Tired of all the beef? Check out our list of famous octagon friends, frenemies and bromances
- from MMA Junkie on May 13, 2017
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Far be it from us to deny the value of some pre-fight banter, the age-old beef or even the unmistakeable expletive-filled callout. But in a sport in which shade is so easily thrown, it’s refreshing to see some people just being … nice. Even when that results in bad art, broken hands or, you know, near-fatal shootings.
Junior Dos Santos and Stipe Miocic
In 2014, UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic (16-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC) and ex-champ Junior Dos Santos (18-4 MMA, 12-3 UFC) were locked inside a cage looking to – make no mistake – inflict some damage upon each other.
December 13, 2014; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Junior Dos Santos (right) against Stipe Miocic during UFC Fight Night at US Airways Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
And so they did – for five rounds, no less. Dos Santos proved to be more successful in the task then but, as the lead-up to their UFC 211 rematch showed, Miocic didn’t hold a grudge. Instead of throwing shade – or shoes, or water bottles – at each other, we saw them dancing, showing off their guns, and even putting their artistic chops to the test.
At the end of the whole thing, Dos Santos re-posted a message from Miocic’s wife (the same one that Miocic keeps talking about in the most disgustingly adorable way all the time), adding a message of his own. If there’s anything this process proved is that, while there’s value to some good old trash-talking, it’s nice to see two 240-pound dudes just being super chill together.
A post shared by Paige B (@paige_ufc) on
And that maybe they should just stick to the fighting – and firefighting – for the time being.
Chael Sonnen and Yushin Okami
Remember that one time your friend was returning home from training and your mom almost shot him? No? Well, that’s probably because this is not really a thing that happens in the lives of us regular folk. But it happened to former UFC middleweight title challengers Yushin Okami (32-10) and Chael Sonnen (29-14-1 MMA, 0-1 BMMA), who started sporadically training together after a UFC 104 octagon encounter won by Sonnen.
Long story short: Okami used to crash at Claudia Sonnen’s when he was training in Oregon. One fateful night, however, he wasn’t expected at home. The alarm went off. Claudia was rattled. She tried fleeing through her window. Something got in the way. She fell. Naturally, she picked up a shotgun. It’s relevant to note that Claudia, who narrated the incident in her own words, is so good at the shooting stuff thing she’s even won prizes.
Thankfully, Okami got a chance to explain himself before things got real grim. And, instead of lamenting what could have certainly been one of MMA’s most tragic tales, we can all laugh at it like the very questionable people that we are.
Pat Barry and Mirko “Cro Cop”
It’s safe to assume that landing on the unfortunate end of a rear-naked choke wasn’t exactly how Pat Barry (8-7) planned his scrap with Mirko Filipovic (33-11-2) in June of 2010 to go. And, you know, the subsequent broken right hand and injured foot probably weren’t ideal either. But Barry left that cage with something (arguably) more valuable (if you’re that type of person): a friend.
If anyone had any doubts about Barry’s admiration for “Cro Cop” (disclaimer: no one had any doubts of Barry’s admiration for “Cro Cop”), the high-fiving, hugging and smiling throughout the scrap made it extra clear. Barry was – albeit violently – meeting an idol.
Once you get over the physical damage inflicted upon you part, one can only imagine how it must feel to have your hero hit you up to go train with him in a different country. And then to sing “California Dreaming” together? How has Hollywood not picked this up yet?
If anything, Barry has proven that dreams do come true … and that I should totally keep on emailing Beyoncé until she signs that bout agreement.
Chris Weidman and Gian Villante
Interviewing Gian Villante (16-8 MMA, 5-5 UFC) can be quite the experience if 
you catch him on an inspired day. That was certainly the case a few weeks ago, when he took a break from fanboying all over UFC Fight Night 106 opponent Mauricio Rua to share the grand tale of the prank that never was, featuring himself, former UFC champion and longtime buddy Chris Weidman (13-3 MMA, 9-3 UFC) and, naturally, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency.
After his bronchitis medication showed up in a test, Villante was contacted by USADA. What could have been a tense interaction for the average human being took a turn when the perhaps-not-so-average Villante decided to hang up on the agent’s face. The reason? He assumed that was Weidman going to the lengths of obtaining a random phone number just to bust his chops. The whole thing was eventually cleared out, but just the fact that this seemed like the most logical conclusion for Villante makes us curious about the type of stories that these two AREN’T sharing.
