Dricus Du Plessis and Khamzat Chimaev are all set to face each other in the UFC 319 main event. While Dricus will defend the middleweight title with his life, Khamzat has a chance to grab the belt and extend his unbeaten streak to 15-0.
Nevertheless, as a UFC fan, I hope that this bout will give birth to another unmatched rivalry. From Chuck Liddle vs. Tito Ortiz to Chael Sonnen vs. Anderson Silva, we, the UFC fans, desperately need another blood-lust rivalry.
Anyway, there’s time between Dricus vs. Khamzat, and till then, why don’t we explore some of the greatest and fiercest rivalries in UFC?
Also, you might be wondering where you can catch UFC 319, right? So, let me start by explaining where you can seamlessly watch the next UFC event.
Where to Watch UFC 319?
Not just UFC 319, but all UFC events are available to stream via ESPN+. Luckily, I’ve bundled cable TV with Spectrum Internet Packages and catch all the live action on ESPN+. Furthermore, with Spectrum’s high-speed internet, I can relive iconic and historic UFC bouts in HD quality, and that too, without any buffering.
Fiercest Rivalries in UFC’s History
Throughout UFC history, we’ve witnessed some thrilling rivalries that have produced unforgettable bouts. Here, I’ll discuss my picks for the top five rivalries, which I believe are a class apart.
So, let’s start!
Conor McGregor vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov
Who doesn’t remember Conor vs. Khabib? Arguably, it was one of the most entertaining UFC bouts I’ve ever witnessed. UFC fans know that Conor “The Notorious” McGregor has a big ego, and before that match, it was at stake.
On the other hand, Khabib simply wanted to put an end to Conor’s trash talk. Plus, he had a point to prove that Conor’s defenses weren’t impenetrable.
Having said that, I never saw McGregor so helpless inside the octagon like he was that night. He had no answers to Khabib’s jabs and punches, and barely made any counterattacks. Eventually, in the fourth round, Conor tapped, and Khabib came out victorious.
Average UFC fights end as soon as the final bell rings, but who said it was just another match? Well, after successfully submitting Conor, Khabib jumped straight to his opponent’s corner and lashed out at his crew.
It was my first time experiencing something like this. For Khabib, defeating Conor simply wasn’t enough, and hence, he landed a few jabs, kicks, and punches at his crew. Although both fighters were suspended for some time after this altercation, this matchup between Conor and Khabib is arguably the hottest UFC rivalry to date.
Conor McGregor vs. Nate Diaz
Before Khabib became Conor’s arch-rival, it was Nate Diaz who had bad blood with the Irishman. It’s an undeniable fact that McGregor has a big mouth. Even today, he doesn’t refrain from openly challenging UFC fighters. But at his prime, there was hardly a better UFC athlete than him.
And, when Nate ended his supremacy in UFC after handing him a defeat at UFC 196 by submission, Conor’s mission became clear as daylight – to avenge his hurtful and humiliating defeat.
The rivalry between Conor and Nate had already been hyped up by fans, and a rematch at UFC 202 made things more interesting. Nate, on one hand, wanted to strengthen his dominance over Conor. On the other hand, it was all or nothing for Conor, as another humiliation could probably mark the end of his lustrous career.
It was a nail-biting rematch, as both fighters stood tall in all rounds. However, McGregor survived to live another day as the judges awarded him a glorious victory over Nate Diaz. Having said that, UFC fans desperately wanted a trilogy between the two athletes, but that doesn’t seem to be happening anytime soon.
Colby Covington vs. Jorge Masvidal
The rivalry is usually a bitter and cold one when two friends turn out against each other. It happened when Colby, who once trained and even roomed with Jorge, started to trash-talk about him. One thing led to another, and UFC announced a matchup between the two fighters.
Well, Colby started this confrontation, and now had to defeat a formidable opponent to satisfy his ego. Jorge, on the other hand, had a single motive – to silence his once roommate and training buddy.
I remember I was on Jorge’s side and wanted him to knock out Colby. However, it didn’t happen as both athletes survived the rounds. It was time for the jury to decide a winner, and they unanimously chose Colby.
Having said that, there are no rumors about a rematch. But I believe this matchup has all the potential and history to become one of the fiercest rivalries in UFC.
Conor McGregor vs. Dustin Poirier
It’s difficult to keep Conor out of this list, isn’t it? Well, this time, the feud between Conor and Poirier had reached new heights, as both the legendary fighters laced up their boots for a long, tiring, and bloody fight.
However, it was before UFC 257, because both fighters had faced each other first at UFC 178. Then, the “Notorious” comfortably defeated Poirier. But the bad blood between both fighters never ended, and at UFC 257, it was time for Poirier to take revenge.
If you watch the pre-match conferences, it may give you the impression that both fighters are friends. Also, you might be surprised to see how friendly and respectful Conor was towards Poirier.
And, this soft attitude cost Conor big time in UFC 257.
This time, the result was different as Poirier obliterated Conor. Honestly, it was a surprise to me because I didn’t imagine in my wildest dreams that Conor could lose. Anyway, the trash talk continued for months after the rematch. Also, if there’s one trilogy I would want to see in the future, it has to be this one.
So, for me, these are the top four UFC rivalries.
And as a UFC fan, I’ll highly recommend you watch these fights to understand what true rivalry inside the octagon really means. And, I hope that with UFC 319 and other future events, we get to see such rivalries that make this sport so entertaining.