UFC fighters who feuded but never fought × Follow Us Create Notifications New User posted their first comment this is comment text Link Approve Reject & ban Delete Log in Manage your profile Editing Story Queue Video Queue Editing Stats Writer Home SEO Redirection Admin Gaming Wiki Edits Taxonomy Home Edit Site Menu Mapping Dashboard Tag Pages Community Social Feed Queue Feed Center Notification Center Affiliate Home Manage Pages Bottom Tagline Dash Timeless Stories Logout MMA UFC Listicle 5 UFC fighters who feuded but never fought By Ricardo Viagem Modified 30 Aug 2022 Follow Us Comment Share Kamaru Usman and Ben Askren feud Kamaru Usman and Ben Askren In the UFC and, indeed, all of MMA, rivalries arise as natural consequences of the hyper-competitive nature of mixed martial artists scheduled to face each other. These sanctioned bouts are as close to legal street fights as can be organized. Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz make up one of the UFC's all-time great rivalries, although the tension between the two men is fairly tame. Other more heated rivalries include the likes of Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier. The hatred between the two former UFC light heavyweights boiled so hot that a brawl involving the two occurred before the first installment of their two bouts. Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal made up one of the more recent heated rivalries in a friends-turned-enemies scenario. This culminated in Masvidal assaulting Covington outside of a steakhouse after losing a lopsided decision to 'Chaos'. This list, however, covers feuds between fighters who, despite the hatred — be it mutual or otherwise — involved, never actually crossed paths inside the octagon. #5 Anthony Smith and Luke Rockhold Anthony Smith and the freshly retired Luke Rockhold had one of the most bizarre beefs in recent memory as the feud emerged from nowhere. It began when the former UFC middleweight champion criticized Anthony Smith in an interview with Submission Radio. This was after announcing his intention to ply his trade in the UFC light heavyweight division. Rockhold denigrated Smith's skills before describing him as a bum. Lucas Grandsire@GrandsireMMAThis is a weird beef but I’m here for it. Hopefully we get Anthony Smith vs Luke Rockhold before the end of the year #UFC23651This is a weird beef but I’m here for it. Hopefully we get Anthony Smith vs Luke Rockhold before the end of the year #UFC236 https://t.co/gqcnPSmcN1 'Lionheart' did not take kindly to Rockhold's words, ranting about the former world champion being universally disliked by fans, fighters, and even UFC staff members due to his arrogance and haughty behavior. Smith then expressed his desire to fight Rockhold over his remarks, be it inside the octagon or outside of it. The feud continued as Rockhold questioned Smith's mettle as an elite fighter, yet neither man ever faced the other inside the octagon, the feud ending with a whimper. #4 Kamaru Usman and Ben Askren As with the feud between Luke Rockhold and Anthony Smith, the short-lived animosity between Kamaru Usman and Ben Askren was rooted in what one fighter deemed to be disrespect from another. The difference, however, is that Usman and Askren had an actual physical confrontation. This happened due to Askren's insistence on calling Usman by the name his former high school wrestling coach used for him: Marty. It led to a backstage confrontation with Usman and Askren having to be kept apart. FR33DOM 101@FR33D0M101Watch: Kamaru Usman and Ben Askren confrontation backstage at UFC 235 presser dlvr.it/QyB4XvWatch: Kamaru Usman and Ben Askren confrontation backstage at UFC 235 presser dlvr.it/QyB4Xv https://t.co/BPVIla0Epp When both men stepped onto the stage for the UFC 235 pre-fight press conference, they jabbed at each other. Askren mocked Usman's attempts at intimidating a professional fighter who was actively hoping to fight him inside the octagon. On the other hand, 'The Nigerian Nightmare' poked fun at Askren's run in Bellator and ONE FC by congratulating him for finally signing with the UFC and being on stage with his favorite fighters. Despite it all, the two never faced one another in a bout. #3 Merab Dvalishvili and Petr Yan The animosity between Merab Dvalishvili and Petr Yan almost seems one-sided at times, largely due to the Russian's dismissive attitude towards the Georgian. However, Dvalishvili has expressed his dislike for 'No Mercy' numerous times. He has cited the Russian's disrespect towards the reigning UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling, a friend of Dvalishvili's, as the source of his contempt. Stream UFC@StreamUFC1Video: Aljamain Sterling, Merab Dvalishvili have backstage run-in with Petr Yan dlvr.it/SNFQJFVideo: Aljamain Sterling, Merab Dvalishvili have backstage run-in with Petr Yan dlvr.it/SNFQJF https://t.co/Wbu60iGaUV The Georgian claimed that Yan directly addressed him when he threatened to brawl with Sterling at the hotel prior to their bout. Nevertheless, Dvalishvili acknowledged the Russian as a great fighter. That, however, changed when he was asked about his prediction for Yan's upcoming matchup with rising UFC star Sean O'Malley. Merab Dvalishvili dismissed both fighters, claiming both were subpar. He later snuck in another dig by expressing his joy over fighting a legend like former UFC featherweight champion José Aldo as opposed to someone like Yan, whom he described in unflattering