A Valentine’s Day Bromance: Listing the Top Bromances in MMA
Gauging the Top MMA Bromances for Valentines Day
Love is in the air. In honor of Valentine’s Day and our beloved sport of mixed martial arts, it’s time to disrupt the monotony of crushing skulls. Alternatively, we’ll take a glance at one of the most under-analyzed aspects of MMA; the bromance.
Throughout the MMA archives, we’ve observed a substantial dose of tight-knit bonds within our competitors. So much so, that it’s gotten to the point where the athletes would naturally decline to battle each other. That way, their bond would endure a lifetime.
We’ve observed these fighters eat together, train collectively, do interviews synchronically and honor their “bro” in media appearances. Therefore, without further ado, let’s dig into the top bromances in mixed martial arts today.
For simplification, this list has not been assembled in any circumstantial order. So, no… it does not mean that we’ve consciously considered who loves who more. Solely think of the listing as a “We unquestionably presume you guys say ‘I love you man'” to each other often.
MMA & Its Top Bromances
Daniel Cormier & Cain Velasquez
The connection that DC and Cain share are what many people consider “friendship goals.” No matter what they’re doing, they always show up to support each other in regards to upcoming fights.
Both Cormier and Velasquez have trained together for over a decade at the American Kickboxing Academy. But don’t let the name of the gym fool you. Both are not only considered some of the best MMA wrestlers of all time but also are heavily considered as the best to compete in their respective divisions.
During UFC 226, Cormier left the UFC’s light heavyweight division to face Stipe Miocic for the heavyweight title. But, not without Cain’s approbation. In fact, Cain helped DC prepare for the bout that he ultimately won.
Both men have shared on various occurrences that they would never face each other in the octagon under any conditions. Although their wrestling abilities and future Hall of Fame consideration are plausibly just as powerful as their friendship.
Dillon Danis & Conor McGregor
As far as the public eye is concerned, this bromance could very well be one-sided. Whether its Danis fawning over the achievements of Conor McGregor or he’s just appreciative to be apart of the SBG team, Danis makes it transparent where his devotion lies.
Both Dillon and Conor are regularly spotted training hard together. It was back in 2016 during UFC 196 where McGregor elected to bring Danis into his training camp. And, the rest is history.
Ever since that moment, Danis has bestowed his admiration for “The Notorious” one. In fact, UFC legend Michael Bisping has profoundly scrutinized Danis for aspiring to be exactly like Conor.
From dying his hair blonde to wearing silk Versace shirts, Danis has adopted life in a notorious way. And, it’s all thanks to Conor. But, does McGregor reciprocate the friendship publicly?
The verdict is yes. However, McGregor prefers to do it in his own way, on his own time. Instead of glorifying Dillon every second he gets, he concentrates on teaching Danis the techniques that will make him a top tier martial artist like himself. And, with McGregor believing in him, the sky could very well be the limit. Two friends helping each other conquer goals? True love.
Tyron Woodley & Ben Askren
The complete embodiment of a bromance is the connection shared between both Tyron Woodley and Ben Askren. Although Ben made his retirement official from the sport last year, that doesn’t eliminate the candidacy of this pair.
For years, both Woodley and Askren were regarded as the top two welterweight mixed martial artists on the planet. However, they made it clear that they would never fight each other under any circumstances. Respect.
During the buildup to UFC 235, both Woodley and Askren were interviewed together. During the talk, the media asked if the pair would face each other. At the time, Woodley was the UFC welterweight champion while Asken was making his UFC debut. Although Ben wanted to win the fight and climb the rankings, both men agreed that they would never fight.
The bromance between Woodley and Askren dates back to their collegiate days. As college wrestling teammates, the pair have had an extensive amount of time getting to know each other inside and out. And, since UFC President Dana White has taken his fair shots at trashing both men in the media, they’ve stood up for themselves and for each other.
It’s safe to say that through thick and thin, Woodley and Askren will always remain bros. And now that Ben has retired and Woodley is chasing gold once more, Askren will be rooting for Tyron the whole way through.
Nathaniel Wood & Brad Pickett
We’ve marked training partners and flat out besties enter our list. But, this partnership marks the first between a fighter and a coach.
Both Pickett and Wood have quite the bromance. At times, we feel like we have to fight for the loves who we love. Nathaniel Wood is doing just that.
After entering the UFC, Wood’s first priority was to eliminate all opponents who defeated Brad Pickett during his UFC career. He called out Eddie Wineland, Thomas Almeida, Iuri Alcantara, Marlon Vera, and Renan Barao.
If fighting for the honor of your bro isn’t the essence of a bromance, then we’re just not quite sure what is.
Aljamain Sterling, Al Iaquinta & The Serra/Longo Camp
The SerraLongo boys always roll squad deep. However, it always seems like “The Funkmaster” Aljamain Sterling and Al Iaquinta have one of the closest known bonds is all of the camps.
When Raging Al and Aljo attend UFC events together, they go wild. However, when they train together it is all business. Part of a healthy friendship is pushing each other towards a goal. If the goal is shared, it makes for an even closer experience.
Both Iaquinta and Sterling praise each other every second they get. And, they lobby for each other to get title shots as well. From a media standpoint, the guys look to be inseparable.
Always inaugurating the party, Al and Aljo are the ignitors of the environment formulated at their gym. The guys always rag on each other, support each other, and praise each other. True friendship goals.
Embrace the Bromances
Mixed Martial Arts is a very tough sport. Training 24/7 away from family and friends is exhausting. Forming relationships with teammates helps bring back the feeling that a lot of these athletes possessed in their younger days when they were apart of teams during high school or collegiate athletics.
Honesty, dependability, loyalty, protectiveness, and shared interests, are the very fabric of bromances. All of the friendships above possess all of those traits.
Who are some of the bromances that we missed out on? Let us know in the comment section.
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