5 best UFC champion vs. interim champion fights

UFC 273 featured a champion versus an interim champion fight as Aljamain Sterling took on Petr Yan for the undisputed bantamweight championship. Despite being a heavy underdog, Sterling earned a narrow decision victory to become the top guy at 135lbs.

#UFC273 Official Scorecard: Aljamain Sterling (@FunkMasterMMA) vs Petr Yan

All Tonight's Scorecards: ufc.com/news/official-… https://t.co/Pmnj7F4wqW

This fight was just the latest in a number of champion vs. interim champion match-ups we have seen over the years. Typically, these fights come about when a division’s champion has a lengthy spell on the sidelines.

Instead of risking the weight class becoming stagnant, the UFC will semi-regularly crown an interim champion which gives the active fighters in the division something to aim for. Then, once the original champion returns, the two belt-holders often fight to unify the belts.

This produces some huge fights and the esthetic of both competitors entering the bout wearing gold instantly creates a big-fight feel. While these fights do not always live up to the hype, we have seen some incredible champion vs. interim champion bouts over the years.

Here are the five best champion vs. interim champion fights we've seen in the UFC.

#5. Francis Ngannou vs. Ciryl Gane at UFC 270

Ngannou defeated Gane via unanimous decision

The fight between Francis Ngannou and Ciryl Gane was not just an entertaining back-and-forth affair. The wealth of storylines going behind the scenes elevated it to a new level. Ngannou headed into this one on the last fight of his contract and seriously injured his knee just days before one of the most crucial fights of his career.

This played a part in the build-up as Ciryl Gane only became interim champion due to some interesting decisions by the UFC brass. With Ngannou willing to fight out his contract, the UFC decided to hold an interim fight despite the fact that ‘The Predator’ had only won the title a few months prior.

Gane duly defeated Derrick Lewis in Houston to set up this title vs. title fight. At UFC 270, 'Bon Gamin' started out strong before the third round when Ngannou switched to a more grappling-heavy style. This completely turned the tide of the fight and ‘The Predator’ rode this momentum to a unanimous decision win.

Francis Ngannou defeats Ciryl Gane by unanimous decision to retain UFC Heavyweight Championship.

This is the 1st win of Ngannou's career by decision.

Ngannou was 4-of-5 on takedowns on Saturday. Entering UFC 270, Ngannou was 1-of-3 on takedowns in his 13-fight UFC career. https://t.co/TSapuoXGRC

With no new contract signed yet, it will be interesting to see where the undisputed heavyweight champion goes from here.