Epic UFC Trilogies: Rivalries Spanning Three Iconic Fights

Rivalries, it seems, are part and parcel of the mixed martial art world. If two fighters meet within an Octagon, a clash of skills, wills, and personalities could well be in the narrative that draws in fans. But some become boiling matches of well-matched intensity, where more than one or two encounters save them. They are the trilogies, series of three fights that go down to the history books in UFC’s lore. This piece reviews some of the most epic UFC trilogies, rivalries that span exactly three iconic fights and make a mark in the sport.

1. Randy Couture vs. Chuck Liddell

One of the most iconic trilogies in UFC history would be the Randy Couture vs. Chuck Liddell rivalry. Two of the most storied legends in the sport, these men helped to define the Light Heavyweight Division during the early part of the 2000s and put together one of the more memorable three-fight series on the record under the UFC banner. Debut Fight: UFC 43, June 6, 200

Their first bout was in UFC 43 as an interim UFC Light Heavyweight Championship; at this time, Liddell was recognized for his striking power, whereas Couture is a specialty of wrestling. In that fight, Couture had come into the fight as the underdog, with two straight losses. He shocked many by out-striking the famously feared Liddell en route to a TKO victory in the third round to claim the interim title. The win brought Couture back to relevance—a career rejuvenation— and set the stage for an all-time great rivalry.

Second Fight: UFC 52 — April 16, 2005
The champion’s long-awaited rematch came almost two years later at UFC 52, where Randy Couture was now the undisputed UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. So this time around, Liddell came in a lot wiser about the game plan Couture executed. He knocked out Couture cold, sending him face-down, with a right hand he launched in the first round. By this victory, Liddell reclaimed his title, evening the score at one each.

That knockout was a career-making moment for Liddell, as he further got recognition as the most feared striker in the division.

Third Match: UFC 57, February 4, 2006

The trilogy would be rounded out at UFC 57, where, once again, it was all about the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship. After that, Liddell went another step ahead to fumble Couture in the second round for a knockout win. That firmly planted him in the context of best light heavyweights and signified the end of the reign by Couture in that division.

After the fight, Couture announced his retirement, although he later returned to compete in the heavyweight division.

The Couture vs. Liddell trilogy brings an excellent illustration of how rivalry shaped the UFC in its early days of development. This trilogy remains critically noteworthy in the annals of this sport, considering the difference of the styles of both fighters and the high steaks during each bout.

2. Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos

The threesome between Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos has remained the most brutal trilogy in heavyweight UFC history. The division’s two titans authored three wars that would impact their respective careers going forward and the heavyweight division at large.

First Fight: UFC on Fox 1 — November 12, 2011
The first battle Velasquez fought was a huge event—it was the first time the UFC had graced network television. During the fight, both men remained undefeated in UFC and Velasquez continued as the heavyweight champion. But the fight ended abruptly because shortly afterward, dos Santos hit a colossal overhand right, dropping Velasquez just 64 seconds into the first round via knockout to capture the UFC Heavyweight Championship. Few at the time had expected such a result and it eventually led to a head-to-head.

Second Bout: UFC 155, December 29, 2012
A year later, Velasquez got his chance to take back his title from dos Santos at UFC 155. Relentless in his desire by this time to take back what was rightfully his, Velasquez sprang out of the gates and went hard after the man who had taken everything from him. He battered dos Santos every step of the way, pounding on him with pressure, ground-and-pound, and takedowns en route to a lopsided unanimous decision victory that earned back the heavyweight belt. The fight really displayed Velasquez’s fine cardio and toughness, setting up a highly anticipated rubber match. Third Battle: UFC 166, October 19, 2013

The trilogy came to an end at UFC 166 that featured the last confrontation between Velasquez and dos Santos. Yet again, Velasquez applied his signature heavy pressuring style and wrestling to gradually break down the Brazilian. It was yet another war, but the pressure of Velasquez consequently resulted in a fifth-round TKO as dos Santos could not station a proper defense. The win has now formed Velasquez as the top and heavyweight kingpin of UFC, and also it was the climax of seeming to bring down the biggest trilogy regarding physical output in UFC history.

The Velasquez vs. dos Santos trilogy will long be remembered for how fiercely it was fought and how it physically took a toll on both the fighters. Both bouts showcased the toughness and skill of the two heavyweights in one of the more significant rivalries the division has seen in its history.