terms. Yan, for his part, has largely ignored the Georgian. Though he did mock his fairly uneventful win over Aldo, an opponent who Yan TKO'd in the past. #2 Israel Adesanya and Jon Jones The feud between current UFC middleweight kingpin Israel Adesanya and former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones is a strange one. Initially, the Nigerian drew comparisons to 'Bones' due to the diverse nature of his striking game and the similarities between their physical dimensions as lanky, tall, and rangy out-fighters in their divisions. While Jones initially acknowledged Adesanya's talent, he eventually decided to quell the comparisons with a dig at the Nigerian. UFC on BT Sport@btsportufcJon Jones with a couple thoughts on Israel Adesanya... #UFC27634033Jon Jones with a couple thoughts on Israel Adesanya... #UFC276 https://t.co/TNwpGnSKbH Jones referenced that he'd tasted the same success Adesanya had, only at a much younger age, before warning him to steer clear of his path. From there, a war of words ensued between the two. Adesanya put Jones' quality as a fighter into question by citing an apparent difference in his performances since the introduction of USADA. Jones, meanwhile, continued to criticize Adesanya's greatness relative to his own, while accusing him of ducking him. Never one to back down, Adesanya heightened the animosity by referencing Jones' numerous arrests, drug test failures and legal issues. Both men never fought each other, and with Adesanya's disastrous attempt at light heavyweight success as Jones prepares for his heavyweight debut, the two may not ever meet inside the octagon. #1 Ronda Rousey and Cris Cyborg Ronda Rousey and Cris Cyborg will never fight each other. While Rousey is enjoying her career as a WWE Superstar, Cyborg continues to strengthen her legacy as an all-time great in MMA by defending her featherweight title in Bellator. Despite never having faced each other, both women took part in one of the most heated feuds in recent MMA history. When Rousey introduced herself to the MMA world, the Brazilian great had just failed her infamous 2011 drug test. UPROXX Sports@UPROXXSportsCris Cyborg claims she always knew Ronda Rousey was too scared to fight her #WWE #UFC uproxx.it/g5xnenr4611Cris Cyborg claims she always knew Ronda Rousey was too scared to fight her #WWE #UFC uproxx.it/g5xnenr https://t.co/Gc4OS4ixoT Cyborg's public image would never recover from the scandal. While she honored her suspension from the sport, Rousey rose to prominence as a champion in the same promotion that Cyborg once reigned over: Strikeforce. As Cyborg's suspension neared its end, fan interest in a bout between the two women was palpable. Unfortunately, Cyborg was and remains a featherweight, while Rousey found her home at bantamweight despite having fought at featherweight prior. Cyborg accused 'Rowdy' of ducking her and Rousey retaliated by accusing the Brazilian of continuing to use PEDs. The feud only escalated from there as Rousey referred to Cyborg as an 'it' and even went so far as to claim that Cyborg was a man in one of the most vitriolic statements Rousey has ever made. Poll : 0 votes Quick Links More from Sportskeeda Edited by Akshay Saraswat × Feedback Thank You! Be the first one to comment Follow Us Share Show More Comments GIF Comment in moderation 0 0 Reply x Edit Delete Delete the comment? No thanks Delete GIF Cancel Update GIF Cancel Reply ❮ ❯ GIF Comment in moderation 0 0 Reply x Edit Delete Delete the comment? No thanks Delete GIF Cancel Update GIF Cancel Reply ❮ ❯ Be the first one to comment on this story More from Sportskeeda Fetching more content... 1 Manage your profile Editing Story Queue Video Queue Editing Stats Writer Home SEO Redirection Admin Gaming Wiki Edits Taxonomy Home Edit Site Menu Mapping Dashboard Tag Pages Community Social Feed Queue Feed Center Notification Center Affiliate Home Manage Pages Bottom Tagline Dash Timeless Stories Logout No Results Found Get the free App now Manage notifications Popular ‍ Sports (30+) CricketCricket HomeCricket NewsScheduleIND vs SAAUS vs WIENG vs PAKLegends LeagueECC T10County ChampionshipBukhatir LeagueNZ T20 Tri-SeriesWomen's Asia Cup 2022Japan Cricket LeagueWI-W vs NZ-WECT10T20 World Cup FootballFootball HomeNewslettersSK Experts ScheduleEPLNations LeagueLa LigaLigue 1Champions LeagueFIFA WCMLS Bundesliga Serie A WWEWWE HomeNewslettersRumor RoundupRAWSmackDownResultsRosterChampionsWWE Extreme Rules 2022PPV ScheduleAEW EsportsEsports HomeMinecraftOverwatch 2RobloxGenshin ImpactFortniteGTAStreamersFree FirePUBGValorantBGMIPop CultureAnimeGaming TechWiki Guides TennisTennis HomeTennis calendarChina OpenTennis Results TodayATP RankingsWTA RankingsRoger FedererRafael NadalNovak DjokovicSerena Williams MMAMMA HomeUFC NewsONE ChampionshipUFC Fight NightScheduleRankingsResultsUFC Fights TonightONE Championship ResultsONE Championship ScheduleONE Championship Rankings KabaddiKabaddi HomePKL 2022PKL SchedulePKL Points TableKabaddi Rules WikiWiki HomeMinecraft WikiNaruto WikiTikTok WikiYoutube WikiGTA WikiTerraria WikiOne Piece Wiki MoreSportsBasketballIndian FootballNFLMinecraftFormula 1NascarPop CultureCollege FootballHockeyGolfAthleticsBadmintonGymnasticsWrestlingSwimmingTennisShootingBoxingArcheryWinter SportsRobloxSkateboardingKho KhoLifestyle LINKS About Us Write For Us Policies Editorial Standards Journalism Awards Fact Check Affiliate Program Careers CSR Privacy Policy Contact Us Edition: English हिन्दी