It’s fight time — and this one will be good.
In the latest edition of Bellator MMA, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson gets matched up against Tito Ortiz, two fighters who have dominated the MMA landscape for years, but, surprisingly enough, they’ve never squared off in the ring before now.
And now that this epic battle is finally going to happen, it got us thinking about other legendary sports figures that never had the chance to face-off. So, in honor of the Jackson/Ortiz match (happening Nov. 2 at the Long Beach Arena in Long Beach, Calif.), here’s our top 10 fantasy rivalries of all time…
[EDITORS NOTE: The Jackson-Ortiz match was cancelled after Ortiz suffered a fractured neck during training. So now, you can chalk up the Jackson-Ortiz pairing as another great faceoff we hope to see — someday…]
Photos: Getty Images
Top 10 Sports Faceoffs We Wish Had Happened
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1. Anderson Silva and Chuck Liddell
These two octagon legends both fought during the early rise in popularity of North American MMA. And while Anderson Silva mainly fought in the Middleweight division, he put on a few pounds to fight in Liddel’s Light Heavyweight group more than once, so this matchup was definitely a possibility.
Can you imagine the king of Hawaiian Kempo fighting the master of Muay Thai? The Octagon might’ve just exploded.
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2. Mike Tyson and Muhammad Ali
Ali retired from fighting in 1981 and Tyson debuted in professional boxing in 1985. While Ali’s twilight years weren’t his best, many people believe that he was the greatest of all time. His in-the-ring antics, his knockout prowess and his status as a pop culture legend are only rivaled by… the ear-biting lunacy of Mike Tyson.
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3. Peyton Manning and John Elway
It’s weird to think that Peyton Manning’s new boss in Denver was the best quarterback in the NFL during Peyton’s rookie year with the Colts. But it was the case and, because Peyton didn’t make the playoffs during his inaugural season, he never matched up against Elway. We guess that’s probably a good thing. It would be way more awkward now if Peyton had put the smack down on Elway during his farewell year.
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4. Michael Jordan and Lebron James
The matchup that we all dream about. Two of the greatest players to ever put on a basketball jersey, and they almost played against each other. Michael Jordan’s last NBA game was on April 16, 2003. Lebron James was drafted to the Cleveland Cavaliers on June 26, 2003.
So. Damn. Close.
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5. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Shaquille O'Neal
Kareem currently holds the all-time points record and dominated the league with a smooth finesse game that allowed him to be successful throughout his career. Shaq’s power-predicated game was completely different, but equally effective for the majority of his time playing professional basketball. How would these two styles matchup? We’ll ever know, but it would’ve been a hell of a game.
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6. Carlos Quentin and Nolan Ryan
Nolan Ryan’s beatdown of Robin Ventura is legendary. And Carlos Quentin took out Zach Greinke with a nasty shoulder blow when he rushed the mound earlier this season. If you got these two guys together, you might have one of the best fights baseball has ever seen.
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7. Ronda Rousey and Cristiane Justino
These two women are on top of the MMA fight game and, for a while, they fought in the same weight class. But recently, Ronda Rousey dropped into the bantamweight division. Of course, that hasn’t stopped Justino from trying to get a fight. The Cyborg wants a catchweight bout to determine who really is the best woman in fighting.
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8. Sandy Koufax and Babe Ruth
Best pitcher of all time, meet the best hitter of all time. It’s a shame that these two goliaths of baseball never had a chance to face off. Ruth retired in 1935, the same year that Koufax was born. And though the game had changed quite a bit by the time Koufax joined the majors in 1955, it would’ve been a hell of a matchup to see the Babe take a swing at Sandy’s four-seam fastball.
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9. John McEnroe and Roger Federer
Johnny Mac was the bad boy of tennis. Roger Federer is one of the most dominant players of the modern era. Watching them play would’ve been amazing, but what we’re really interested in is how long it would take for McEnroe to start slamming rackets and shouting obscenities.
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10. Gordie Howe and Steve Yzerman
Gordie Howe is second in fame only to the Great One (aka Wayne Gretzky), so it’s truly a shame that he retired only a few years before Yzerman stormed the league. And while Gretzky’s accolades might’ve overshadowed Yzerman’s career, Yzerman quietly became one of the best two-way players the NHL ever saw. In other words, Howe versus Yzerman would’ve been one hell of a matchup.
