5 former UFC champions who were granted undeserved rematches feat. Sean O'Malley

The concept of rematches in the UFC is always a tricky one to gauge. Some fans always want fallen champions to receive the chance to win back their title, while others simply want to move on to someone new.

Over the years, the UFC has booked plenty of title fight rematches - but at times, it does feel like some have been undeserved.

Whether the fighters granted the rematch were favorites of the promotion or were simply in the right place at the right time tends to vary.

Either way, here are five former UFC champions who were granted undeserved rematches.

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#5. Daniel Cormier - former UFC heavyweight champion

Daniel Cormier is undoubtedly a UFC legend and was quite rightfully inducted into the promotion's Hall of Fame in 2022. After all, he remains one of only four fighters to hold two titles in different weight classes simultaneously.

However, it's still arguable that 'DC' did receive preferential treatment from the UFC's brass at times, most notably in the summer of 2020.

Cormier had claimed the heavyweight title from Stipe Miocic in 2018 while still holding the 205-pound crown. After vacating the latter, he received a chance to defend the former.

He beat Derrick Lewis, but then fell to Miocic via knockout in a rematch in the summer of 2019. Given Miocic hadn't fought since being knocked out by 'DC' before that rematch, it's arguable that he could be included on this list in his own right.

However, Miocic was the most dominant heavyweight champion in octagon history, and in the summer of 2019, there was no clear-cut alternative contender.

By 2020, though, that wasn't the case, as Francis Ngannou was riding a four-fight win streak and clearly warranted a shot at the title.

Instead, despite not fighting for a year after being stopped by Miocic, Cormier was given the nod from the matchmakers, even though he'd already publically discussed retiring after the fight regardless of the result.

The idea was clearly to allow the two men to finish their trilogy, but realistically, 'DC' hadn't done enough to warrant leapfrogging over Ngannou.

In the end, of course, Miocic outpointed Cormier in his final bout, and then went on to lose the title to Ngannou some months later.

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#4. Frankie Edgar - former UFC lightweight champion

No title reign in UFC history is as synonymous with rematches as Frankie Edgar's run with the lightweight title from 2010 to 2012.

'The Answer' upset BJ Penn to claim the 155-pound title in early 2010, and then sealed their rivalry by outclassing the Hawaiian in a rematch some months later.

A controversial draw with Gray Maynard followed, and in the inevitable rematch, Edgar delivered the goods once again, this time scoring a TKO win to retain his title. Unfortunately, by that stage, many fans had tired of 'The Answer', with some labelling him a "point fighter".

In Edgar's defense, part of the frustration came from the injury-inspired delay in the Maynard rematch, which held up a division that had numerous fresh contenders.

Either way, when he was beaten by Benson Henderson in early 2012, those doubters breathed a sigh of relief. That relief turned into annoyance, though, when it was announced that Edgar would receive an immediate rematch six months later.

In this instance, it could be argued 'The Answer' deserved a shot to reclaim his title, but realistically, a rematch was the last thing most fans wanted to see.

Incredibly, while Henderson did win the fight and retain his title, it came via a razor-close split decision. Had Edgar won, the division likely would've been tied up again - something that would've soured his reputation with some fans even more.

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#3. Jorge Masvidal - former UFC BMF champion

Few fighters came into 2020 with as much momentum as Jorge Masvidal.

'Gamebred' won three fights in 2019, knocking out Darren Till, Ben Askren and Nate Diaz. His win over Askren was the fastest in UFC history, and his win over Diaz made him the inaugural 'BMF' champion.

When welterweight champion Kamaru Usman needed an opponent to headline the UFC's first 'Fight Island' event against, then, Masvidal was naturally the first choice.

Unfortunately, he also demanded more money than was being offered, making Dana White and company skip over him in favor of Gilbert Burns.

When Burns tested positive for COVID-19 and was forced out, though, 'Gamebred' got the pay bump he wanted, and took the fight on short notice.

He was largely outclassed by Usman, losing a decision, but as soon as the event had ended, Masvidal - and his legions of fans - began to push the narrative that he'd have won with a full training camp.

In all honesty, that narrative was clearly not true. Even so, just under a year later, it was still enough to net him a largely undeserved rematch, despite the fact that 'Gamebred' had not fought since the first bout.

Unfortunately for Masvidal, though, Usman seemed determined to end any doubts around his initial win. An angry 'Nigerian Nightmare' knocked 'Gamebred' out violently in the second round, ending the rivalry for good.

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#2. Jose Aldo - former UFC featherweight champion

When Max Holloway crushed Jose Aldo to claim the featherweight title in the summer of 2017, it felt like the end of an era for the UFC.

Sure, Conor McGregor had already dethroned the Brazilian in 2015, but 'The Notorious' had swiftly moved on to other things, leaving the 145-pound division behind.

Aldo reclaimed the vacant title by beating Frankie Edgar, and generally looked like the best fighter in the division again. When he ran into Holloway, though, he was beaten down like never before, and seemed to have been knocked out of the title scene, too.

That wasn't the case, though. Aldo accepted a fight six months later with veteran contender Ricardo Lamas, but when Edgar - who was pegged as Holloway's first challenger - got injured, the UFC came knocking.

The Brazilian had little choice but to accept a completely unwarranted rematch on late notice, and unsurprisingly, he came up short again. Just like the first fight, he was battered by 'Blessed', and ended up being finished in the third round again.

Arguably, he was never quite the same fighter afterwards.

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#1. Sean O'Malley - former UFC bantamweight champion

All of the other former champions named on this list came up short in their arguably-undeserved title rematch. Next month, fans will get to see whether former bantamweight king Sean O'Malley can buck that trend.

The fact that 'Sugar' is getting another crack at current titleholder Merab Dvalishvili in the headliner of UFC 316 has left many fans scratching their heads. After all, O'Malley has not fought since he was downed by 'The Machine' last September.

That fight turned out to be a surprisingly one-sided one, as Dvalishvili easily used his grappling skills and pace to wear down 'Sugar', despite O'Malley attempting a late comeback in the final round.

More to the point, it isn't like the 135-pound division is short on potential contenders, with the likes of Cory Sandhagen and Petr Yan on strong winning runs.

So how has O'Malley found himself in this position? The truth is that while his performance last September didn't warrant a rematch, he's still the most bankable star that the UFC has at 135 pounds, and remains a big name with casual fans.

Given that he's also given some reasons for his flat performance - with his coach most recently blaming the lighting in the Las Vegas Sphere - Dana White and company clearly believe he needs a second chance.

Whether that's the case or not, we'll only know next month.