in the history of the sport.

Dream fights can be single fights, rematches or trilogies. They can be multi-generational or multi-divisional. The best thing about a dream fight is that it can be anything you want. For the sake of this list of epic dream fights, we will look at fights that could still happen today.

BJ Penn vs Royce Gracie

As one of few current fighters who is a lock for the UFC Hall of Fame, former multi-divisional champion BJ Penn is walking away from the sport. After watching the last four rounds of his MMA career, it's understandable why "The Prodigy" thinks his best days are behind him.

While Penn may not be in peak form these days, there is another jiu-jitsu legend who has been aching for one final fight: Royce Gracie. Ever since last year's trip to Rio, Royce Gracie has been trying to petition Dana White for one final walk around the eight sided cage.

Both men will go down as two of the best submission specialists in MMA history. Both men will go down as the very elite in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. But if this dream fight ever happens, only one man can have his hand raised.

Wanderlei Silva vs Shogun Rua

Were it not for the forged brotherhood between these PRIDE legends, there is no doubt that this fight would have been one of the most watched bouts in MMA history.

Despite an immaculate 12-1 record in PRIDE, Shogun Rua never had the opportunity to compete for the a championship. The reason for that was his close relationship with Middleweight champion Wanderlei Silva. Silva's tenure as champion stretched for longer than five years, and by the time he dropped the belt, the UFC had just started making out the check in order to buy the organization.

Shogun has gone on record to say that the only two men he would never fight are his brothers Murilo and Wanderlei, but as the top middleweights in Pride history, fans have always wondered how a fight would have gone down between the two.

Anderson Silva vs Georges St. Pierre

For years, fight fans have been clamoring for a matchup between longtime champions Anderson Silva and Georges St. Pierre. The fact that Georges is an appropriately sized welterweight, while Anderson is an enormous middleweight never seems to bother fans.

At one point in time, each man had cleaned out his division in it's entirety. Anderson was in a position where rematches with Nate Marquardt or Dan Henderson appeared to be the only options. Likewise, Georges was not facing the competition he needed, instead being relegated to matchups with unworthy opposition like Dan Hardy.

While each man has a division full of fresh challengers these days, there isn't a fight fan alive who wouldn't pay big money to see these two finally get it on.

Vitor Belfort vs Wanderlei Silva II

Finally! A dream match that is coming true!

Nearly 14 years after their initial encounter, Brazilian bad boys Vitor Belfort and Wanderlei Silva will square off one more time.

It's just about time for Wanderlei Silva to ride off into the sunset after losing six of his last nine fights; with four of them coming by way of vicious knockout. The legendary slugger isn't quite ready to hang it up though, as he will try to avenge his first UFC loss this summer.

Similar to his 2011 bout with Chris Leben, fans know exactly what to expect once the cage doors close at UFC 147. Both men carry major power in their hands and a propensity for high-impact knockouts. Needless to say, the ringside officials need to have the smelling salts ready.

This is a dream bout because it promises us an intense fight between two former champions that is all but guaranteed to end in a highlight reel knockout.

Matt Hughes vs Matt Serra II

Two former welterweight champions? The only two men to ever beat Georges St. Pierre? A rematch of a Fight of the Night that still has fans split about who should have won? Two guys who are both ready to retire after one more fight?

Absolutely!

The backstory between Serra and Hughes has been intense, and what better final chapter could be written in the storied careers of either man? 

Anderson Silva vs Jon Jones

Ever since Anderson Silva dipped his toes into the waters of the light-heavyweight division, fans have wondered if he could become the first man to hold two belts simultaneously in the UFC.

Silva turned down a suggested fight with then-champion and teammate Lyoto Machida, but if he makes his way past Chael Sonnen this summer, you'd better believe that MMA fans would love to see this Champion vs Champion encounter.

Silva is a huge middleweight, but Jones is an enormous light-heavyweight. Could Silva find a way to evade Jones' creative striking? Would Silva have an advantage if this bout hit the ground? We can only wonder....unless dreams come true.

Shogun Rua vs Rampage Jackson II

Fans were briefly teased with this bout when Dana White announced that Rampage's final UFC contest would be against former opponent Mauricio Shogun Rua. Since then, Rampage has signed up for a double knee surgery that will keep him out of the cage, and filmed a "comedy" skit that could keep him out of the Octagon for good.

In terms of who is in his division, this is the best farewell fight for a legend like Rampage. Shogun would be willing to keep the bout standing, and even if Jackson were to go out in defeat, at least he would have lost in the kind of fight he wants to be in.

Depending on the timeline for Rampage's return, this fight may never happen, but we can always keep our fingers crossed.

Fedor Emelianenko vs Randy Couture

This fight is one of the most elusive in history. Citing pay issues and the UFC's inability to bring over Fedor Emelianenko, heavyweight champion Randy Couture left the UFC in 2007. 

Since this time, Fedor has fallen from grace and Randy has gone into retirement. That being said, Randy has been out of competition for less than a year, and could potentially be swayed into returning for one final fight. After all, he can't be too pleased about the way his storied career concluded.

Couture vs Fedor is a big money fight that old school fans will drool over despite the hardships that each man has faced. This fight will absolutely never happen, but when we dream about it, we get excited.

Dan Henderson vs Anderson Silva or Jon Jones or Junior Dos Santos

After his recent statement that he would fight Junior dos Santos for the heavyweight championship, there are now three UFC belts for which Henderson could contend.

A rematch with Anderson Silva would send Hendo back down to the middleweight division, but seems unlikely due to Dan's lack of commitment to the division. If he were to win that fight, it's a pretty good bet that he would leave the division immediately afterwards.

A bout with Junior dos Santos seems off the wall, but Henderson holds wins over notable heavyweights Fedor Emelianenko and Gilbert Yvel. With the UFC still weighing their option, the intrigue between a fight we couldn't see otherwise could bring in a killer payday.

Then we come to the light-heavyweight division. With tremendous wrestling credentials, a chin that has never been defeated and a skill set that seems to improve with age, Dan Henderson just may be the only hope that the division has after UFC 145.

No matter who you want to see him fight, the idea of Hendo finally winning UFC gold is a dream come true for many fans.

Nick Diaz vs Georges St. Pierre

OK... so Nick Diaz isn't old enough to be branded an aging fighter, but when the 28 year-old welterweight announced his retirement back in February, the idea of a grudge match with Georges St. Pierre seemed to fall to the wayside.

Hopefully, Diaz will come to his senses and return to the UFC in 2013. You will be hard pressed to find a fan who wouldn't want to see whether or not GSP can keep his composure against his nemesis. An angry GSP does not fight as well as a composed GSP, and Diaz has the tools to beat him in the event that "Rush" gets sloppy.