20 Fighters You Would Love to Have a Few Beers with

There are some seriously infectious personalities in this sport. Not every professional fighter is a charming sweetheart of a brute, but there are plenty who harbor quality personalities and generally endearing traits.

For every guy who carries a nasty attitude around with him, there’s a handful that are just warm, approachable guys: guys with witticisms to tell, stories to share and legit laughs to juggle. Not every man who engages in physical and mental combat is a bully with an antagonist’s mindset.

And thank God for those kinds of favors. MMA is a savage sport. That doesn’t mean the men who opt to pursue this journey in life are bad guys. They’re athletes out to make a name for themselves, a check for the family, and enjoy what they do in the process.

Mixed martial arts happens to be an admirable sport, and there are some awesome competitors in the game today. Some, in fact, seem so awesome that little one-on-one beer drinking time seems an ideal setup for a damn fine evening.

Pat Barry

Everything about this guy is pure entertainment. He’s easygoing, tough as nails, but not eager to force feed that fact down your throat. His sense of humor likely surpasses the tolerance and jokes stuffed in the funniest of men in the business.

Personable at all times, if there’s anyone I’d love to have a beer with, it’s Pat “HD” Barry. This guy just screams fun!

Matt Brown

Matt Brown is not a guy you’d likely want to get completely annihilated with. He’s a friendly but edgy dude, and one false move while highly intoxicated just might lead to a violent affair. And we all know who’s likely to emerge victorious in that kind of tussle.

That said, this is a good old boy who’s faced hardships, overcome them and maintained a level-headed sense about himself.

Keep the drink limit at three, and I’d bet Matt would enjoy reciting tales of victorious battles, in which he was expected lose, obstacles overcome and the dangers that come with messing with his dip. Just imagine the kind of stories “The Immortal” has.

Randy Couture

Been there, done that, seen that, felt that. Toss Randy a scenario he hasn’t encountered and you’ve defied conversational odds. Randy’s been around the block too many time to count, and I’m certain he’s got plenty to speak on.

A mellow, truly low-key guy garners and gives respect where it’s due. Randy would make for one find drinking buddy.

Hell, I’d love to ask him how he managed to push himself to the physical edge deep into his 40’s. That’s one unbelievable accomplishment.

Chuck Liddell

Chuck’s partying days are well-documented. According to photographic evidence, this man knows how to have a really good time.

If I can surround myself with obnoxious amounts of fine liquor and a slew of stunning, scantily-clad women, I’m not going to protest. That sounds like a few dreams I’ve had.

Not only was he one of the greatest light heavyweight competitors of all-time, he’s also one of the masterful partygoers that just about anyone would give a limb to party with. Beers? Bring em on! Women…yeah, definitely bring them on as well!

Ben Rothwell

Ever seen After the Catch? You know, the show that immediately succeeds Deadliest Catch, where a bunch of commercial fishermen all sit around a table, get (oft-times) noticeably intoxicated and share tales of tough times? That’s exactly the kind of guy I see in Rothwell.

I’ll sit around a table and soak up glory tales all night long. This looks like a dude who could not only drink you under the table, but bring you right back down to reality. Fun or not, the tough life is just that: the tough life.

Let me hear about it.

Dan Henderson

“Hendo” is a dude who looks like he’d happily beat up any a-hole at the bar. He’s grizzled, lacks a noteworthy sense of humor, yet he’s approachable. He simply shoots it straight, always.

I’m a fan of honest fighters. Dan’s a bad mofo, and he’ll openly admit that to you. He’ll also admit that he’s not the baddest man on the planet, and that humble undertone counters his outward confidence wonderfully.

Having a few cold ones with this man could prove to be highly informative. I’d listen to what the man had to say; that’s for sure.

Quinton Jackson

Expect to have your attire derided, your physique poked fun at and your experience and professionalism called into question when chilling with “Rampage”. However, expect and anticipate it for what it is: good fun and easygoing laughs.

Rampage is a wise-ass through and through, but he’s an endearing wise-ass. The guy’s funny, and he’s enjoyable to be around, because behind the disparaging comments, he really does care.

Rampage upholds a polarizing outward demeanor, but he’s a good guy, and I’d love to order a few pitchers with this beast!

Chael Sonnen

I’m not even sure if Chael drinks beer. But imagine how glorious it would be to share a pitcher with this guy. He’s loaded with enough punch lines to put decent comedians out of business, and he’s actually a really charming character away from the cage.

Chael’s actually a nice guy, and I think the chance to juggle conversation with this guy over a couple cold ones could not only lead to a memorable experience, but a few noteworthy one-liners to boot.

You know this guy has something interesting to say about Anderson Silva. You just know it!

Alan Belcher

“The Talent” is one of coolest cats you’ll meet on the UFC roster. He treats fans as his equal, and he’s got a mischievous side to him, which ensures he’s good for some solid entertainment.

Belcher is on the cusp of middleweight greatness, and a one-on-one booze-fest with this fellow really echoes the idea of hilarious conversation and actual comfort in the presence of a true bad ass.

You’d have to be a fool to pass up the chance to quench your alcoholic thirst with this polarizing figure.

