5 rematches that fans wanted to see, but the UFC did not book
It’s a well-known fact that the UFC loves to book rematches. So much so that some of the biggest fights in UFC history have been rematches, including Conor McGregor vs. Dustin Poirier and Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen.
On a number of occasions, however, the UFC has been unable to book a rematch of a fight that fans have actually been desperate to see again.
The following fights left UFC fans wanting more, but for various reasons – one of the fighters retiring, or the UFC simply moving on – a rematch was never booked.
Here are five rematches that fans would love to have seen, but the UFC never booked.
#5. Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit (UFC 143)
When Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit met for the interim UFC welterweight title in February 2012 at UFC 143, it felt like the kind of fight that would probably develop into a multi-fight rivalry.
The two stars engaged in a war of words prior to the fight, and even saw a series of UFC PrimeTime dedicated to their preparation, something that only made the clash feel like an even bigger deal in the eyes of the fans.
And while the fight didn’t quite live up to expectations as an all-time classic, it was an excellent clash between two seriously high-level fighters. It also ended in controversy, as Condit was handed a win via unanimous decision, with scores of 48-47, 49-46 and 49-46, despite many fans feeling Diaz had done enough for the victory.
The meme “Diaz 1, 2, 5” spread around the internet like wildfire – the numbers referring to the rounds that fans claimed the Stockton favorite had won. With undisputed champion Georges St-Pierre on the shelf, it felt like a rematch was inevitable.
Instead, though, Condit held onto his interim crown and waited for the eventual fight with GSP, which came nine months later at UFC 154. Meanwhile, Diaz sat on the shelf and stewed over his loss.
Diaz would eventually return in a losing effort to St-Pierre at UFC 158, but despite a rematch with Condit still seeming viable, the UFC were never able to book it – largely due to Diaz’s inactivity in the years that followed.
And when Diaz announced his return to the UFC earlier this year, rather than returning to the well for another fight with ‘The Natural Born Killer’, the promotion instead matched him with a different former foe in Robbie Lawler.
It now seems like a Diaz/Condit rematch is unlikely to happen, meaning fans will simply have to continue to debate the result at UFC 143 instead.