5 Fights We Hope Never Happen in MMA

Every now and then MMA presents fans with bouts that cause an immediate face-palm reaction.

Whether they are rematches, trilogies or "circus" bouts, there are just some fights that should never happen.

Mariusz Pudzianowski versus former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia is a fine example of a circus bout.

After about 30 seconds of offensive effort, Pudzianowski, a winner of five World's Strongest Man titles, suffered a cardio meltdown that allowed Sylvia to get the upper hand and pound the Polish phenom into submission.

Who could ever forget about the Jose Canseco and Hong Man Choi bout?

The controversial Major League Baseball superstar made it 1:17 into the bout before balling up into the fetal position to avoid any damage.

"Blockbuster" rematches can also make little to no sense.

Former champions Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz were scheduled to duke it out after finishing their coaching duties on The Ultimate Fighter: Season 11.

While both legends have tremendous pay-per-view draws, Liddell had already defeated Ortiz soundly on a couple of occasions. Regardless of how strong the rivalry is, sometimes you just have to let go and move on.

These were just a few examples, but the best are soon to follow.

Here are five fights we hope never happen in MMA.

B.J. Penn vs. Jens Pulver III

The first fight may have been magical for Jens Pulver, but the second was just a two-round spanking.

After losing to Pulver in January 2002, "The Prodigy" B.J. Penn started his climb to becoming one of the greatest fighters in the history of the sport.

The cruel reality was revealed to Pulver in the rematch on The Ultimate Fighter: Season 5 finale. There weren't any back and forth battles this time around as Penn handed down a lopsided beating and finished with a second-round rear naked choke.

If Pulver's career after the loss to Penn went in a different direction, a rubber match would certainly be warranted between the MMA legends. But "Lil' Evil's" career has taken a steep nosedive since that bout.

In his last 12 fights, Pulver's record stands at 4-8.

This is hardly a bout fans find any reason to get pumped up for.

Quinton “Rampage” Jackson vs. Wanderlei Silva IV

A fourth bout between warring adversaries Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and Wanderlei Silva is getting into "Land Before Time" territory.

When is it going to end?

Silva has already dominated Jackson twice in Pride, and Jackson returned the favor at UFC 92. There isn't any need for a rubber match to the rubber match.

Besides, both fighters are in different places right now. While Silva is struggling to stay healthy and crack into the top-10 rankings of the middleweight division, Jackson is a title contender and one of the best light heavyweights in the world.

Royce Gracie vs. Matt Hughes II

As much as Royce Gracie is loved and respected in the sport, his time in the UFC has come and gone.

We are far removed from the days of fighters stepping into the cage with no grappling experience. Regardless of belt color, every fighter on the UFC roster has worked BJJ in some form or another.

Gracie should be thanked for introducing BJJ as a vital aspect in MMA, but the sport has evolved past Gracie's time.

This was shown in Gracie's bout with former welterweight champion Matt Hughes in May 2006. Hughes made the Brazilian icon look like a cake walk, using his superior wrestling to establish top control and unload with punches for a first-round stoppage. He even attempted submissions of his own.

Gracie acknowledged interest in meeting Hughes for a second time in the upcoming UFC 134 card in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, but fortunately for fans, the UFC had other plans.

James Toney vs. Any MMA Fighter

James Toney may be the "most feared man in boxing," but this isn't boxing.

The idea of a professional boxer with no MMA experience crossing over and challenging a UFC Hall of Famer and former world champion is bewildering.

This is exactly what happened when Toney stepped into the octagon and challenged Randy Couture at UFC 118. Luckily, the circus show was short-lived as Couture secured a takedown and submitted the legendary boxer with an arm triangle.

Since the loss, Toney has expressed interest facing former light heavyweight champion Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and MMA legend Ken Shamrock.

"If you don't pay your electric bill, the lights go out."

Unless Toney takes his MMA ventures seriously and stops cross-dressing dolls, there's going to be a lot of fans running around with free electricity in MMA.

Tito Ortiz vs. Ken Shamrock IV: The Final, Final Chapter

It can't get much worst than this.

"The Huntington Beach Bad Boy" Tito Ortiz has thoroughly manhandled Ken Shamrock three times in the octagon.

Sure, the rivalry between the two fighters has given fans a multitude of memorable pre-fight moments. Ortiz erupting into laughter and an enraged Shamrock kicking a chair into the air that barely missed UFC President Dana White was entertaining stuff.

Thankfully, White had some great reflexes.

The point is that MMA fans had never seen so much bad blood between two individuals leading up to the first bout, but the competitive pre-fight talk didn't carry over into the actual fight. Ortiz dominated Shamrock for three rounds before the corner of the Lion's Den founder was forced to throw in the towel.

From a trash talking perspective, this was definitely a rivalry, but when considering actual in-ring ability, Ortiz has always been the superior fighter.