10 Greatest MMA Rivalries in History – Ranked

Rivalries in MMA are one of the major reasons why the sport’s popularity has skyrocketed over the last decade. They show the fierce competition between two fighters, their undying will to win, and the nail-biting stories that unravel outside and inside the octagon. 

In this blog post, I’ll explore the top 10 MMA rivalries based on their level of entertainment, significance, competitiveness, and impact on the sports of mixed martial arts. 

Stay with me, and take a look at the greatest MMA rivalries in history!

#10 – Ronda Rousey vs. Miesha Tate

The list of the top 10 greatest MMA rivalries in history starts with the one between Miesha Tate and Ronda Rousey. 

These two elite women’s fighters started to dislike each other when Ronda got the chance to challenge Tate for the bantamweight title in the Strikeforce fighting promotion. Rousey had a 4-0 record prior to their first fight, but Tate didn’t see her as a worthy opponent in terms of fighting for the belt she had. 

However, Rousey was confident she could take the belt from Tate, and she did. In the first round, Rousey submitted Miesha via armbar. This rivalry got even more heated after the fight, with words exchanged between the two fighters on social media. 

At UFC 168, they met again, and Rousey beat Tate again via armbar, thus ending the rivalry once and for all. 

#9 – Frank Mir vs. Brock Lesnar

The next big rivalry was between the two heavyweights, Brock Lesnar and Frank Mir. One of the greatest WWE superstars, Lesnar decided to start fighting in MMA promotions, and after beating Min-Soo Kim in K-1 Hero’s, he got the opportunity to fight in the UFC.

The first opponent he faced was the superb BJJ specialist Frank Mir back in 2008 at UFC 81. The fight’s winner was Frank Mir, who submitted Lesnar via kneebar in spectacular fashion. 

After the event, Lesnar bounced back with a couple of wins, and he earned his shot to fight for the UFC heavyweight championship title, once again, versus Frank Mir. The setup that led to their second meeting was intense, and Mir even said that his chances of beating Brock were 99%. 

However, Brock thought otherwise. In the second round, he beat Mir with ferocious ground and pound and won the UFC heavyweight belt.

#8 – Wanderlei Silva vs. Quinton Jackson

Without a doubt, one of the biggest MMA rivalries of all time was the one between two legends of the sport, Wanderlei Silva and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. They first collided in the Pride Middleweight Grand Prix tournament finals in 2003. Wanderlei “The Axe Murderer” Silva landed multiple knees on Jackson, and the referee stopped the fight. 

The atmosphere of the first fight was electrifying, and PRIDE had to book a rematch between Silva and Jackson. Almost a year later, they met for the second time in the ring, and Silva was once again victorious, knocking out Jackson with knees. 

The build-up for the trilogy was just as exciting as the one for the previous two fights. Silva shoved Jackson at the weigh-ins before their matchup at UFC 92. Jackson finally won against him, knocking him out cold with a brutal left hook. 

#7 – Chuck Liddell vs. Tito Ortiz

This was one of the most highly anticipated matchups in the history of the UFC. It took a while to make it happen, mainly because Ortiz hesitated to fight Liddell, his teammate. Meanwhile, Liddell had no problem with a potential fight with Ortiz and even accused Tito of ducking him. 

Nevertheless, the two light heavyweights finally collided at UFC 47 in 2004. Liddell knocked out Ortiz, who had never been KO’ed before in his career. After their first fight, Ortiz went on a five-fight win streak and was ready to take on Liddell again. At UFC 66 in 2006, the rematch happened. “The Iceman” Liddell got the finish again via TKO. 

2018 the Ortiz and Liddell trilogy was set up after 12 years. Tito, an aging veteran of the Golden Boy MMA promotion, got his revenge by knocking out 49-year-old Liddell in the first round. 

#6 – Urijah Faber vs. Dominick Cruz

The rivalry between Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber, two bantamweight legends, lasted well over a decade. These two fighters loved to trash-talk, and not one interview has passed without them mentioning the other fighter. 

Their first bout was at WEC 26 in 2007, where Faber was the bantamweight champion while Cruz was the young and promising underdog. After a minute and a half, Faber managed to win via guillotine choke. That was Cruz’s only loss until 2016. 

The rematch between Cruz and Faber was in 2011 at UFC 132. Dominick avenged his previous loss, beating Faber unanimously and defending his bantamweight belt. The rivalry continued since they were coaches on the Ultimate Fighter 15, where they were once again trash-talking. 

The Cruz vs. Faber trilogy happened in 2016 at UFC 199. Cruz was the better fighter that night and won again by a unanimous decision. 

#5 – Georges St-Pierre vs. B.J. Penn

One of the biggest rivalries in MMA was between two highly accomplished UFC fighters, B.J. Penn and Georges St-Pierre. Their first fight was scheduled for UFC 58 back in 2006, and it was a highly-anticipated matchup. The former welterweight champ, B.J. Penn, had the opportunity to regain the belt after fighting for a couple of years at K-1 and ROTR. Meanwhile, this was St-Pierre’s shot to cement his legacy as one of the best welterweights in the sport’s history and pave his way to becoming the best MMA fighter of all time. 

