5 times former teammates headlined UFC shows against one another

Former teammates Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal are set to headline UFC 272 against each other in March.

Next weekend sees a major pay-per-view take place in the form of UFC 272. In the main event, former friends and training partners Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal are set to go to war.

Colby Covington’s clash with Jorge Masvidal will not be the first time a major UFC pay-per-view would be headlined by a battle between former teammates.

This one is 𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐋 😤

[ 📺 #UFC272 Countdown Airs Feb 26 | 2pmET on ABC ] https://t.co/8bpcNSLsF0

In fact, some of the previous examples of clashes between former training partners are amongst the biggest fights in the history of the promotion. That’s usually due to the personal beef that tends to erupt.

So with the latest major clash between former friends set to go down next week, here are five times former teammates headlined UFC shows against one another:

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

Francis Ngannou defeated former teammate Ciryl Gane to defend his heavyweight title earlier this year.

The most recent example of two former teammates clashing in the main event of a major pay-per-view came in January at UFC 270. There, Francis Ngannou defended his heavyweight title against interim champion Ciryl Gane.

‘The Predator’ and ‘Bon Gamin’ had famously trained together for many years at Paris’ MMA Factory gym. In fact, when Gane entered the octagon for the first time in 2019, many fans were quick to label him the ‘new Ngannou’ after witnessing his striking power.

In truth, Gane’s style would quickly prove to be a more technical one than Ngannou’s. The Frenchman prefers to use combinations and footwork more than the haymakers preferred by ‘The Predator’.

However, the differences in style didn’t stop the two former training partners from climbing to the top of the heavyweight division. When Gane beat Derrick Lewis to capture the interim title in mid-2021, it put him on a collision course with his former teammate.

Before their clash, Gane’s camp decided to release some sparring footage that appeared to show the former getting the better of Ngannou, who departed the MMA Factory in 2018.

However, as it turned out, ‘Bon Gamin’ was largely unable to impose his striking on the champion. Ngannou shocked fans by unleashing a powerful wrestling game to grind out a win over his former teammate.

Francis Ngannou found himself down on the scorecards but turned to his wrestling and dug deep to beat Cyril Gane 🏆

A five-round heavyweight battle at #UFC270! https://t.co/8KJjfmHFlF

The fight didn’t quite provide the fireworks that some might’ve hoped for. However, it was a great example of a clash between two former teammates that didn’t go quite how many expected it to.