5 times heated UFC rivals made peace in retirement

Luke Rockhold and Michael Bisping had a rivalry that made headlines

Over the years, the UFC has witnessed a string of heated rivalries. It would be safe to say that such rivalries have played a huge role in the popularity of the promotion as well.

In most cases, these rivalries are settled inside the octagon itself but there are also situations where the bad blood goes beyond the cage. While some rivalries that fall in this particular category are still ongoing, there are certain others that have made peace in retirement.

Urijah Faber and Dominick Cruz met for the first time in 2007 for World Extreme Cagefighting 26. They immediately didn’t get along.

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With the latter set of rivalries in mind, here is a look at 5 times heated UFC rivals made peace in retirement.

#5. Georges St-Pierre and Nick Diaz meet backstage at UFC 266

Georges St-Pierre vs. Nick Diaz was a rivalry that produced plenty of drama outside the cage. It all started when Nick Diaz called out St-Pierre at UFC 137 after his win against BJ Penn.

Following the call out, UFC booked Nick Diaz vs. St-Pierre for UFC 143 but the fight was canceled as St-Pierre suffered an injury during his training camp. Nick Diaz fought Carlos Condit as a result for the UFC interim welterweight title and suffered a decision loss.

GSP then made his return and defeated Condit at UFC 154 to unify the UFC welterweight title. This proved to be the perfect backdrop for the Nick Diaz vs. St-Pierre fight, which was booked for UFC 158.

GSP and Nick Diaz shook hands backstage before Diaz's #UFC266 fight 🤝 https://t.co/myfOfOd8dj

GSP and Nick Diaz went on to deliver an instant classic inside the cage. Both fighters were respectful towards each other after the fight as well. In 2019, however, the reaction of Nick Diaz to GSP’s retirement news sparked debates.

In 2021, St-Pierre also revealed that he had not made peace with Nick Diaz and that he was looking forward to it. The air surrounding the two apparently cleared recently when they met backstage at UFC 266. St-Pierre and Nick Diaz shared a heartfelt moment in the locker room as they shook hands with each other.