In their initial matchup, St-Pierre beat Penn in a close split-decision win. Many fans thought Penn won the fight and wanted to see a rematch between these MMA icons. 

The rematch finally happened in 2009 at UFC 94. It was a clash between two champs. Penn held the Lightweight division belt, while St-Pierre held the Welterweight division belt. In their second encounter, Georges showcased his immaculate wrestling and crushed Penn with ground and pound. B.J.’s corner threw in the towel after round 4, and St-Pierre defended his title. 

#4 – Nate Diaz vs. Conor McGregor

One of MMA’s most entertaining rivalries was the one between Nate Diaz and Conor McGregor. Both were quite massive personalities in the UFC, and not many fans expected they could face each other when their initial matchup was scheduled.

McGregor was a featherweight, while Diaz was a lightweight. Nevertheless, in an unexpected turn of events, they faced off at UFC 196 in 2016, when Diaz stepped in on short notice since Rafael dos Anjos, who should’ve fought McGregor, got injured. The setup for the fight was more than memorable. McGregor did all the trash-talk, while Diaz kept his composure and didn’t pay much attention to the Irishman. 

When they faced off, everyone was surprised. Diaz managed to stop the unstoppable McGregor, submitting him via rear-naked choke. To this day, this remains one of the biggest MMA upsets of all time.

The buildup to the rematch was nothing short of incredible. This rivalry got quite heated in one of the press conferences before the fight. Both fighters’ camps started fighting, throwing bottles and cans at one another. 

McGregor and Diaz collided once again at UFC 202. Conor won the fight via majority decision in a back-and-forth brawl this time. 

#3 – Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen

The rivalry between Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen was one of the best in the history of MMA. Chael Sonnen was famous for his trash-talking and dominant wrestling skills, while Anderson was known for his calmness and otherworldly striking. Their differences in terms of their personalities and fighting styles are what made this rivalry entertaining. 

Their first fight was at UFC 117 in 2010, and it was unforgettable. Silva was on the verge of defeat since Sonnen was the more dominant fighter throughout all four rounds. However, Silva somehow managed to win spectacularly by submitting Sonnen via triangle choke at the last minute of the fight. 

After the fight ended, Sonnen continued his trash talk towards Silva, and the UFC had to schedule a rematch between the middleweights. They collided at UFC 148 in 2012, and Silva again won the fight. This time, he TKO’d Sonnen, ending the rivalry for good. 

#2 – Conor McGregor vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov

Even though they only fought once, everything about the matchup between the lightweights Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov was spectacular: the pre-fight press conferences, the fight itself, and its aftermath. It all started when Nurmagomedov and the people in his camp clashed with Lobov, Conor’s teammate. 

Then, to retaliate his friend, McGregor flew over the Atlantic and was present at the media day for the UFC 223.  The Irishman and his team attacked the bus where Khabib was, and it was quite chaotic. McGregor was arrested after the altercation.

When everything was sorted out a couple of months later, Nurmagomedov was more than willing to fight Conor despite the mess he had caused. In the fight’s buildup, McGregor continued his trash-talking antics, while Khabib didn’t pay much attention to them. 

At UFC 229, they got the chance to fight. Khabib destroyed McGregor throughout the fight and eventually submitted Conor via rear-naked choke in the fourth round. When the fight ended, mayhem started happening. Khabib jumped out of the octagon to fight McGregor’s team, but the security was fast enough to defuse the situation. This rivalry will never be forgotten, that’s for sure. 

#1 – Jon Jones vs. Daniel Cormier

The greatest MMA rivalry of all time was between two UFC legends—Daniel Cormier and Jon Jones. They faced each other for the first time at UFC 182 in 2015. Jones was the reigning light heavyweight champion on an 11-fight win streak, beating notable MMA fighters like Alexander Gustaffson, Lyoto Machida, Quinton Jackson, Chael Sonnen, Mauricio Rua, etc. 

Meanwhile, Cormier was undefeated with a 15-0 record, winning against Dan Henderson, Frank Mir, Josh Barnett, etc. Even though Cormier was on an impressive win streak, many fans didn’t give much of a chance to him. 

Jones won on the night of the fight easily via unanimous decision after fighting for five rounds. Soon after his win, Jones hit a pregnant woman with his car and fled the scene. The UFC immediately stripped him of his belt, and he also got a suspension. 

The build-up for the rematch was very entertaining. They were exchanging words and threats online regularly. The rematch happened at UFC 214 in 2017, and Jones won again by knocking out Cormier via head kick. 

However, Jones was suspended for the third time in his career after testing positive for using steroids. Once again, they stripped him of the title, and his win against Cormier was declared a no-contest. 

After his rematch with Jones, Cormier became the light heavyweight champion, taking over the division. 

This rivalry has undoubtedly left a lasting impact on the sport of MMA. 

Featured image taken from YouTube.