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MMA is a sport where fighters don't often have friends. Situations like Merab Dvalishvili's continued refusal to accept a title shot in favor of close friend Aljamain Sterling receiving a rematch are fairly uncommon. However, siblings in MMA are far more common than many might expect.
Unfortunately, more often than not one sibling is far more successful than the other. A prime example would be Valentina Shevchenko and her older sister, Antonina Shevchenko. 'Bullet' is one of the greatest women's fighters of all time, racking up more UFC title defenses than any other female fighter during her 125-pound reign.
Meanwhile, Antonina Shevchenko has an underwhelming record of 10 wins and four losses. But have any siblings found similar success in MMA? Do they exist? And if so, who are they?
#7. The Pitbull brothers
Patrício 'Pitbull' Freire and Patricky 'Pitbull' Freire are both among Bellator MMA's most well-known fighters. They are known professionally as the Pitbull brothers and have both enjoyed championship success under the Bellator banner. Older brother Patricky is a former Bellator lightweight champion.
Meanwhile, Patrício is the reigning three-time Bellator featherweight champion, in addition to being a former lightweight titleholder himself. He is also known for TKO'ing Michael Chandler, who is a former Bellator lightweight champion himself.
#6. The Usman brothers
Kamaru Usman and Mohammed Usman have the distinction of being the first two brothers to win The Ultimate Fighter, with 'The Nigerian Nightmare' having done so in the 21st installment of the series, while his younger brother won TUF 30. Additionally, Kamaru Usman is a former UFC welterweight champion.
His run at 170 pounds has already enthroned him in the hall of all-time greats. Meanwhile, his younger brother is currently climbing the heavyweight rankings, where he enjoys a 10-2 record and is riding the wave of a three-fight win streak.
#5. The Pettis brothers
Anthony Pettis is the more famous of the two, having been a UFC lightweight champion and the architect of one of the most viral moments in MMA history: the 'Showtime kick.' Furthermore, he is a former WEC lightweight champion, which was once the home of legends like Dominick Cruz and José Aldo.
Meanwhile, Sergio Pettis is a former UFC flyweight and bantamweight contender. He holds a notable win over former UFC flyweight champion Brandon Moreno and currently reigns as the Bellator bantamweight champion, having recently beaten the promotion's GOAT fighter in Patrício Freire.
#4. The Diaz brothers
Nick Diaz and Nate Diaz are likely the most famous sibling duo in contemporary MMA. The two men have both reached superstardom, with Nick Diaz being a former Strikeforce welterweight champion and one-time UFC welterweight title challenger, and he ranks among Georges St-Pierre's greatest rivals.
While Nate Diaz never captured a world championship like his brother, he has become a massive pay-per-view success, mainly due to the upset win he scored over Conor McGregor, which elevated his profile as a fighter to such an extent that he persuaded the UFC to create a symbolic 'BMF' title for him to compete for.
#3. The Shamrock brothers
Ken Shamrock is an MMA pioneer with a whole host of accolades. He is a UFC Hall of Famer and a former UFC Superfight Champion. Furthermore, he was one-half of a prominent rivalry with both Royce Gracie and Tito Ortiz. He is also a King of Pancrase and holds notable wins over legends like Bas Rutten and Dan Severn.
Meanwhile, his younger brother Frank Shamrock captured the inaugural Strikeforce middleweight title, the interim King of Pancrase title and was the inaugural UFC light heavyweight champion. During the peak of his career, he was widely regarded as the world's best fighter.
#2. The Nogueira brothers
The Nogueira brothers consist of twin brothers Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira and Antônio Rogério Nogueira. The two siblings go by different names, but are popularly known as 'Big Nog' and 'Lil Nog' respectively, with their Brazilian jiu-jitsu skills being held in high regard, having trained the likes of Anderson Silva.
At their peak, both brothers were dominant forces in the heavyweight and light heavyweight divisions, with 'Big Nog' being a former UFC interim heavyweight champion and the first-ever PRIDE heavyweight champion. While 'Lil Nog' never matched his brother's championship success, he had a notable career.
He is known for having beaten former UFC light heavyweight champions Rashad Evans and Tito Ortiz, while also scoring wins over legendary world champions Alistair Overeem and Dan Henderson. Furthermore, he was a boxing champion on the Brazilian regional scene.
#1. The Gracie brothers
The Gracie family is MMA royalty. They are responsible for founding Brazilian jiu-jitsu and introducing it to the world of MMA, over which they ruled from the 90s to the early 2000s. No two siblings were more dominant in the sport than Royce Gracie and Rickson Gracie.
Royce Gracie is a UFC Hall of Famer and the winner of three of the first four UFC tournaments, which saw him defeat fellow MMA pioneer Ken Shamrock. Meanwhile, Rickson Gracie was widely regarded as the best fighter from the Gracie clan, retiring undefeated, but with a controversial record nonetheless.
