Whether it be UNC against Duke, the Yankees against the Red Sox, or the Philadelphia Eagles against the Dallas Cowboys, rivalries make any sport more appealing. My list of MMA's greatest rivalries is based on historical impact, commercial appeal, overall competitiveness and hate -- because in the world of MMA, nothing sells like bad blood between two elite-level fighters. So, in the words of UFC commentator Mike Goldberg: Here we go.
15. Lyoto Machida vs. Shogun Rua
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15. Lyoto Machida vs. Shogun Rua
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Many experts viewed Machida’s knockout against then undefeated Rashad Evans as the beginning of a new era in MMA. Machida hadn’t lost a round in the UFC, and Rua had not looked like the fighter who dominated in PRIDE. In their first fight, both combatants exchanged vicious kicks and knees over five rounds. A controversial decision for Machida forced a rematch. Rua ended all doubt with a devastating knockout, ending the hype.
14. Dominick Cruz vs. Urijah Faber
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14. Dominick Cruz vs. Urijah Faber
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Urijah Faber was the poster boy of the WEC. Cruz was making his WEC debut at 21 years old. Faber submitted Cruz via guillotine in less than two minutes, but they’d meet again four years later in the biggest crossover fight in the bantamweight division at UFC 132. The fight was fast-paced and highly competitive. Cruz won by decision, but the bad blood hasn’t stopped. Now that Cruz is healthy, a third fight seems inevitable.
13. Matt Hughes vs. Frank Trigg
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13. Matt Hughes vs. Frank Trigg
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In contrast to Hughes’ preserved demeanor, Trigg was a trash talker from upstate New York. Both were elite wrestlers and in their primes. Hughes won their first fight via rear naked choke. He did the same thing in their second fight, but this time after almost being knocked out. To this day, the fight is recognized as one of the greatest comebacks in UFC history.
12. Benson Henderson vs. Anthony Pettis
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12. Benson Henderson vs. Anthony Pettis
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Henderson-Pettis 1 was even going into the final minute of the last round of their WEC title fight when, as Stephen Bonner put it: “[Pettis] ran off the wall like a ninja” and kicked Henderson flush on his chin. Amazingly, the kick didn’t knock out Henderson, but it was enough to win Pettis the championship. Though Pettis dominated Henderson in their UFC rematch, Pettis’ off-the-fence kick places their rivalry among the most memorable.
11. Rampage Jackson vs. Wanderlei Silva
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11. Rampage Jackson vs. Wanderlei Silva
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Two legends. Bitter rivals. Three fights ending in knockout or technical knockout. It’s difficult to find a MMA rivalry more violent than this. Silva won the first two PRIDE fights with a succession of standing knees that rendered Jackson helpless along the ropes. Rampage won the third fight in the UFC with a crushing left hook that left Silva unconscious and twitching on the canvas. Thankfully, both fighters are now at peace with each other.
10. Frank Mir vs. Brock Lesnar
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10. Frank Mir vs. Brock Lesnar
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No fighter garnered more hype going into his UFC debut than 300-pound wrecking machine Brock Lesnar, whose hands were so massive they didn’t fit into the UFC’s double-XL gloves. To say there was bad blood going into his rematch with Mir at UFC 100 would be an understatement. Mir had submitted Lesnar via kneebar; in their rematch, Lesnar gave Mir one of the most brutal beatings the UFC has ever seen.
9. Randy Couture vs. Chuck Liddell
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9. Randy Couture vs. Chuck Liddell
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This trilogy proves that hate is not a necessary prerequisite for producing a classic rivalry. In their first encounter, Couture scored multiple takedowns and eventually stopped Liddell via TKO. Liddell scored two knockouts in their subsequent bouts. Both are still among the most popular fighters to ever enter the Octagon. The fact that they gained more popularity and respect among all UFC fans after their fights speaks to their character.
8. George St. Pierre vs. Matt Hughes
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8. George St. Pierre vs. Matt Hughes
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This trilogy marked the passing of the torch from one generation to the next. At the time of their first fight, Hughes was arguably the greatest champion the UFC had ever seen. In their second fight, St. Pierre showed that he had developed into a more rounded mixed martial artist, outclassing Hughes en route to a TKO in the second round. St. Pierre won their third fight via armbar and would surpass Hughes’ championship record.
7. B.J. Penn vs. GSP
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7. B.J. Penn vs. GSP
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You can’t deny the bad blood between these two legends. Penn was viewed as the more talented, less dedicated fighter, while St. Pierre was the more driven, less talented athlete. Their first fight would determine who was next in line for a welterweight title shot. St. Pierre, bloodied and seemingly beaten, won a controversial decision. He would later defend his welterweight title against Penn, the lightweight champ, in dominant fashion.
6. B.J. Penn vs. Matt Hughes
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6. B.J. Penn vs. Matt Hughes
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Hughes was the heavy favorite going into their first fight when Penn shocked the world by submitting him to become one of only two men (the other being Randy Couture) to hold UFC belts in two different divisions. In their second fight, Hughes became the first person to ever stop Penn. And in their third fight, Penn knocked Hughes out in 21 seconds. Hughes and Penn consider their victories over each other to be their greatest wins.
5. Tito Ortiz vs. Ken Shamrock
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5. Tito Ortiz vs. Ken Shamrock
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Two fighters who helped build the sport of MMA, particularly in the UFC, could not have hated each other more. It all started when Ortiz flipped off Ken Shamrock and the rest of the Lion’s Den after he defeated Guy Mezger. Although their trilogy would end up being the most one-sided rivalry (in favor of Ortiz,) their second fight set the record at the time for the most PPV buys.
4. Chuck Liddell vs. Tito Ortiz
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4. Chuck Liddell vs. Tito Ortiz
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Before Jon “Bones” Jones, Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz were the two most dominant heavyweight champions the UFC had ever seen. Ortiz was the young and brash and known for his ground-and-pound style, while Liddell was the most feared knockout artist in the sport. The general consensus going into their first fight had been that Ortiz was ducking Liddell. After Liddell’s two TKO victories, one has to wonder if those rumors were true.
3. Ronda Rousey vs. Miesha Tate
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3. Ronda Rousey vs. Miesha Tate
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It shouldn’t be a surprise to see Rousey versus Tate ranked among the top three greatest rivalries in MMA history. Their Strikeforce fight is rightfully credited as bringing women’s MMA to the UFC. Their co-main event UFC fight was the first time Rousey went past the first round; credit that to Tate, whose loss via armbar in the third round gained the respect of countless UFC fans around the world.
2. Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard
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2. Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard
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It is often said that without Joe Frazier, there would be no Muhammad Ali. Well, without Maynard, there would be no Edgar. This is not to say that Edgar wouldn’t have been recognized as one of the greatest lightweights in UFC history without Maynard, but these two fighters brought more out in each other than any other two MMA combatants.
1. Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen
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1. Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen
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No one, and I mean no one, had ever heard anyone talk as much trash to Silva as Sonnen did leading up to their first fight. Not only that, no one had ever seen Silva take the kind of beating he took during the first four and a half rounds. Somehow, Silva was able to submit Sonnen toward the end of the last round. And though he would go on to stop Sonnen in the rematch, Silva would never be the same dominant fighter as he once was.
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