5 best trilogies in UFC history

There have only been a handful of trilogies throughout the history of the UFC. Sometimes, the rivalry between two fighters demands a rubber match to finally settle the score.

One of the best trilogies of the modern era came to a head this past weekend at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, where Brandon Moreno and Deiveson Figueiredo locked horns for the third time. Figueiredo came away with a unanimous decision victory on the night.

That said, here are the five best trilogies in UFC history. Honorable mentions include the trilogies between Gary Maynard and Frankie Edgar, Forrest Griffin and Tito Ortiz, Brandon Moreno and Deiveson Figueiredo.

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#5. Conor McGregor vs. Dustin Poirier - UFC featherweight and lightweight division

Conor McGregor (left) and Dustin Poirier (right)

The rivalry between Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier has spanned almost seven years.

The duo squared off for the first time back in 2014. McGregor was in scintillating form at the time and made light work of Poirier, who was noticeably shaken by all the trash-talk coming his way going into the fight. The Irishman knocked out his American counterpart in the very first round.

Poirier and McGregor squared off in a rematch at UFC 257 on Fight Island in Abu Dhabi, over six years after their first fight. A close first round could have gone either way as both fighters enjoyed moments of success in the opening five minutes.

Poirier threw heavy leg kicks at McGregor’s lead-leg throughout the bout, and the cumulative damage was apparent in the second round. The Irishman’s right calf was compromised two minutes into the second round as 'The Diamond' picked up the pace.

Poirier backed up McGregor against the fence and delivered a series of powerful hooks, one of which caught 'The Notorious' clean. He won by second-round TKO.

The trilogy bout went down at UFC 264 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The bad blood between the two was evident throughout the build-up towards the fight. McGregor was desperate to return to winning ways while Poirier looked to put his saga with the Irishman behind him. The winner was expected to take on Charles Oliveira for the lightweight belt.

Poirier was dominating the fight for as long as it lasted. Unfortunately, the bout ended unceremoniously as McGregor sustained a gruesome leg injury at the end of the first round. The on-duty doctor called a halt to the bout and 'The Diamond' came away with a TKO victory.

Their rivalry might require a fourth fight to conclusively settle the score.

#4. Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos - UFC heavyweight division

Cain Velasquez (left) and Junior dos Santos (right)

Cain Velasquez joined the UFC in 2008 with a professional record of just 2-0. He improved his record to 8-0 and earned a shot at the title with wins over the likes of Cheik Kongo, Ben Rothwell and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. The California native took on Brock Lesnar for the heavyweight belt at UFC 121 and secured a first-round TKO finish to become the new champion.

Velasquez looked set to make his first title defense against rising Brazilian contender Junior dos Santos. Dos Santos boasted a professional record of 13-1 at the time and had developed a reputation for being a talented striker.

Many believed the Brazilian would struggle against the wrestling pedigree and relentless pressure of Velasquez. He came into the bout as the betting underdog. In one of the biggest upsets in the history of the heavyweight division, dos Santos knocked the champion out a little over a minute into the fight.

Velasquez and dos Santos squared off in a rematch at UFC 155 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Dos Santos, the champion, was coming off a successful title defense against Frank Mir while Velasquez earned a shot at the title following a first-round TKO victory over Antonio Silva.

In the rematch, Velasquez produced one of the best performances of his career. He maintained an unbelievable amount of pressure on dos Santos, repeatedly taking the Brazilian down to the canvas. The champion was noticeably fatigued after the first two rounds and did well to survive the next three. The challenger earned a unanimous decision victory to reclaim his belt.

The duo locked horns in a trilogy bout at UFC 166, where the reigning champion delivered yet another trademark ‘Cardio-Cain’ performance. Velasquez outworked dos Santos for four-and-a-half rounds before finding the TKO finish three minutes into the final round.

Their trilogy remains one of the most iconic in the history of the heavyweight division.

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#3. Stipe Miocic vs. Daniel Cormier - UFC heavyweight division

Stipe Miocic (left) and Daniel Cormier (right)

The most recent trilogy in the heavyweight division was one of the most memorable in MMA history.

Stipe Miocic won the heavyweight title in 2016 with a win over Fabricio Werdum. The Cleveland native dominated the division for over two years, defending his belt against a murderers' row of challengers. He defeated Alistair Overeem, Junior dos Santos and Francis Ngannou to solidify his status as one of the greatest heavyweights of all time.