3. Georges St-Pierre v Matt Hughes

The showdowns between Georges St. Pierre and Matt Hughes would be important in UFC history because it marked a transition of power in the storied welterweight division from one legend to another. Their trilogy helped catapult St-Pierre into the conversation of one of the greatest fighters ever, with emerging evidence of the evolution of MMA Sport.

First Fight: UFC 50 (October 22, 2004
The initial bout between St-Pierre and Hughes happened in UFC 50 for the completely undisputed UFC Welterweight Championship. Hughes at that time being the titleholder was a recognized legend, whereas St-Pierre was an upcoming raw talent at that time. During the first round of battle, Hughes trapped St Pierre in an armbar with just 1 second left and caused St-Pierre to submit. The victory marked Hughes as one of the best welterweights in the MMA world and dealt St-Pierre his first professional loss.

Second Bout: UFC 65 (November 18, 2006)
It wouldn’t be for the case until two years later that St-Pierre got the opportunity to challenge Hughes a seventh time in a fight for the vacant welterweight title on the biggest stage, this time a little befit with a much-needed weight cut and stepping into the ring quite prepared comparatively. Beginning with a much better preparedness, St-Pierre dominated Hughes through the first round and set a head-kicking drop on him in the second, finishing him off with punches to win the bout by TKO. The win at the time gave St-Pierre his first ever UFC title, and began the reign he started to take control of the top of the welterweight tree.

Third Battle: UFC 79 (December 29, 2007)
The trilogy was completed at UFC 79, at which point St-Pierre made himself a force to be reckoned with in the division, of course defeating Hughes again, overpowering him in the second round through another armbar. The win over Hughes solidified St-Pierre as the world’s top welterweight and the passing of the torch from Hughes.

The St-Pierre vs. Hughes trilogy is memorable, not so much because each battle was so amazing, but because each signified a changing of the guard within the welterweight division. Outside of consideration, St-Pierre’s victories over Hughes stand one next to the other within the annals of mixed martial arts as two of the premier fighters ever and cheer another changing of the guard within the welterweight division.

4. Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard

The trilogy of fights between Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard was really storied: their three fights for the UFC Lightweight Championship went up in the lore for the incredible back-and-forth, and showing off the true heart and determination between both fighters.

First Fight: UFC Fight Night 13 (2 April 2008)
The initial battle of Edgar versus Maynard took place on UFC Fight Night 13, where Edgar consequently suffered his very first professional loss at the hands of Maynard. He predominantly controlled Edgar throughout the fight with his superior wrestling and earned a unanimous decision. The victory established Maynard as a number one contender for the lightweight division, while Edgar moved up and garnered the UFC Lightweight Championship.

Second Fight: UFC 125 (January 1, 2011)
Their second fight, with the UFC Lightweight Championship on the line, is considered one of the greatest fights in the history of the UFC. He nearly stopped Edgar in the first round, knocking him down multiple times, but Edgar showed great tenacity by surviving and coming back in the later rounds to win the fight. The bout ultimately ended in a split draw, with both of them securing their records and opening the way for an ear-splitting third fight.

Third Fight: UFC 136 (October 8, 2011)
The trilogy was completed at UFC 136 when, yet once again, the UFC Lightweight Championship was at stake. This time, Maynard once again staggered Edgar in the first round, but as the fight went on, Edgar regained his composure, returning sharp. The fourth round witnessed Edgar throwing several punches, scaring away one Maynard with a winning victory through a title retention. This time, he scored the win that was the death knell for the rivalry and cemented Edgar as one of the toughest and most skilled lightweights in UFC. And the trilogy of Edgar vs. Maynard has remained as characterized by drama, intensity, and shows of incredible hearts by both fighters. All the fights were closely contested, and the rivalry is still lauded as one of the most exciting ones in lightweight history.

5. Tito Ortiz vs. Ken Shamrock
   The three-fight trilogy between Tito Ortiz and Ken Shamrock was one of the hottest, most personal rivalries in the history of the UFC. More simply, in their three fights, there wasn’t just competition; what was going on between the two fighters was about the settlement of bitter enmity between them. The rivalry itself helped to further put the UFC on the map in its early years and it drew headlines to the sport.