Johny Hendricks

Rugged, seemingly mean at heart, with a beard to envy all the way to the afterlife, Johny seems like the perfect drinking buddy. There’s little doubt that this man puts a few cold ones back from time to time, and personally, I’d love to bounce some thoughts off the man in a drunken stupor.

I could only hope to avoid saying something offensive. The last thing I want to do is find myself flying across the bar, victim to those hellacious hooks.

B.J. Penn

Maybe it’d be better to just load a nice fat hookah bowl with this gentleman (I’m not saying he smokes marijuana…I'm just saying anything's possible), but I’d take a beer as substitute, no doubt.

This guy has fought everyone from Jens Pulver to Georges St-Pierre to Lyoto Machida. If a guy this experienced doesn’t have an outlandish tale or two to tell, I just don’t know who does.

Ten bucks says I drink “The Prodigy” under the table. (Feel free to insert an emoticon of your selection here.)

Clay Guida

Everything about Clay Guida screams fierce beer drinker. From the wild lion-like hair to the frenetic, always-on-the-move pace he brings to this cage… this guy seems like he invented the art of consuming brewskies.

Life in that van/trailer he likes to occupy might just see a spark of excitement if you can lure him to the local pub. Hell, I think his mane could consume more than your average man as it is.

“The Carpenter” always seems like a genuinely fun guy, and I can’t for a moment imagine that changing if you put a nice tall, frosty mug of amber ale in his hands. Guida looks like he was born to drink beer, and if I had to bet, I’d bet he has a penchant for such practices!

Donald Cerrone

I’m not a cowboy, but I’ve known a few in my day. One thing I can say about these gentlemen is that they absolutely cherish their cold beers. Bud, Coors, Miller, whatever it may be, cowboys love to drink with a gluttonous drive.

It’s hard to imagine Cerrone veering from that pattern. This looks like a guy who can put them back with ease, and given his affinity for brutal violence, it’s probably safe to bet on a barroom brawl and a lesson in true toughness from Cerrone.

Joe Lauzon

I doubt Joe has ever consumed more than a six-pack in one sitting in his life. That’s exactly what makes him an endearing figure, and the ideal guy to slam a few cold ones with.

You know your buddy who drinks about once every three years? That’s probably Joe Lauzon. Those guys, however, have a tendency to become the life of the party, and whether they’re making a complete fool of themselves or bringing palpable life to a party, they’re always a blast!

Let's do it, Joe; let's see what "Creepy" looks like once the social awkwardness has been shed!

Cub Swanson

I wouldn’t want to piss Swanson off at the bar. This guy’s got a great future in front of him, but he also looks as mean as a pitbull. Say the wrong thing, and you might get punched in the face.

However, Cub looks like a maturing individual who just might make for a fine drinking buddy. He’s certainly got that “I don’t give a damn” aura about him, and those are the kind of guys that typically lend excitement to a night at the bar.

Urijah Faber

What’s more California than surfing and drinking beers? Every time Faber makes his way to the cage or surfaces in a training or promotional video, that’s the first thing to spring to mind.

California guys are crazy, but they’re awfully fun to cause trouble with.

Faber’s been in a tussle or two while conversing publicly, but he looks like a fun guy right down to the bone.

I’d have to refrain from making height jokes, but make no mistake, it would most certainly be an entertaining encounter: journalist, professional fighter, bar, drinks and (likely) loads of women. I just don’t see how you lose in that proposition.

Brad Pickett

Pickett seems like a true blue-collar guy. And what’s more blue collar than blowing off a little steam at the local pub after a long hard day of work? Nothing.

Pickett could probably drink nine of 10 heavyweights under the table, and given his tendency to take on a rowdy demeanor away from the cage, I’d love to see that monster emerge while sitting on a bar stool.

Dan Hardy

If there’s anyone I can see in today’s MMA landscape really looking to wreak havoc at a public establishment, it’s Dan Hardy. The contradictory point of that comes in the fact that he seems genuinely respectful.

All the same, if I’m heading out to grab some beverages with “The Outlaw," I expect him to live up to his name and produce an evening worth of fireworks!

Wanderlei Silva

To be honest, I’m not even sure if “The Axe Murderer” drinks. But imagine he does, and imagine the fun that might ensure after two too many!

Silva may have earned his nickname by decapitating foes inside the ring/cage, but with time, he’s become a really warm, charming fellow that seems remarkably easy to get along with. He’s the kind of guy fans really want to meet.

That noted, I have no problem seeing Wanderlei donning goofy attire accessories for fan pictures and offering a few hugs to anxious fans. That’s just the kind of guy he is…and you know that would make for a hell of a lot of fun!

Chris Leben

Who shows up to consume beverages with you? The well-spoken low-key “Crippler," or the self-destructive two liter abusing “Crippler?" I suppose that’s the greatest question to contemplate here.

When Leben acts as though he’s sane, he’s a really, really cool dude. When he flies off the deep end, he’s profoundly unpredictable, a loose cannon in every sense of the term. The wild thing is, you just never know what you get.

Assuming the down-to-earth Leben shows up, I see nothing but hearty laughs and good times around the table. Let the brew flow; this one could be unbelievably thrilling!

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