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Such is the star power of Conor McGregor, that in a time when UFC PPV events are almost exclusively headlined by title fights, he is one half of the non-title trilogy bout headlining UFC 264.
McGregor will face off against Dustin Poirier in a much anticipated rubber match that takes place this weekend in Las Vegas, Nevada. This is not the first time McGregor has headlined a PPV card without being in a title fight and it is unlikely that it will be the last.
Running with that theme, in the following list we will go over three UFC PPV events that have been headlined by a non-title fight. The list will focus on events in more recent times, considering during the early days of the UFC, PPV events with non-title fights were a relative norm.
3) UFC 183 - Anderson Silva vs. Nick Diaz
With Nick Diaz supposedly set to return to the UFC this September, there has never been a better time to relive his last UFC performance. At UFC 183, Nick Diaz made the move up to middleweight to face off against all-time great Anderson 'The Spider' Silva. The card also featured a co-main event between future welterweight champion Tyron Woodley, who took on Kelvin Gastelum.
Diaz ultimately came up short against Silva, but he gave fans a vintage performance with all the classic taunts and antics the Diaz brothers have become known for. Whilst the fight was later overturned to a No Contest due to Silva testing positive for PED's, the event itself gave fans everything they were hoping for.
2) UFC 139 - Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua vs. Dan Henderson
The headlining fight of UFC 139 between 'Shogun' Rua and Dan Henderson is considered to be one of the greatest UFC fights of all time. The two light heavyweight legends put on a five-round war that saw moments of control for both men.
It was Dan Henderson who had his hand was raised at the end, although either man could have easily won it. The main event was also littered with fan favorite legends of MMA such Wanderlei Silva, Cung Le and Urijah Faber. UFC 139 is a card that will be remembered favorably by fans for many years due to some extraordinary performances and expert matchmaking.
1) UFC 202 - Conor McGregor vs. Nate Diaz 2
Conor McGregor had to be on the list at some point, and while events such as UFC 246, UFC 257 and UFC 196 are all strong contenders, the rematch between McGregor and Nate Diaz surpasses all others.
McGregor was coming off the first loss of his UFC career after being submitted by Nate Diaz at UFC 196. Both men were huge fan favorites and the whole sports world was abuzz with anticipation.
The main card saw four KO stoppages that got fans even more excited for the headlining fight. McGregor and Diaz went out and put on a five-round back-and-forth war, one that still has fans arguing over the result to this day. It was McGregor who picked up the judges' decision, leaving both men with one win apiece in their rivalry. Should a trilogy fight ever be booked, it has the potential to eclipse all other events on the list.