A post shared by Gian Villante (@gpvillante) on
Tyron Woodley and Sage Northcutt
Since conquering the UFC’s welterweight crown, Tyron Woodley (17-3-1 MMA, 7-2-1 UFC) hasn’t shied away from difficult conversations, using the spotlight to air grievances about the way he’s been treated and to draw attention to issues such as systemic racism. Being outspoken, however, has its downsides, and Woodley soon saw his relationship with fans and UFC boss Dana White get turbulent.
On the far, far, faaaaaaar end of the spectrum is Sage 
Northcutt (8-2 MMA, 3-2 UFC), a bubbly, happy-go-lucky, spiky-haired company man who hasn’t uttered a harsh word toward the UFC or, basically, anyone else. Like, ever. That upbeat attitude didn’t stop Northcutt from becoming the target of a lot of his colleagues – most of which were unhappy with the promotion’s star treatment of someone who was, essentially, just coming in.
Woodley, on the other hand, took to publicly defending the karate specialist after bringing him to train for Stephen Thompson’s striking style. While Woodley admitted to some initial iffiness, the two seemed to hit it off, and Woodley would go on to be given one the highest of Northcutt-ian honors: he was called “awesome.”
The tradeoff proved fruitftul on multiple fronts: Woodley got to keep his 170-pound belt against Thompson, Northcutt learned a killer spicy chicken recipe, and we got to witness this beautifully odd friendship blossom right in front of our phone screens.
Recharging with Labrada after training with the champ
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Holly Holm and Michelle Waterson
Former UFC bantamweight champion Holly Holm (10-3 MMA, 3-3 UFC) and UFC strawweight Michelle Waterson (14-4 MMA, 2-0 UFC) have become media darlings due to a rare combination: killer striking inside the cage and overwhelming charisma outside of it. The two also happen to be friends, training partners and big public supporters of each other.
A post shared by Michelle Waterson (@karatehottiemma) on
Whether it’s giving full interviews together, sharing knowledge in the mats or giving us adorable social media moments, these two are a wonderful example of two badass women building in each other up in a world where people seem to thrive off of pitting leading female competitors against one another.
Jon Jones and Rashad Evans
Ex-UFC champions Jon Jones (22-1 MMA, 16-1 UFC) and Rashad 
Evans (19-6-1 MMA, 14-6-1 UFC) were sparring partners, teammates and friends once. The relationship that started eroding after Jones won the light heavyweight title, however, reached an all-time-low when the two shared an octagon at UFC 145. In the years following Jones’ convincing decision win, the two gradually got back on speaking terms, both sporadically lamenting the unfortunate turn that things had taken.
With Jones involved in a series of other messes, the beef with Evans became a somewhat forgotten matter until the two appeared all buddy-buddy during UFC 210, in a sight that three years ago would have seemed absolutely unimaginable. It seems that, for now, these two have patched things up, but they will forever be our favorite MMA frenemies.
John Dodson and Andrei Arlovski
Do you know the scientific reason why odd-looking pairings have historically been a go-to for comedic fodder? Neither do we, but we do know one thing: It’s damn hilarious. So it’s no wonder that the social media evidence of the friendship between 6-foot-4 heavyweight Andrei Arlovski(25-14 MMA, 14-8 UFC) and 5-3 flyweight John Dodson (19-8 MMA, 8-3 UFC) amounts to pure gold.
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Not only do they look funny together – seriously, just look at them – they are not afraid to look ridiculous. The best part? While we’re sometimes weary of getting too attached to MMA bonds in fears of future matchups coming in between, it’s pretty safe to say that’s not going to be a problem here.
Cain Velasquez and Daniel Cormier
In spite of the size disadvantage compared to his peers, Daniel Cormier (14-2 MMA, 12-2 UFC) had a lot of success in his early heavyweight days. And, never one to hide his love for fried, sugary, maybe coronary-inducing treats, he was absolutely fine that way.
But as he climbed into the UFC rankings, talks of a possible conflict with then-heavyweight kingpin and American Kickboxing Academy teammate Cain Velasquez (14-2 MMA, 12-2 UFC) became inevitable. Cormier, however, was clear: He would never fight his friend, even if it meant switching weight divisions.
While his growing family was also motivation behind Cormier’s pursuit of a healthier lifestyle at 205, Velasquez was certainly one one of the factors that first got the conversation going. While the move clearly panned out, as evidenced by that shiny belt that Cormier now holds, reducing one’s intake of Popeye’s Chicken is certainly the mark of a true bond.
Big Nog and basically everyone else
Seriously, though. We dare you to find a single fighter who has a problem with Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.
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For more on the UFC’s upcoming schedule, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.
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