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MMA promotions usually make fights that fans want to see. UFC president Dana White has always been vocal about his intention to put together meaningful cards that have the backing of fans.
This is in sharp contrast to boxing, where a complicated system involving different governing bodies and promoters means that the best boxers in adjacent weight classes often don't face off against each other.
But even in MMA, a number of high-profile fights have eluded fans despite being billed as potential PPV cash cows. Here are 5 dream MMA fights we never got to see.
#5 Khabib Nurmagomedov vs Georges St-Pierre
Two of the greatest fighters MMA has ever seen, Khabib Nurmagomedov and Georges St-Pierre were billed to clash immediately after the former became a well-known name in the UFC lightweight division.
Khabib had always struggled to make 155 lbs, and a win - or a title - in a different weight class seemed to be the one thing that could further his legacy in MMA. St-Pierre, meanwhile, was still in pristine shape despite having fought only once since 2013.
The fight threatened to materialize many times during Khabib's reign as UFC lightweight champion. Prior to his third title defence vs Justin Gaethje, 'The Eagle' claimed that he has his eye on a potential fight against St-Pierre. This was furthered by his father Abdulmanap's desire to see his son take on one of the greatest of all time.
But Abdulmanap sadly passed away, forcing Khabib to walk away from the sport and dashing any hopes of a fight against St-Pierre. He has been insistent on staying retired, and even claimed earlier this year that he isn't willing to risk fighting at 170 lbs.
How would the fight have gone down? Khabib is a hulking, strong 155-lber, so he wouldn't have been out of place at welterweight. And given the stage of each fighter's career, he probably would've had the edge, although the impenetrable all-round MMA game of 'Rush' wouldn't have been easy to overcome.
This is perhaps one fight that was lucky not to happen, as St-Pierre was well past his prime and Khabib wasn't in the right frame of mind to compete without his father.
#4 Brock Lesnar vs Fedor Emelianenko
While both fighters have fallen from grace slightly over the last decade, Brock Lesnar and Fedor Emelianenko were billed to clash back in 2009.
But 'The Last Emperor' failed to reach an agreement with the UFC and signed with StrikeForce instead, leaving fans without the opportunity to catch what would've been one of the most high-profile heavyweight fights of all time.
As the UFC heavyweight champion, Lesnar appeared to have the world at his feet. And Emelianenko, who was also firmly in his prime - or at least close to it - was expected to meet his match in Lesnar, whose overpowering wrestling and imposing figure struck fear in the fighters' hearts at the time.
Emelianenko would've probably entered the fight as the favorite, given his power and the fact that he was a far more well-rounded fighter on paper. But the outcome of the fight will remain an unanswered question.
#3 Khabib Nurmagomedov vs Conor McGregor 2
This might be a strange one given how one-sided the first meeting between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor appeared to be.
But after reviewing the fight closely, and with the former's fights against Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje in mind, there is a case to be made that a prime McGregor would've been the biggest threat to Khabib's undefeated record.
Khabib lost the first round of his UFC career against McGregor, who was clearly nowhere near his best at UFC 229. And the possibility of a rematch lingered on fans' minds even as late as this year, before 'The Notorious' was knocked out by Dustin Poirier.
Apart from the obvious PPV and monetary records that would've been shattered by Khabib vs McGregor 2, the Irishman's precise striking and accuracy couldn't have been counted out irrespective of how dominant Khabib was. The drama of the first fight would've been the perfect backdrop for a sequel, which simply wasn't to be.
#2 Anderson Silva vs Georges St-Pierre
Perhaps the biggest "what could've been" in MMA history, Georges St-Pierre vs Anderson Silva never happened despite it being fans' biggest dream for over a decade.
Weight was the primary issue with the fight, as the UFC never really entertained the idea of a catchweight and neither Silva nor St-Pierre were willing to compromise.
The tantalizing prospect of one of the most talented strikers of all time in Silva taking on the dominant force GSP was never came to fruition, first due to weight and later due to failed PED tests on the part of 'The Spider'.
When asked about why the fight never happened, Dana White said in November 2020:
“Never. GSP didn’t want that fight. We had these deals where, at that time, Anderson Silva was in a very unique position. He could have gone down [to welterweight] to fight Georges St-Pierre, they could have come up with a catchweight…GSP didn’t want to move up [to middleweight] to fight Silva.”
#1 Khabib Nurmagomedov vs Tony Ferguson
Perhaps the most cursed MMA fight of all time, Khabib Nurmagomedov vs Tony Ferguson was canceled five times over the course of five years between 2015 and 2020.
First booked for December 2015, the fight was moved to April 2016 after Khabib pulled out citing a knee injury. It was then Ferguson's turn to withdraw with a lung issue, before Khabib went through a difficult weight cut and couldn't make it to the Octagon in March 2017.
'El Cucuy' then tripped over a cord and blew out his knee ahead of their scheduled April 2018 bout, before the final nail in the coffin was their April 2020 fight getting canceled because of the travel restrictions imposed on Khabib.
Unfortunately, the paths of Khabib and Ferguson have gone in different directions over the last year. While the former interim UFC lightweight champ suffered a mauling at the hands of Justin Gaethje and then lost to Charles Oliveira, Khabib vanquished 'The Highlight' before retiring from MMA.
Ferguson is set to face Beneil Dariush at UFC 262, and his days as a top fighter seem to be numbered. But in his prime, the 37-year-old was an extremely dangerous fighter who could've given Khabib a run for his money. With his relentless pressure and strong ground game, Ferguson would've proved to be a very tough opponent to get past.
Even this week, Ferguson spoke about a potential clash with Khabib, asking the Dagestani to "quit running and sign on the dotted line". But unfortunately, Khabib vs Ferguson will always be a what-if in MMA.
