3 great UFC rivalries that never got a trilogy fight
In the UFC, some fighters’ wars go far beyond the octagon. From personal insults to jealousy to a maddening level of competitive spirit, there are all manner of reasons a rivalry can heat up.
After the first fight, it goes without saying the loser will want a second go. There have been occasions where a fighter got their revenge in the sequel. Stipe Miocic, for example, got the heavyweight title back from rival Daniel Cormier in their rematch. He then soundly ended their feud by beating Cormier again in a rubber match.
Other times, a fighter fails to knock off their biggest rival twice in a row. For Tito Ortiz, this was an infuriating fact of life when it came to fighting Chuck Liddell. It took more than 10 years for Ortiz to finally get a third go at ‘The Iceman’ where, fortunately for ‘The Huntington Beach Bad Boy’, he finally picked up the win.
Sadly, not every great rivalry in the UFC has secured a full trilogy between its fighters. The result is a lot of wondering on what could’ve been among fans, pundits and the fighters themselves. With UFC 264 hosting a highly-anticipated third showdown between Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier, let’s take a look at some classic rivalries that never got the trilogy treatment.
#3. Jon Jones vs Daniel Cormier (UFC 182 and 214)
This is what happens when the unstoppable force meets the immovable object. Heading into UFC 182, Jon Jones was 20-1 (with the sole loss of his career having come by DQ) and had been the UFC light heavyweight champion for almost four years.
Former Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix tournament winner Daniel Cormier came in at 15-0. Soon after joining the UFC, Cormier slimmed down to light heavyweight. He moved into title contention following his submission win over Dan Henderson at UFC 173.
In a grueling five-round war, Cormier and Jones took each other to their respective limits. When the dust settled, Jones remained champion via unanimous decision. For Cormier, the dream of being UFC champion was far from over. Due to several disasters in Jon Jones’ personal life, he was soon forced to vacate the gold. From there, Cormier was able to pick up the scraps, bagging the vacated title with a third-round submission win over Anthony Johnson at UFC 187.
Initially, Cormier was to defend the belt against ‘Bones’ at UFC 200 in a highly-anticipated rematch. Unfortunately, another failed drug test ruled Jones out and the fight was called off.
The second fight finally occurred at UFC 214 where Jones brutalized the former Olympian. Cormier lost by way of KO following a devastating kick to the head and several punches. Due to yet another failed drug test from Jones, the fight was ruled a no contest and Cormier was still champion.
Following an explosive run in the heavyweight division, Daniel Cormier retired from fighting last year. Due to this, the chances of a third fight between the vicious pair are slim to none, even with Jones’ current heavyweight intentions. Of course, some may argue their relentless social media beef in late 2018 could almost count as a third clash...
#2. Brock Lesnar vs Frank Mir (UFC 81 and 100)
When former WWE and IWGP champion Brock Lesnar made the jump to legitimate competition, it was met with jeers by the UFC faithful. Having enjoyed a brief but important run at the top of WWE and a deeply disappointing stint in NJPW, Lesnar was dismissed as a “fake” pro wrestler by numerous critics. After a round one demolition of Min Soo-Kim, Lesnar moved up in the MMA world by joining the UFC.
At UFC 81, Lesnar took on former UFC heavyweight champ Frank Mir in his octagon debut. Despite his immense size, strength and general athleticism, Lesnar was quickly caught out by the smarter, more experienced Mir. Forced to tap out to a knee bar, Lesnar was subsequently frequently parodied by Mir.
By the time they met again at UFC 100, Lesnar had turned it around and become UFC heavyweight champ. Irate at Mir’s unending disrespect, Lesnar refused to touch gloves before the fight. Once the bell rang, Lesnar started throwing haymakers that would make Deontay Wilder blush.
Two minutes into round two, the referee called it and Lesnar was given the TKO win. Mir, a bloody mess by this point, endured a round of ferocious, spit-laden trash talk from the victorious Lesnar. ‘The Beast’ then dismissed Mir’s original win as little more than a lucky fluke.
Fans and pundits have long-clamored for a rubber match between the bitter enemies but, sadly, it was never to be. Lesnar retired in 2011 owing to his struggles with diverticulitis and returned to WWE where he quickly became a part time attraction. Mir continued to fight in the UFC for years but never ascended the mountain to heavyweight glory again.
By the time WWE’s longest-reigning Universal champ came back for a fight in 2016, Mir was coming off a loss to Mark Hunt. Because of this, we got Lesnar vs Hunt instead.
#1. Conor McGregor vs Nate Diaz (UFC 196 and 202)
For all of his mobility, precision and attitude, Conor McGregor has frequently shown a recurring issue in his arsenal: cardio.
The whiskey magnate’s endurance in the late stages of a fight has been called into question more than once. It’s hardly surprising then that going up against a hard-as-nails triathlete like Nate Diaz was always going to be a tall order.
For the first time in his career, McGregor fought at welterweight at UFC 196. Visibly gassed early on, it became clear that McGregor had placed too much focus on bulking up and not enough on his endurance. Despite getting bloodied (as he nearly always does), the still full-of-energy Diaz took advantage and extracted the tap from his exhausted opponent in round two.
It was the first loss of McGregor’s UFC career and one that left his countless fans in shock. Determined to even the score, McGregor returned all guns blazing at UFC 202 where he secured a decision win over the Stockton hardman.
Their second fight remains one of the most incendiary clashes in the history of the UFC. Despite being a bloody mess from almost the get go, Diaz held steady and even got the better of McGregor towards the end of round five. However, it wasn’t enough to make up for the Irishman’s dominance early on. Diaz ultimately found himself on the losing end of the blistering bout.
In the five years since, fans have longed for a rubber match between the two. Between lengthy absences from both men and the fact that they normally compete in separate weight divisions, this dream trilogy is likely to remain just that.