5 UFC rematches that decisively ended rivalries
The recently concluded UFC 263 saw the end of the rivalry between Israel Adesanya and Marvin Vettori. 'The Last Stylebender' successfully defended his UFC middleweight title, shutting the door on 'The Italian Dream' once and for all.
When UFC bouts end without a definitive winner (split decisions, draws, or controversial results), a rematch is often warranted. If there are still doubts about who the better fighter is after running it back, the matchmakers pull out the trilogy card. But a rubber match isn't necessary for every rivalry. Sometimes, two fights are enough.
On that note, let's take a look at five UFC rematches that decisively settled rivalries:
#5 UFC 263: Brandon Moreno vs. Deiveson Figueiredo
Speaking of UFC 263, Brandon Moreno and Deiveson Figueiredo finally found closure after fighting to a draw in their encounter meeting in December 2020. In their first bout, the pair of flyweight stars put on a 25-minute barnburner that ended with Figueiredo retaining the title.
Needless to say, Moreno was hungry for redemption after failing to capture the 125lb title in his first attempt. Ahead of UFC 263, he predicted that the rematch wouldn't be as close as the first one.
“In this kind of situation, the people maybe are waiting for a trilogy? But I need to finish this rivalry with this guy. I need to finish this guy. I want to be a champion,” Moreno told MMA Fighting.
And that he absolutely did. 'The Assassin Baby' put on a dominant performance before cleanly submitting Figueiredo via a rear-naked choke in the third round. In doing so, Moreno became the first Mexican-born fighter to win a title in the UFC.
#4 UFC 148: Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen
![Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen at UFC 117 [Photo Credit: @spiderandersonsilva on Instagram]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/06/150b3-16237494423820-800.jpg)
Chael Sonnen talked a lot of trash in the lead-up to his UFC 117 title fight with former longtime UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva. Surprisingly, 'The American Gangster' backed his words with action when he dominated the seemingly invincible Brazilian for nearly five rounds.
Was it enough to secure a championship victory? Almost, but not quite. 'The Spider' pulled off one of the greatest Hail Mary moments in the UFC, catching Sonnen in a triangle choke with only 110 seconds remaining in the fight.
Sonnen earned his rematch two years later at UFC 148. It was deja vu for Silva in the opening round, with Sonnen successfully securing a takedown and keeping the champ on his back. But momentum shifted in Silva's favor as he started heating up in round two.
Sonnen committed a fatal error when a mistimed spinning backfist sent him stumbling to the ground. 'The Spider' capitalized on the opening, landing a brutal knee to the challenger's mid-section to secure the TKO win.
#3 UFC 232: Jon Jones vs. Alexander Gustafsson
Alexander Gustafsson gave Jon Jones a run for his money at UFC 165. While 'Bones' ultimately retained his UFC light heavyweight crown via a controversial unanimous decision, many believed the Swedish striker was the rightful winner.
The two were set to run it back at UFC 178 in 2014, but Gustafsson was forced to withdraw from the rematch due to a torn meniscus. As fate would have it, the rivals will not meet in the octagon for another four years due to various reasons.
Jones and Gustafsson finally secured a rematch at UFC 232 in 2018, with the vacant light heavyweight title on the line. But things had changed dramatically by then.
Jones proved, once and for all, that he was the better fighter, controlling the fight in the early frames before scoring a crucial takedown in the third. 'Bones' picked up the decisive victory as he pounded away at 'The Mauler' to score the TKO.
#2 UFC 83: Georges St-Pierre vs. Matt Serra
![Georges St-Pierre vs. Matt Serra at UFC 69 [Photo Courtesy: YouTube.com]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/06/d5afe-16237545994131-800.jpg)
Matt Serra earned a title shot against then-UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre by winning the TUF (The Ultimate Fighter) tournament. In a classic MMA Cinderella story, 'The Terror' shocked the world when he TKO'd the Canadian to capture the elusive gold at UFC 69.
According to St-Pierre, the loss was so embarrassing that it completely messed with his psyche. The UFC legend also revealed that he went as far as seeking professional help to overcome the psychological hurdle.
"I saw a sports psychologist at the time because the only thing that I wanted to do after I lost to you – because I’m a very competitive person, very proud person – I wanted to get back immediately for a rematch and have a chance to redeem myself," St-Pierre told Serra during a conversation they had several years later.
An injury to Matt Hughes gave way to a rematch between St-Pierre and Serra at UFC 83 in 2008. 'Rush' silenced his doubters when he utterly dominated his rival from the jump. Scoring takedown after takedown, GSP finished an exhausted Serra with a barrage of knees to the body in the second round.
#1 UFC 261: Kamaru Usman vs. Jorge Masvidal
Jorge Masvidal did the UFC a solid favor when he agreed to step in for an injured Gilbert Burns to fight welterweight king Kamaru Usman on short notice. As expected, the underprepared Masvidal was outclassed by the champion, who retained his title via unanimous decision after five rounds at UFC 251.
'Gamebred' was gifted an immediate rematch at UFC 261, giving him a chance to challenge 'The Nigerian Nightmare' with the benefits of going through a full training camp. Usman, however, made it clear that Masvidal's lack of preparation was never an issue in the first place.
In an unexpected twist of events, Usman controlled the fight with his stand-up game instead of his vaunted grappling. It came as a surprise to many as Masvidal was believed to be the superior striker among the two.
The exclamation point came when the champion landed a thunderous right hand that drained the consciousness out of Masvidal's body.
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