Miocic's next opponent would be the then-light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier. 'DC' was looking to become a two-division champion. The duo squared off at UFC 226 in Las Vegas, Nevada, where Cormier shocked the world.

Daniel Cormier knocked Miocic out in the very first round of their fight, sending the crowd in attendance at the T-Mobile Arena into a frenzy.

'DC' subsequently defended his title against Derrick Lewis. In his second title defense, the former Olympian took on Stipe Miocic in a rematch.

The sequel went down at UFC 241 in Anaheim, California. Cormier dominated the first three rounds, picking apart Stipe Miocic with some slick boxing. With three rounds in the bag, 'DC' was primed to come away with the victory.

However, Miocic made a huge adjustment in the fourth round. The former champion started landing powerful hooks to Cormier's body, which were clearly having a significant impact. 11 body shots later, the reigning champion crumbled to the canvas and Miocic became a two-time heavyweight champion.

Stipe Miocic and Daniel Cormier locked horns for the third time at UFC 252 in 2020. The duo slugged it out for five rounds with Miocic eventually emerging victorious. Cormier would retire following the loss.

#2. Matt Hughes vs. Georges St-Pierre - UFC welterweight division

Georges St-Pierre (left) and Matt Hughes (right)

The epic trilogy between Matt Hughes and Georges St. Pierre represented a lot more than just the rivalry between the two UFC welterweights.

Hughes, at the peak of his powers, was considered one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the sport. He defeated Carlos Newton in 2001 to become the new champion at 170 lbs and subsequently defended his belt five times before losing to B.J. Penn. The American bounced back with a win over Renato Verissimo and earned a shot at the then-vacant title.

At UFC 50, Hughes took on Georges St-Pierre, a young Canadian fighter holding a record of 7-0. St-Pierre came in with a ton of hype and many believed the former champion would struggle against the young prospect. However, he silenced the doubters with a sensational armbar-submission to reclaim the title he lost to Penn.

The duo ran it back over two years later at UFC 65.

St-Pierre exacted his revenge in style, catching Hughes with a perfectly placed head-kick that saw the reigning champion crash to the canvas. After a few follow-up strikes on the ground, the referee called a halt to the fight and 'Rush' was crowned the new welterweight champion.

There was a lot more than a world title on the line going into their trilogy bout. The question as to who was the best welterweight of their era was still up for debate. They squared off at UFC 79 to finally settle the score.

St-Pierre dominated the third bout. The Canadian finished Hughes the same way the American finished him in their first fight - with an armbar. 'Rush' went on to rule the 170 lbs division for over half a decade before vacating the belt.

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#1. Chuck Liddell vs. Randy Couture - UFC light heavyweight division

Chuck Liddell (left) and Randy Couture (right)

The rivalry between MMA legends Chuck Liddell and Randy Couture produced the first epic trilogy in UFC history.

Couture, the former heavyweight champion, opted to move down to light heavyweight after back-to-back losses to Josh Barnett and Ricco Rodriguez. He made his 205 lbs debut when he took on Liddell for the interim light heavyweight title at UFC 43. The winner was slated to take on then-champion Tito Ortiz.

Couture demolished Liddell that night. 'The Natural' won the interim title and subsequently defeated Ortiz to become the undisputed champion, as well as the first fighter to hold titles in two divisions.

The rematch had a lot more hype behind it. The duo featured as coaches on the inaugural season of The Ultimate Fighter, a reality series. The show was an instant-hit and garnered a significant amount of attention.

Following the conclusion of the series, Liddell and Couture locked horns with the latter’s light heavyweight title on the line. The fight lasted a little over two minutes as Liddell knocked Couture out in the very first round to become the new champion at 205 lbs.

The trilogy bout went down at UFC 57, where Chuck Liddell successfully defended his title against Randy Couture. 'The Iceman' secured a second-round KO to put the duo's long-running rivalry to bed.

So what makes their trilogy the greatest? There are a multitude of reasons. All three bouts were title fights that ended in finishes, unlike any other entry on this list. Also, all three fights were the main events on pay-per-views.

More importantly, Liddell and Couture played a pivotal role in the growth of MMA.

Their first fight saw Couture become a two-division champion, an achievement only seven fighters have accomplished in promotional history. The second fight came in the aftermath of The Ultimate Fighter, the show that famously saved the company from potentially shutting down. If it wasn't for their rivalry, who knows what would have happened to the sport we know and love today?