Image via Complex Original
This past weekend UFC's Rashad Evans took to Twitter to take shots at Jon Jones. MMA fighters taking brutal shots at one another inside and outside of the octagon is nothing new, but what makes this more intriguing is that Jones and Evans were training partners and friends not long ago. But these dudes aren't the only athletes to go from friends to enemies, from MMA to baseball to boxing there's been tons of sports friendships that have turned sour. From Kobe and Shaq to Ali and Frazier, check out the 10 Biggest Frenemies in Sports History...
Rashad Evans and Jon Jones
COMPLEX SAYS: Tensions between these fighters began when Evans was injured just weeks before his light heavyweight title bout with Mauricio "Shogun" Rua. Evans' teammate, Jon Jones, was chosen as the replacement contender and went on to become the youngest light heavyweight champ in UFC history. Both Jones and Evans publicly said they would never fight each other but after the fight, Dana White brought Evans into the ring and the former friends essentially challenged each other to a fight on the spot. These shots continued on Twitter this past weekend. We're not the biggest MMA heads, but Dana, if you make this fight among frenemies happen we promise to tune into live streams order pay-per-view for this epic event.
Buddy Ryan and Mike Ditka
COMPLEX SAYS: This battle between two great football minds who were once friends began when Bears head coach Neill Armstrong left in 1981. Many expected Ryan, the defensive coordinator, to take over but instead Mike Ditka was given the head coaching job. While the team produced one of the best defenses in NFL history, winning a Super Bowl in 1985, Ditka and Ryan were constantly at each other's throats. They reportedly even had to be restrained from one another during a Monday Night game in 1985. Ryan left to coach the Eagles the next season and their bickering continued throughout the 80s. Last year the two were reunited for a Bears sanctioned event. All it took was a few Levitra for things to be back on the up-and-up for these oldheads. Ayo!
Mike Tyson and Don King
COMPLEX SAYS: Don King began promoting Iron Mike at the height of his career in the mid-'80s and continued to do so upon his release from prison in 1995. But by 1998 their partnership soured and Tyson sued Don King for $100 million, they eventually settled out of court for $14 million. Tyson made a reported $300 million during his career but filed for bankruptcy in 2003, and as you can see from this clip in the Tyson documentary, dude is still pretty pissed. "He's just a wretched, slimy, reptilian motherfucker...he would kill his mother for a dollar." Well, damn! (Gucci Mane voice)
Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier
COMPLEX SAYS: Many already know of the inside and outside the ring feud between two of boxing's greatest fighters of all time. What's not always mentioned is that the two were considered friends before and that Frazier actually petitioned President Richard Nixon to have Ali's boxing license reinstated. When Ali was stripped of his title, Frazier went as far as boycotting the tournament for the vacant WBA heavyweight title. But by the time Ali and Frazier were prepping for the "Fight of the Century" in 1971, all that support and love went out the window. Ali publicly tore into Frazier calling him an Uncle Tom, ugly, and dumb. In 2001 Ali would apologize for his taunts but their feud hit a new low in 2009, when Frazier alluded to Ali's Parkinson's disease as being punishment from God. #c'monson #childishshit
Magic Johnson and Isiah Thomas
COMPLEX SAYS: As the two premier point guards of the '80s Magic and Zeke had hard-fought battles with one another on the court but seemed to be friendly off of it. According to Magic, that all changed in 1991 when he made his HIV announcement and Thomas began spreading rumors about Magic's sexual orientation behind his back. Thomas has denied these allegations and said he's especially sensitive to the issue since his brother died from AIDS. That didn't stop Thomas from taking shots at Magic recently. Maybe one day they'll kiss (again) and make up.
Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter
COMPLEX SAYS: During the mid '90s, Jeter and A-Rod quickly became two of the most popular shortstops in baseball, and seemed quite friendly. Interviews like this one suggested the two were actually quite close off of the field. Then in a 2001 Esquire interview, A-Rod said this about the Yankee captain: "He's never had to lead. He can just go and play and have fun. He hits second—that's totally different than third or fourth in the lineup. You go into New York, you wanna stop Bernie [Williams] and Paul [O'Neill]. You never say, 'Don't let Derek beat us.' He's never your concern." Also, according to author Selena Roberts' book, A-Rod: The Many Lives of Alex Rodriguez, the All-Star's favorite pick-up line was “Who's hotter, me or Derek Jeter?" Pause. They became teammates in 2004, and won a title together in 2009, and things have seemingly gotten better between the two. Winning solves everything. #yeahright
Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz
COMPLEX SAYS: These two Cali natives were actually friends and training partners before their friendship turned into one of the most-heated rivalries in UFC history. The feud began when Dana White tried to schedule a bout between Ortiz, the UFC light heavyweight champion at the time, and Liddell, who was the number one contender. Ortiz kept saying a busy schedule was the reason a fight date could not be set. The bout eventually happened in 2004 at UFC 47 with Liddell winning by TKO. Two years later they had a rematch with Liddell winning by TKO again. We guess pain is love? Most recently the two have taken their squabbles viral.
Billy Martin and George Steinbrenner
COMPLEX SAYS: Do you consider your boss your friend? Actually, you're probably on the clock now so don't answer that. In 1975 Billy Martin was hired as manager of the New York Yankees and by the time of his final stint with the team in 1988, Martin had been fired and rehired five times by George Steinbrenner. Control and treatment of players was often at the center of their disputes. Martin's public spat with Reggie Jackson involved the manager's infamous quote about Mr. October and Steinbrenner: "The two were meant for each other. One's a born liar, and the other's convicted." Despite their public battles, Steinbrenner and many other Yankee greats, including Jackson, were present at Martin's funeral in 1989.
Bill Belichick and Eric Mangini
COMPLEX SAYS: Bill Belichick's relationship with Eric Mangini dates back to when Mangini was a ball boy for the Cleveland Browns during Belichick's head coaching tenure. Belichick helped Mangini move up the ranks to eventually become an offensive assistant. Their working relationship would continue with the Jets and eventually with the Patriots where Mangini was the defensive backs coach during three of the Patriots' Super Bowl victories. Mangini even named one of his sons, Luke William, after the Pats head coach. However, things quickly turned sour when Mangini told Belichick he was leaving the Pats to coach the Jets in 2006. The feud reached a boiling point in 2007 when Mangini's complaints to officials led to Sypgate. Since then there hasn't been much but awkward post game handshakes. We say they settle it in the octagon. Dana, where you at?
Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant
COMPLEX SAYS: During the summer of 1996 the Lakers acquired both O'Neal and Bryant. The two would grow to become the most dominant duo in the league, winning three championships under Phil Jackson. But tensions arose when the question of "Whose Team Is This?!?" became an issue. Things reached a breaking point in the summer of 2003 when when Bryant was accused of rape in Eagle County, Colo. While speaking with police, Bryant said: "Should have done what Shaq does...Shaq would pay his women not to say anything." O'Neal was traded out to Miami in 2004. The Big Diesel would win a ring in '06, and to Shaq's delight, Bryant would come up short in the 2008 Finals versus the Boston Celtics. That's when Shaq suggested Bryant uhh, well, you know. Anilingus That kind of act is usually reserved for people who are more than just friends though...