Rivalry happens anywhere their is a form of competition. This can be healthy where maturity is considered and the rivalry is just to steer the opponents to win. The same happens in the UFC fights all the time. Some of the most interesting rivalries among MMA fighters in the UFC include;
Conor McGregor vs Nate Diaz 3
The rivalry betweeen these two ins’t really abou the game but the bosting of whom between them is the king of the UFC title heavyweight and the money in the bank. It began back in UFC 196 when Nate shocked everyone in the arena by trashing Conor just in the second round.
The rematch five months later saw McGregor regroup and get the best of Diaz, edging him slightly to grab the majority decision victory. It has been over 3 years since the second fight, and if the trilogy fight is to happen, it should be in 2020.
If they wait until 2021 or if either fighter suffers another defeat, the interest from the fans might not be there anymore.However, most probably the two will need to settle their scores in the Octagon.
Ronda Rousey VS. Miesha Tate
Under the Strikeforce banner is when the rivaly began but carried over the UFC women’s bantamweight division and remained one of the top championship rivalries in the sport today.
Rousey has won four consecutive wins in her career yet she set her sights on challenging Tate for the Strikeforce women’s bantamweight title. The problem was she had previously been competing at featherweight and the newly minted titleholder wasn’t all that keen on the idea, suggesting Rousey was trying to avoid Cris Cyborg and use Tate’s standing to propel herself to greater heights
When Cat Zingano suffered a knee injury prior to serving opposite Rousey as a coach on Season 18 of The Ultimate Fighter, the UFC tabbed Tate to replace her in both the series and the subsequent championship bout. The season and build-up to their rematch was tense, with Rousey refusing to let an opportunity to take a shot at Tate go by.
In their second meeting, Tate would become the first fighter to last beyond the first round with the Olympic judoka, but the end result was the same, with Rousey retaining her title by armbar in the third. But now it’s Tate who stands atop the women’s bantamweight division and all signs point to a trilogy match between these two rivals eventually being in the cards.
Angela Lee vs Mei Yamaguchi 1
This was considered as the 2016 fight of the year as Angela and Mei together in the arena put ONE Championship on the map with this fight. This fight was evidence enough that women are every bit as skilled as men once the fight goes to the ground. In a hooping 25 minutes, these two exchanged takedowns, submission attempts, submission escapes and showed the ultimate display of heart.
Brock Lesnar vs Frank Mir
When the legendary Brock returned to the fighting game,UFC gave him Frank who wasn’t easy to take down as a former champion as well. The fight didn’t last long. Lesnar looked good out of the gate, but after a quick stand-up, Mir snared the hulking wrestler in a kneebar, maintaining the hold while Lesnar feverishly tapped and the referee failed to stop the bout.
That loss and the way it went down resonated with Lesnar, and after both men claimed UFC gold. A rematch talked about but never materilaized.
B.J.Penn vs. George St-Pierre
This one had so much controversy considering the two were ufc gold. UFC 94 stands as the last time champions from two divisions have shared the cage simultaneously and the fight remains one of the biggest bouts in the organization’s history.
St-Pierre dominated the action from the outset, repeatedly putting Penn on the canvas and grinding him down using his wrestling which led to the forth round.