Israel Adesanya vs. Alex Pereira and 4 other great rivalries in the UFC

The UFC is home to fighters who are driven by the competitive urge to overcome their adversaries. In sports that have nothing to do with physical combat, rivalries arise due to the inborn need to do better than those with whom one is competing.

The feeling is even more pronounced when one's competitor is tasked with physically harming them to claim victory.

Mixed martial artists, like all combat sports athletes, are proud men and women. Many equate their success in the ring or cage with their own self-worth as a person.

Many regard the world championships they win as physical embodiments of the hardship and effort they pour into pursuing their dreams. Thus, when other fighters emerge to challenge them, some fighters take things personally.

This has led to a range of rivalries in the UFC. Some rivalries are due to personal differences, while others arise from a competitive fire burning too brightly.

The greatest UFC rivalry among active fighters at the peak of their powers is likely Israel Adesanya's with Alex Pereira. This list examines their contentious history along with four other rivalries in the UFC.

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#5. Alexander Volkanovski vs. Max Holloway

Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway have been locked in a rivalry since late 2019. Both men have faced each other three times, with Volkanovski besting Holloway by decision every single time, though their second fight was controversial due to its close nature.

Before their first bout, Holloway was on a dominant run through the featherweight division as the defending champion. Joe Rogan, as has become common, prematurely declared Holloway the greatest featherweight of all time.

Volkanovski would soon emerge to put that claim in question. In their first matchup, the Australian neutralized Holloway's jab with his calf kick, interrupting him at every turn and preventing him from building his avalanche of offense.

A competitive fire was sparked between the two men. By the time of their second bout, 'Blessed' made the necessary adjustments to truly trouble Volkanovski, even dropping the Australian.

Fight fans and media members alike believed Holloway had done enough to claim victory. The judges, however, saw things differently, awarding Volkanovski a split-decision win.

Holloway was shocked and later incensed by the result. After rumblings of a third matchup between the two made the rounds, 'The Great' was himself incensed, claiming that it seemed as if the intention was to book rematches until Holloway won.

When Holloway had to withdraw from the scheduled trilogy bout, Volkanovski questioned the legitimacy of his injury. The matchup was rescheduled, and during the buildup to UFC 276, Holloway uncharacteristically relied on emotionally-charged trash talk.

Unfortunately for the Hawaiian, he came up short in his third attempt, losing in dominant fashion to his longtime rival.

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#4. Colby Covington vs. Jorge Masvidal

At one point in time, Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal were once close friends. In fact, in Covington's words, the two were best friends. Masvidal claims to have helped the former UFC interim welterweight champion in the past by accommodating him at his own home when Covington had no place to stay.

'Chaos' contested the claim, stating that it was the home of Masvidal's ex-wife instead. The two were former training partners at the American Top Team, during which tensions arose when Covington adopted his heel gimmick and began verbally attacking their teammates in the media. Dan Lambert was forced to discipline both fighters to no avail.

Masvidal began to publicly question the integrity of Covington's decision to attack former friends and training partners for the purpose of raising his public profile. He did this all the while accusing 'Chaos' of refusing to pay one of their coaches.

When Covington finally left ATT, the feud escalated. The NCAA Division I standout revealed details of their past sparring sessions, claiming to have dominated Masvidal to such an extent that 'Gamebred' became unwilling to train with him.

He also questioned his former friend's quality as a father before posting an Instagram picture with a woman alleged to be Masvidal's ex-wife and accusing him of previous infidelity.

When the two faced off at UFC 272, Covington won in dominant fashion. The rivalry, however, was not over as 'Chaos' was later attacked by Masvidal outside a steakhouse, leading to a legal dispute between the two former friends that is yet to be resolved.

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#3. Aljamain Sterling vs. Petr Yan

Aljamain Sterling is the current UFC bantamweight champion, while Petr Yan is the division's former kingpin. Both men have locked horns twice, with both fights ending in victories for Sterling.

Their first bout, however, has an asterix. Prior to UFC 259, Petr Yan was the reigning UFC bantamweight champion. Sterling made it a point to question the widely held opinion that Yan was the division's best fighter by criticizing the competition the Russian had faced in his path to the title.

Yan faced Urijah Faber, who by no one's metric was an elite bantamweight at that point. Afterward, the Russian faced Jose Aldo, who while great, was on a two-fight losing streak, capturing the then vacant bantamweight title against the Brazilian.

So when Yan finally faced Sterling at UFC 259, the Russian phenom had a point to prove. He dominated the fight, punctuating his performance with several takedowns to add insult to injury as Sterling is primarily a wrestler.

