25 MMA Fights Fans Want to See, but Will Never Happen

With so many fighters in the UFC, it's kind of hard to make every match fans want to see. Organizations like Bellator and Strikeforce add to the permutations. Injuries, aging, weight-class jumping and ever-shifting title pictures further cloud the waters. 

It stands to reason, then, that there are simply some matchups that, tantalizing though they may be, will simply never happen. Here are the 25 most salient examples.

By and large, this list sticks to active fighters (so no Chuck Liddell vs. Jon Jones), fights that have never happened (so no Penn-St-Pierre III) and matchups in the same weight class or where a plausibly addressed discrepancy exists (so no Jose Aldo vs. Brock Lesnar). In other words, we're dealing with the real world as it stands right here, right now.

(Photo credit: URdirt)

25. Demian Maia vs. Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza

Souza, until recently the Strikeforce middleweight champion, might be MMA's best jiu-jitsu practitioner at 185. Except, of course, for Maia.

But it doesn't look like a move to the Octagon is in the cards for Jacare.

24. Paulo "Giant" Silva vs. Hong Man Choi

Why did these two carnival-sideshow heavyweights never square off? Now, with Silva apparently out of the sport and Hong on extended hiatus, it very well may be that the window has closed forever. And you know what? That makes the world a little darker. A little dimmer.

I think Hong, a legitimate kickboxer, would have toyed with the Giant. But in a matchup like this, analysis feels kind of superfluous.

23. Matt Hughes vs. Rory MacDonald

It would really be something to watch the living welterweight legend tangle with the division's future.

But the 38-year-old Hughes, a loser of two straight, now sits on a self-imposed "shelf," and appears to have very few, if any, fights remaining in his career.

22. Anderson Silva vs. Quinton "Rampage" Jackson

This one might be more plausible if Silva seemed more motivated to take fights at 205, or if their average age wasn't 34.5.

21. Kimbo Slice vs. Any Serious Heavyweight

Admit it...you wanted to see this.

If Slice had accrued just one or two more wins, or just a little bit more acumen on the ground, it could have happened. Imagine Kimbo Slice staring across the Octagon at Shane Carwin. You wouldn't pay to watch that?

Alas...

20. Melvin Manhoef vs. Lyoto Machida

If you look up "live by the sword, die by the sword" in whatever kind of reference guide it is that has definitions for phrases, there's a picture of Melvin Manhoef. All but one of his 24 wins have come by T/KO, while all nine of his losses came by stoppage (three by KO).

Now take go-for-broke Manhoef and pit him against a defensive-minded standup artist (with a questionable chin) in Machida, and you've got a fascinating convergence of styles.

For it to become reality, though, Manhoef would have to change promotions and move up to light heavyweight, where he hasn't competed in more than two years.

19. Shinya Aoki vs. Nick Diaz

Two of MMA's crustiest dudes would combine to put on one heck of a display of poor anger management.

And that's a good thing, given Diaz's frenetic boxing (six of the wins in his running 11-fight unbeaten streak came by TKO) and Aoki's frenetic submission grappling (currently on a 6-0 streak, with four of those wins coming by first-round tapout).

Too bad that apparent Diaz fan Aoki (who would have to move back up to welterweight for this one) is mainly competing these days in the DREAM promotion, literally a world away from Diaz and UFC headquarters.

(Photo credit: Cage Potato)

18. Dana White vs. Tito Ortiz

Yes, I know White was never an actual, you know, fighter. Nevertheless, plenty of people would have paid good money to watch this go down when the White-Ortiz feud was in its heyday.

17. Robbie Lawler vs. Chris Leben

It might only last 30 seconds, but two of the brawlingest brawlers in the modern history of MMA (much less the current middleweight ranks) would surely put on a show to remember. Dana White would have to invent new fight bonuses just to do it justice.

Sadly, however, the UFC's Leben, 31, and Strikeforce's Lawler, 29, each seem fairly ensconced in their respective promotions. And neither man is getting any younger.

16. Christiane "Cyborg" Santos vs. Any Man

I'm hoping this one doesn't need much explanation. It'd be cool to watch, though. Don't be so quick to count out the Cyborg.

15. Roger Gracie vs. Demian Maia

These two crossed swords once before, at the Brazilian jiu-jitsu championships in 2002. Gracie got the better of that encounter.

To repeat the engagement for MMA audiences, Maia would need to move up to light heavyweight or accept the fight at a catchweight. But I believe it would be compelling to watch Gracie, the newest fighter from jiu-jitsu's oldest garde, take on a modern-day BJJ warrior in Maia.

Gracie, though, is under contract with Strikeforce, and after losing to Mo Lawal by knockout in his last fight, a move to the UFC doesn't appear to be in the offing.

14. Shinya Aoki vs. B.J. Penn

Unlikely not only because of Aoki's aforementioned involvement with DREAM, but also because Penn seems to be retired (right?). But the fight has been bandied about before and could have been a monstrous jiu-jitsu chess match, had the ship not already sailed.

13. Brock Lesnar vs. Cole Konrad

Former UFC heavyweight champ Lesnar (5-2, far right in the photo) and current Bellator heavyweight titlist Konrad (8-0, far left in the photo) both won national championships while wrestling for the University of Minnesota. They are also training partners.

Given their personal closeness and professional distance, a Lesnar-Konrad rumble seems unlikely. It's a pity, though. This could be an outstanding wrestling war.

12. Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto vs. Dominick Cruz

In his native Japan, Kid was known as a fierce knockout artist. Before joining the UFC earlier this year, Yamamoto, never lacking for confidence, stated that he could "take out" bantamweight champion Cruz.

Things have changed. Yamamoto hasn't won in two tries in the Octagon. A meeting with Cruz, an equally talented but somewhat more, ah, deliberate fighter, once seemed all but inevitable. These days, it seems like a dim prospect at best.

(Photo credit: MMA Bay)

11. Lyoto Machida vs. Anderson Silva

Unquestionably an intriguing and reasonable matchup on paper should Silva take another fight at light heavyweight. But the two close friends icksnayed the idea long ago.

(Photo credit: Marcelo Alonso/Sherdog)

10. Josh Barnett vs. Brock Lesnar

Barnett is arguably the best pure grappler in the history of the heavyweight class. Lesnar is a bit of a decorated wrestler, and not a bad athlete to boot.

Barnett is currently waiting to compete in the final bout of the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix, and after that, his unsavory history with the UFC (he was stripped of his heavyweight belt in 2002 after testing positive for steroids, and hasn't fought in the Octagon since) may prevent a migration to MMA's major league.

9. Sergei Kharitonov vs. Junior Dos Santos

Two of the best heavyweight boxers in MMA history probably will never square off, given Kharitonov's commitment to Strikeforce. Even if he did reach the UFC, Kharitonov, 31, would face a very steep climb to get to El Cigano.

(Photo credit: Strikeforce.com)

8. Shogun Rua vs. Wanderlei Silva

These two fast friends are each fresh off impressive performances at UFC 139—Silva in a win over Cung Le, Rua in a five-round decision loss to Dan Henderson.

But I believe both men would have to either go way up or way down their respective division rankings before this took place. Not to mention the fact that Wanderlei would have to move back up to 205 or that the two would have to temporarily put their personal relationship aside.

(Photo credit: URDirt.com)

7. Rory MacDonald vs. Georges St-Pierre

The greatest fighter and biggest up-and-comer in the welterweight universe (and maybe all of MMA) happen to train together in Montreal. And while they do not seem overly excited by the idea of fighting each other, they have not explicitly said they wouldn't do it, either.

Nevertheless, something in my gut tells me the UFC would view this matchup as a needless sacrificing of at least one of its most precious pieces of human capital. Especially considering that Canada is the world's most rabid MMA fan market. It would be like forcing Wayne Gretzky to fight Sidney Crosby.

6. Anderson Silva vs. Hector Lombard

Some people might think I'm crazy, but I believe the chiseled Cuban middleweight has as good a chance as anyone of ending Silva's title reign.

But despite his penchant for dishing out highlight-reel punishment—a skill that has kept him out of the loss column for more than five years now—the UFC simply does not seem interested in bringing him under their tent. It's not like Lombard is sneaking up on people; the guy is 33 and currently holds middleweight titles in three different promotions, including Bellator.

Why, Zuffa? Why the Lombard freeze-out? Unless fans can get some satisfaction, this will be one of the more frustrating entries on the list.

5. Frankie Edgar vs. Eddie Alvarez

Current UFC beltholder Edgar and recently dethroned Bellator champ Alvarez are buds and training partners. They are also two of the sport's best lightweights. Both are well-rounded, with terrific boxing skills and guts to burn.

Though Alvarez has said they would be willing (if not exactly eager) to fight each other, Alvarez has previously expressed ambivalence over joining the UFC. And losing the belt to Michael Chandler at Bellator 58 probably makes him a lower-priority signing target for the various powers that be. Sadly, there seem to be lot of roadblocks on the way to what could be an epic collision at 155.

4. Anderson Silva vs. Jon Jones

Anderson Silva is 36 now. A long-term jump 20 pounds up to the next weight class—and I believe that—to get to Jones, Silva would have to win a couple first; that no longer seems in the cards. Especially considering that many observers believe Jones' true permanent home is at heavyweight.

3. Fedor Emelianenko vs. Any UFC Heavyweight

It wasn't long ago that Fedor-versus-fill-in-the-blank was always the biggest fight going. What if Fedor's management and the UFC had been able to broker a deal just three years ago?  Fedor-Couture. Fedor-Liddell. Fedor-Lesnar. The list goes on.

Sometimes, it feels more long ago than it really was.

2. Wanderlei Silva vs. Anderson Silva

Though their relationship has improved lately, there is certainly a history of friction between these two Brazilian legends. Either way, a standup battle pitting Wanderlei's machete against Anderson's surgical scalpel would be a scrap for the ages.

Unfortunately, though, it seems the ship has sailed on this one. If, back in 2009, Wanderlei had defeated Rich Franklin (who trained with Anderson for that fight), that might have added a little steam to the Silva Superfight rumor machine. But with Wandy now in the sunset of his career (sorry, it's true) and The Spider out playing World War III in the streets with Chael Sonnen, this one no longer seems like a strong possibility.

(Photo credit: MMAConvert)

1. Georges St-Pierre vs. Anderson Silva

The Mayweather-Pacquiao of MMA always seems just a little out of reach. Whether it's Silva's public career vacillations or St-Pierre's tough (if not unreasonable) criteria for moving up to middleweight, it seems the distance between these two, and a fight agreement grows larger by the month.