Friend-on-Friend Violence: 5 Fights the Fighters Refused That Fans Wanted to See

Like all sports, MMA has its own collection of talking points that seem to exist in perpetuity, but arguably the most divisive issue surrounds the teammate vs. teammate debate.

The vast majority of fans would likely come down on the same side on issues such as testosterone replacement therapy, fighter pay, judging, refereeing, etc.

While not as emotional as the aforementioned issues, the teammate vs. teammate debate is truly polarizing.

Some recognize just how counterintuitive it is to fight one’s friends, while others argue that it should be viewed as just another form of competition—with a little traumatic brain injury thrown in.

Whatever your view, there is no doubt that many potentially compelling matchups have fallen by the wayside as a result of the friendships that exist within the sport.

Read on for a rundown of some of the most intriguing fights that, due to friendship, never materialized.

Quinton "Rampage" Jackson vs. Tito Ortiz

Courtesy of FightHub.TV

Please, allow me to explain before you begin formulating your strongly-worded responses.

Back in the early-2000s, “Rampage” Jackson and Tito Ortiz were two of the sport’s biggest stars, operating at the peak of their powers.

Believe it or not, there was a time before the present when the idea of Rampage vs. Tito didn’t feel like a punchline.

Unfortunately, the friendship between the pair prevented the fight from taking place when it was actually relevant to the landscape of the light heavyweight division.

Jackson has in the past claimed that the reason he remained in Pride, rather than pursuing his career in the U.S., was because he had no interest in facing Ortiz.

With that in mind, the pair’s decision to fight for Bellator is more puzzling than ever. Why finally agree to compete when the stakes are at an all-time low?

Of course, the fight didn’t end up happening. Thank heavens for small mercies.

The idea of me writing the previous line would have been unthinkable a decade ago.

Josh Koscheck vs. Jon Fitch

Courtesy of MMAJunkie.com

With both men past their prime, Josh Koscheck and Jon Fitch no longer have to worry about the fans or Dana White pressuring them into beating seven shades of fecal matter out of each other.

But for a while there, from 2008-2011, the AKA teammates couldn’t escape talk of an eventual showdown.

The more they won, the more pressure the UFC applied. However, the pair remained steadfast in their refusal to ever meet inside the cage.

Personally, I never fully understood why Koscheck was so adamant that he would never fight Fitch. The perception is that the TUF Season One veteran is one of the most self-serving individuals in the sport.

Right or wrong, his actions over the years haven’t painted him as being unbendingly loyal, particularly when there’s money to be made.

Given that both men are seemingly living on borrowed time in the sport, it would be interesting to find out whether their views have changed in light of their circumstances.

But with Fitch now competing for World Series of Fighting, it’s doubtful we’ll ever find out.

Anderson Silva vs. Lyoto Machida

Courtesy of ESPN.com

With Anderson Silva and Lyoto Machida competing in separate weight classes for the majority of their UFC careers, the idea of matching up the former champions never seemed realistic.

Sure, “The Spider” occasionally competed at 205 pounds and Machida has always been a small light heavyweight, but the fact that they generally plied their trade in different divisions meant that a fight between the pair wasn’t an eventuality.

That didn’t stop us from wanting to see it, though.

When the two Brazilian’s ruled their respective divisions in mid-2009, the thought of them meeting inside the Octagon was every bit as compelling as the current crop of fantasy fights on every fan’s wishlist.

And now that “The Dragon” has dropped down to middleweight, talk of an eventual fight between the long-time friends has been revived.

Unfortunately, both men have been quick to dash our hopes. Silva made it clear recently that the fight will never happen under any circumstances:

"

I've already said it and I'll say it again, Lyoto and myself, we are brothers, Lyoto and myself. ‘Jacare' and myself, we are friends, camp friends. We have a code of honor amongst ourselves, which is we don't fight against ourselves regardless of wins or losses, or money, fame or not. I would give up fighting if necessary if I had to fight against Lyoto.

"

Machida didn’t hesitate to support The Spider’s stance, claiming that he would retire if both the middleweight and light heavyweight titles were held by his friends:

"

If that happens, I retire. (Silva) told me he would not fight me for anything because we are like brothers. Anderson told me that he has no other goals, but let’s see how things will go.

"

So that’s a maybe, then?

Georges St-Pierre vs. Rory MacDonald

It’s fair to say that the Tristar teammates haven’t had the best of weeks.

While Rory MacDonald suffered a significant career setback at UFC 167, Georges St-Pierre is not only dealing with the fact that the vast majority of the MMA community thinks he lost to Johny Hendricks, but also the never-ending speculation about his private life.

Currently, it’s unclear whether the longtime UFC welterweight king will even compete again.

Up until UFC 167, the pair seemed to be on a collision course. Indeed, MacDonald was considered the heir apparent.

But like Josh Koscheck and Jon Fitch, they repeatedly insisted that they would never fight (see the video above).

Dana White remained optimistic, arguing that MacDonald would take the fight under the right circumstances. Given his cold and calculated demeanor, one would be foolish to rule out the possibility.

Given the current state of affairs, chances are we’ll never find out.

Cain Velasquez vs. Daniel Cormier

Andrew Richardson-USA TODAY Spor

For a while, a fight between Cain Velasquez and Daniel Cormier didn’t seem so far-fetched.

Neither man had ruled out the possibility entirely, dealing with the question by stating that they would cross that bridge when they came to it.

What changed? The pair went from being noncommittal on the issue to steadfastly refusing to ever meet inside the cage.

Cormier is so committed to not fighting his friend that he is in the process of dropping down to light heavyweight in order to render the subject moot.

The former Olympian’s more natural weight class might be 205 pounds, but making the weight is still a significant commitment, particularly when one considers his health issues in 2008.

That being said, let’s end on a positive note.

Both men still have quite a few years left at the top. Unlike the other entries on this list, I hold out some hope that Velasquez and Cormier will eventually compete for the heavyweight title.

It might not happen any time soon, but let’s see how the heavyweight landscape looks in 2015. After all, things can change quickly in this sport.