5 biggest grudge matches in recent MMA history
Grudge matches are the soap opera aspect of MMA. They bring the drama to another level as they tell a story not always present in sports. There's nothing more compelling than seeing two fighters with genuine bad blood for each other slug it out in the ring.
Whether the animosity is professional or personal, there's a palpable sense of tension as the stakes are higher. Pride, bragging rights and, ultimately, legacy are on the line. You can never script a drama better than that.
At UFC 268, UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman faces his bitter rival Colby Covington in a rematch to finally settle the score. This main event bout reminds us of some of the most heated grudge matches in recent memory. Here are some of the most memorable ones:
#5. Angela Lee and Xiong Jing Nan battle for MMA supremacy (ONE Championship: Century Part 1)
This MMA grudge match for the ONE atomweight belt was a rematch between the champion Angela Lee and Xiong Jing Nan. Their first fight took place at strawweight, where Lee was the challenger and Xiong was the champion.
It was a fiercely contested bout where both fighters shined in their respective games. Lee caught Xiong in an armbar that almost ended the fight in the fourth round. In the fifth, however, Xiong's striking prowess overwhelmed the Canadian-American for the TKO victory.
In a thrilling display of storytelling only seen in MMA, the second bout was almost a mirror of the first. In the fourth round, Xiong caught Lee with a left hook that almost ended the night. In the fifth round, Lee scored a jaw-dropping bodylock suplex to a tight rear-naked choke to defend the belt and tie the score 1-1.
Though there wasn't much bitterness between the two, this MMA grudge match between Lee and Xiong was fueled by sheer competitiveness. Both were vying for a place in history by becoming ONE's first female double champ. The greatness of the first fight gave way to this stunning MMA war and deepened the rivalry even more. A third fight isn't on the table yet but we're hoping it happens in 2022.