8 Most Notorious Gym Fights In MMA

Iron sharpens iron.

The old adage is especially true for MMA. If a fighter wants to get a feel for the high-stress, high-intensity dynamic they will experience when they step into the cage for real, they have to get used to fighting in the gym.

Sometimes more restrained sparring is used as a device to refine techniques, and to an outsider can often look more like a dance than a combative contest. To quote Conor McGregor's coach John Kavanagh, the goal of sparring should be "upgrading the software without damaging the hardware."

Not all gyms adhere to this philosophy however. Several MMA teams have become infamous for their frequent hard sparring, leading to the fighters accumulating concussive damage before they've even stepped into the cage.

In order to become accustomed to fighting at the pace required in an MMA fight, fighters will regularly attempt to replicate the intensity seen in the cage. Add a camera to the mix and you have the perfect recipe for some of the craziest fights that have ever been filmed behind closed doors.

The most successful brothers in MMA history, Fedor and Aleksander Emelianenko have both had international success in MMA. Fedor went on a legendary run from 2001 to 2009 during which he went undefeated across 29 fights, to be considered the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world. Aleksander has also had his share of success but hasn't enjoyed nearly the same amount of distinction throughout his MMA career.

To get an idea of how close the pair were, watch Fedor's reaction to seeing his younger brother get knocked out by Mirko Cro Cop. The usually stoic Fedor is clearly distressed watching the footage and is clearly irate seeing the end of the fight as Alexander was finished by a Cro Cop head-kick.

Although the pair don't regularly train together anymore, their sparring once provided one of the classic videos posted around MMA message boards. Contested outside on concrete (because Russia) the two demonstrate the crisp boxing skills that would characterise both men's careers.

Fedor especially shows incredible defence throughout the video, dropping his hands and utilising head movement to avoid his brother's fast hands.