5 UFC fighters who lived rent-free in their rivals' heads

Vinayak
Conor McGregor fighting Dustin Poirier at UFC 264: Poirier v McGregor 3
Conor McGregor fighting Dustin Poirier at UFC 264: Poirier v McGregor 3

#4 UFC bantamweights T.J. Dillashaw and Cody Garbrandt

Following Cody Garbrandt's ascent to the top of the UFC bantamweight food chain, a clash between himself and former Team Alpha Male teammate T.J. Dillashaw was inevitable. Cody Garbrandt couldn't help but wonder about the same. A war of words ensued between the two, with Dillashaw claiming to have made Garbrandt cry in practice.

Garbrandt clapped back by releasing a video of him knocking Dillashaw down. They later had stints as rival TUF coaches, where fans saw them verbally nuking each other throughout.

UFC 217 saw the rivals butt heads inside the octagon for the first time. Dillashaw walked out of the cage as the victor that night, putting Garbrandt to sleep in the second round. They subsequently decided to run it back, headlining UFC 227. However, the result was the same this time around with Dillashaw walking away with a first round KO/TKO win.

The legitimacy of T.J. Dillashaw's accomplishments in the UFC came into question after he tested positive for a banned substance called recombinant human erythropoietin (EPO) during a later fight against Henry Cejudo. This was all the ammo Garbrandt needed to renew his war of words with Dillashaw.


#3 UFC light heavyweights Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier

The feud between 'DC' and 'Bones' is perhaps one of the most infamous feuds in the history of the promotion. Jon Jones has managed to thrive in 'DC's mind for quite some time. Both fighters have indulged in a lot of action both inside and outside the octagon. From brawls during pre-fight formalities to ceaseless jabs on social media, Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier have done it all.

Although 'DC' has been away from active contention for quite some time, the heavyweight top dog never fails to throw shade at his longtime rival. They fought twice with DC suffering a unanimous decision loss the first time around at UFC 182 back in 2015. Their rematch ended with a 'no contest' after Jones tested positive for a banned substance called Turinabol.

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