Benson Henderson and Donald Cerrone fought for the first time at WEC 43 in Oct. of 2009, with Henderson winning a decision, and the Interim WEC Lightweight Championship in the Fight of the Year. The second fight was just six later, and Henderson won via Guillotine in the first round.

Their third fight was in January of this year, at UFC Fight Night 59 in Boston. In the meantime, the pair had both moved on to the UFC, where they were among the elite of the division. And in the meantime, weigh ins had become “a thing,” with the average weigh in getting 3,000-5,000 hardcore fans in attendance. And increasingly, fights are based on pre-fight bad blood, whether real or feigned.

Thus, there was every possibility that the faceoff would be heated, with UFC president Dana White having to drive himself between the pair.

But as Shakespeare’s King Henry V said for all time on St. Crispin’s Day, “For he today who sheds his blood with me shall be my brother.”

Fighting forges profound friendship, even against each other.

Cowboy steps up on the stage, claps his hands and stomps his foot, like a hoedown is about to begin. The pair embrace.

“Turn around boys,” says UFC president Dana White. “Act like you’re fighting each other… Face forward, shoulder to shoulder.”

The pair then lean on each other, and Cerrone announces to the cheers of the heavily Irish crowd, “Rounds on Cowboy after this fight.”

There are immutable laws of cowboy etiquette, and Rule #1 is You Don’t Mess With a Cowboy’s Hat. And all the more so if his fight name is, actually, Cowboy. But that’s what happened next.

The third time was a charm for Cerrone, as a took a unanimous decision. Benson moved up to welterweight, where he won his next fight via Rear Naked Choke, vs. Brandon Thatch in the Fight of the Night.