Sometimes MMA rivalries get so intense that they cannot be confined to a cage.
There is a lot at risk for a pro MMA fighter if they get into a physical fight outside of competition. The courts tend to go a little harder on guys with a pro fighting background if they injure someone in a street fight. Getting into a brawl is also a great way to get yourself fired from whatever organization you are competing in as well.
Here are the 8 Times that an MMA rivalry turned into a street fight…
8. Wanderlei Silva and Krazy Horse – Pride Shockwave 2005/Rizin FC
Wanderlei Silva and Charles “Krazy Horse” Bennett have been involved in this rivalry now for 11 years.
At Pride Shockwave 2005, Bennett was involved in a fight backstage with Silva’s Chute Box teammate. Video taken backstage captures Bennett being choked out by Cristiano Marcello, but Bennett would later claim that he knocked out Wanderlei during the melee. Bennett’s claims had been confirmed by some who were backstage at the event, but without video evidence some doubts still remain as to what exactly happened.
Bennett and Silva are both now competing for Rizin FC, and have now had multiple backstage incidents with each other. In September, Bennett won his Rizin debut and then called out Wanderlei afterwards. Perhaps one day Rizin will finally put these two in a ring together.