However, in the final minute of the fourth round, Yan landed an illegal knee when Sterling was grounded. Sterling was unable to continue the bout and won Yan's belt due to disqualification, becoming the first UFC champion to do so in the promotion's history.

Fans around the world were highly critical of Sterling following the bout, with many suggesting that the Jamaican's reactions following the illegal knee were exaggerated. They believed that he was well-equipped to continue the bout but refused to do so as he recognized Yan's superiority.

The claims intensified when Yan himself began echoing them and Sterling was forced to withdraw from a scheduled rematch in favor of a surgery he had been delaying.

'The Funmkaster' became an internet meme, with many labeling him a paper champion fleeing from the true champion. After recovering from his surgery, Sterling agreed to a rematch but Yan was forced to withdraw, leading to accusations from Sterling.

Finally, at UFC 273, the two faced off in a bout many believed Yan would win without effort. Instead, Sterling controlled major portions of the bout when the Russian repeatedly exposed his back while defending takedowns, leading to a split-decision loss for the former champion.

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#2. Conor McGregor vs. Nate Diaz

UFC 196 was originally scheduled as a crowning moment for Conor McGregor. UFC President Dana White agreed to lift one of the promotion's longstanding restrictions and allow the Irishman to challenge for another championship while holding on to the featherweight title.

His opponent was Rafael dos Anjos, the then reigning UFC lightweight champion. After fracturing his foot, however, the Brazilian withdrew from the bout and was replaced by Nate Diaz.

Diaz had, months earlier, called McGregor out in an infamous post-fight interview during which he accused the Irishman of taking everything he had worked for. Without a fight camp to prepare him, many expected Diaz to lose.

His chances were written off by fans and media members alike. The pre-fight press conference featured trash talk between the two, as was expected, with McGregor referring to Diaz as a gazelle: prey.

On fight night, both men entered the octagon high on confidence. McGregor dominated the first round, while Diaz bided his time by rolling and moving with the Irishman's punches to sap the power from them while countering his foe.

After a round of overextending his power-punches and throwing flashy energy-consuming kicks, McGregor emptied his gas tank. In a shocking twist, Diaz rocked his foe with a 1-2 combination, forcing the Irishman to shoot in for a takedown.

The Stockton legend defended his foe's takedown, ultimately securing a rear-naked choke in one of the most shocking upsets in UFC history. It was a humiliating loss for McGregor.

At the time, he was a world champion, whereas Diaz already had eight UFC losses on his record with his championship pursuits all but a distant memory. A rematch was scheduled and McGregor was uncharacteristically calmer during the build-up to UFC 202.

Insults were traded between the two and the younger Diaz brother promised to put an end to Conor McGregor's UFC push. The second bout was a back-and-forth affair which McGregor ultimately won by majority decision, a result that Diaz has contested to this day.

While the two have not faced one another since, a trilogy bout has been rumored as both men continue to jaw at each other on social media.

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#1. Alex Pereira vs. Israel Adesanya

There is no love lost between Alex Pereira and Israel Adesanya. The two, in many ways, are opposites.

Adesanya is an elusive counter-striker who neutralizes his opponent's ability to engage, while Pereira is a pressure-based knockout artist with the most brutal left hook in kickboxing history.

The Brazilian is a reserved character who radiates a silent but thick intensity. 'The Last Stylebender', on the other hand, is outspoken, wearing his heart on his sleeve.

Adesanya never captured a world title in kickboxing but currently holds the UFC middleweight championship. 'Poatan', by contrast, has never held an MMA championship but is the first kickboxer in history to simultaneously hold two Glory titles.

Both men have crossed paths in the kickboxing world, with Pereira winning both matchups. Their first bout ended with a decision victory in favor of Pereira, a result that Adesanya disputes. Their second fight, however, ended in a brutal knockout that led to Adesanya requiring an oxygen mask in the ring.

The losses appear to be a source of significant insecurity for Adesanya due to his emotionally-charged reactions whenever the topic is brought up. For example, when Sean Strickland used the losses as verbal ammunition at the UFC 276 pre-fight press conference.

The rivalry was further heightened by the Nigerian's expressed desire to introduce his future foe to the damage he'll be able to inflict with four-ounce gloves, citing his success against Pereira during their past kickboxing bouts.

Pereira, confused by Adesanya's statement, questioned the logic behind the Nigerian's words given that with larger gloves, he left Adesanya unconscious in the ring.

Following both men's performances at UFC 276, a future title fight is in the works with Adesanya looking to avenge his past losses, while Pereira intends on repeating his kickboxing success against 'The Last Stylbender' in MMA.