5 UFC rematches that went differently to the first fight

Cain Velasquez left no doubt as to who the better man was in his rematch with Junior Dos Santos

This weekend at UFC 273, Aljamain Sterling is set to defend his bantamweight title against Petr Yan. While he came out on top via disqualification the first time around, he’ll be hoping for a different type of fight in this rematch.

There's a score to be settled 💢

[ 📺 #UFC273 Countdown Airs SATURDAY at 2pmET on ABC ] https://t.co/X63k6p8E3s

Over the years, we’ve seen countless rematches in the UFC. While some ended up being a carbon copy of the first fight, other rematches ended up looking entirely different.

On some occasions this was because a fighter made the correct adjustments to defeat their opponent. In other instances, one fighter had simply improved dramatically while the other had stagnated.

With that in mind, here are five UFC rematches that went completely differently to the first fight.

#5. Chuck Liddell vs. Randy Couture – UFC 52

Chuck Liddell made the correct adjustments to defeat Randy Couture in their rematch

When Chuck Liddell first faced Randy Couture in mid-2003 for the interim UFC light heavyweight title, it seemed like a formality that ‘The Iceman’ would come out on top. The fight was only made due to champion Tito Ortiz’s refusal to fight Liddell, and Couture was about to turn 40-years-old and looked past his best.

However, to the surprise of everyone watching, Couture made the fight seem easy. His straight punches allowed him to avoid Liddell’s looping hooks and beat him to the strike. His wrestling skill, particularly from the clinch, meant that he blasted through Liddell’s vaunted takedown defense.

Eventually, ‘The Natural’ won the fight via third round TKO, and for a while at least, Liddell’s dangerous aura was shattered.

Just under two years later, the two men rematched in one of the most anticipated bouts in MMA history, largely thanks to the stardom that their roles as coaches on the first season of The Ultimate Fighter had given them.

This time around, Couture was largely favored, but it turned out that Liddell had done his homework. Rather than chasing the fight as he’d done in the first instance, he allowed ‘The Natural’ to come to him.

UFC 52: Chuck Liddell vs. Randy Couture 2 full fight video mmafighting.com/2019/5/30/1864… https://t.co/fQyQkmOrQt

Couture’s straight punches still gave him a little success early on, but when he attempted to close Liddell down, ‘The Iceman’ struck, landing a perfectly-placed right haymaker on the counter.

Couture was knocked out cold for the first time in his career. Liddell had reached the pinnacle of the sport, a position he’d maintain as the promotion broke into the mainstream.