First Fight: UFC 40 (November 22, 2002)
The first bout between Ortiz and Shamrock was held at UFC 40, with Ortiz defending his title of UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. The fight was highly anticipated, as for months before the event, the two fighters had been feuding in the media. The fight was totally in favor of Ortiz, with Shamrock finally defeated by TKO on the corner stoppage after the third round. The victory solidified Ortiz’s status as the top light heavyweight in the UFC and further fueled the animosity between the two fighters.

Second Fight: UFC 61 (July 8, 2006)
Three and a half years later at UFC 61, a repeat of the Ortiz-Shamrock rematch took place. The same story with added exclamation marks was told — Ortiz thoroughly outworks Shamrock and finishes him by TKO in the first round from an unanswered series of elbows, with the stoppage caused by the referee. The rapid stoppage caused a controversy, as Shamrock and his minions have insisted over and over until today, that the save was way too premature. That in turn, created a situation for a third and final bout between the two.

Third Match: UFC Fight Night 6.5 (October 10, 2006)
The trilogy came to an end just a few months later at UFC Fight Night 6.5. This time, Ortiz wasted no time and dominated Shamrock from the opening bell, once again winning the first round via TKO. And the win ended the rivalry, with Ortiz coming out on top of all three fights. And long afterwards, Ortiz and Shamrock embraced each other in true sportsman spirit to end their bitter feud.

The Ortiz vs. Shamrock trilogy was one of the best early rivalries put forth by the UFC. They helped bring mainstream attention to the sport for both fighters, thus known as legends in the Octagon.

6. Stipe Miocic vs. Daniel Corm

The trilogy fight that may be said to be by far one of the most holding substances in UFC heavyweight history may be interpreted through the trilogies of Stipe Miocic and Daniel Cormier. Both champions, the two gladiators had been going at it in three of the most important fights that encapsulated no less than the heavyweight title, but also legacy and greatness.

First Fight: UFC 226 (July 7, 2018)
Miocic vs. Cormier I headlined UFC 226, where Miocic was defending his UFC Heavyweight Championship. Miocic is the longest-reigning defending UFC Heavyweight Champion and Cormier is the reigning UFC Light Heavyweight Champion when Cormier announces he would step up to heavyweight to challenge a fight at the king. And he has truly got the knockout with the right hook in round 1 of the fight against Miocic to attain the Heavyweight title and the second fighter to acquire two UFC honors at the exact time.

Second fight: UFC 241 (August 17, 2019)
They would meet once more at UFC 241 over a year later. Now, it was up to Miocic to set a few things right and put in motion some alterations to his rhythm. At this point, he was banging Cormier’s body without mercy. It was around halfway through the fourth round when Miocic successfully executed this mission. He initiated some jabs that forced the referee to halt the fight. By his hand, he regained the heavyweight championship. Now this was how to square up the record between the two and have a long-awaited trilogy match.

Third fight: UFC 252 (15 August 2020)
The series concluded at UFC 252 and, again, the heavyweight titles are up for grabs. Both knew this would likely be the last time and the stakes were high. Yet again, after a terrific war that went on for several rounds of jousting, Miocic took the fight with a unanimous decision, retaining his title and further proving he was the greatest heavyweight in the history of the UFC. After the fight, Cormier announced his retirement. It was not the end of one of the most epic trilogies in the sport. The fans will remember Miocic vs. Cormier and their trilogy, not only for the state-of-the-art fighting that they normally display but for their mutual respect and sportsmanship. True rivals yet evenly matched in a fight brought out the best. That has epically reflected across heavyweight history in MMA.

Conclusion
Epic trilogies take a superior place within the UFC fight game, and when they do happen, it forms history and forges and binds very strong memories. As detailed in this article, rivalries only begin with competition and are built piece by piece into every storyline and emotion, therefore every legacy these fighters leave behind. The epic battles between Randy Couture and Chuck Liddell, a notable heavyweight belt holder and the long-reigning light heavyweight champion, formed part of UFC history. These trilogies definitely stamped the word “UFC” in the annals of MMA giants and embarked the fighters’ route toward greatness. They really stand as a monument to the levels of skill, heart, and determination that it takes to compete at this level of mixed martial arts. The sport will continue to grow, and new trilogies will no doubt sprout up from all over, adding new colors to the rich tapestry of UFC history. But for now, these rivalries may be remembered as the greatest trilogies ever witnessed inside the Octagon.