MMA’s Greatest Rivalries: Fights That Defined the Sport

Every sport has its rivalries. And mixed martial arts (MMA) is no different. Throughout MMA history, we’ve seen some truly glorious battles take place both in and out of the arena between some of the sport’s biggest legends, like Nate Diaz, Jon Jones, and Conor McGregor.

Rivalries like these elevate the sport. They make it much more exciting to watch, as fans pick their sides, predict the eventual winners, and keep up with all the news, disputes, and trash talk in the build up to the big bouts.

The best MMA rivalries tend to produce some of the UFC greatest fights and most memorable moments. The fights rarely let fans down, often giving us many high-stakes, competitive, and entertaining clashes, and that’s what makes them so fun to follow.

We’ve also seen rivalries where more powerful, hard-hitting opponents go up against more athletic and high-stamina individuals. These are always fun to watch and predict the outcomes of, with fans eagerly heading to betting platforms like 1Win app to place their bets beforehand.

This guide looks back at some of the best ever MMA rivalries, including those from UFC, PRIDE, and Bellator.

Key Factors That Make an MMA Rivalry Iconic

Before we dig into the list, let’s have a look at what it is that separates the best MMA rivalries from more casual and less exciting ones.

The Role of Personal Animosity

For a rivalry to be a big deal, it needs to be real. The fighters need to actually not like each other, for whatever reason. If they’re just pretending to dislike each other for the cameras, or are actually good buddies behind the scenes, it makes the whole thing less engaging for fans.

This is why a lot of the most iconic memories have seen fighters who truly could not stand one another. An easy example that springs to mind is Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov, who engaged in some of the nastiest trash talk in MMA history before their UFC 229 clash.

Championship Stakes and Legacy Fights

Obviously, it also helps rivalries when real big prizes are on the line. Like when two fighters are competing for a championship belt or title, and both want to prove themselves as the very best in their weight category.

Rivalries often impact the entire flow and structure of weight divisions. And they can become so much more intense for both combatants, when they know that a single clash could make or break their whole career and everything they’ve worked for.

Stylistic Clashes That Define Rivalries

Another fun thing about a lot of rivalries is that they pit different fighting styles against one another. We’ve seen some rivalries, for example, between a skilled striker and a great grappler, and it becomes a battle of “Which style is best?”

The Most Legendary Rivalries in MMA History

Now, without any further ado, let’s dig in with a look at five of the most ferocious, intense, and downright iconic rivalries in all of MMA history.

Conor McGregor vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov – The Ultimate Grudge Match

We’ll start the show with a show-stopper: the most intense MMA rivalry perhaps of all time, featuring Irish fighter, Conor “The Notorious” McGregor and undefeated Russian superstar, Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Unlike a lot of rivalries, which featured entire series or trilogies of fights, this rivalry only had one bout. It came at UFC 229 in 2018, and featured a dramatic win for Khabib Nurmagomedov, in which McGregor actually feared for his life, which is partly why a rematch has never occurred.

The fight was incredibly brutal and intense, but the buildup was arguably even worse. The two fighters repeatedly exchanged tons of trash talk, with McGregor mocking Nurmagomedov’s family, religion, and background on several occasions.

Khabib got his revenge in the ring, largely dominating McGregor in a fight that was watched by millions across the globe. The lost more or less ended McGregor’s UFC career, as he went on to have just three more fights, losing two of them.

Jon Jones vs. Daniel Cormier – Light Heavyweight’s Most Intense Feud

Up in the light heavyweight division, one of the greatest ever rivalries in MMA history has to be between two men who can both have a claim at being the UFC’s greatest ever fighter – Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier.

Jones and Cormier have met in the octagon twice. They clashed in 2015 at UFC 182, with Jones dominating the bout and taking the win. Then, they met at UFC 214 in 2017. Jones initially won that fight also, but the result was later overturned due to doping.

A fascinating element of this rivalry was that, because of the doping charges and a felony charge after the first fight, Jones had to take time out of the MMA, giving Cormier the chance to rise up as a two-division champion, despite never actually beating his rival.

Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen – The Ultimate Underdog vs. Champion Battle

Next up, a rivalry featuring a genuine UFC Hall of Fame – Anderson Silva – against his long-runing rival, Chael Sonnen. Like Jones and Cormier, these two fighters met twice over the course of their careers, at UFC 117 in 2010 and UFC 148 in 2012.

And, just like the Jones/Cormier rivalry, there was a clear winner in this clash: Anderson Silva. Silva managed to battle back and get a last-minute submission win at UFC 117, following up with a brutal TKO victory over Sonnen at UFC 148.

Many sports fans call Silva/Sonnen the best rivalry in the history of the middleweight division, as the odds were always against Sonnen, but he certainly never lacked confidence. He went crazy on Silva with his trash talk, with the American calling the Brazilian the worst pay per view draw in UFC history.

Sonnen also mocked Silva's performances in certain fights and doubled down in the build up to the second bout, making fun of Silva's family and more. Silva got mad, claiming he was going to break Sonnen's teeth and limbs. Luckily, the pair eventually made up.

Nate Diaz vs. Conor McGregor – The Rivalry That Made History

Next, another rivalry involving Dublin-born brawler, Conor McGregor. This time, we’re looking at his multiple clashes with American MMA legend, Nate Diaz. These two fighters met twice – at UFC 196 and UFC 202, with lots of rumors and hype around a possible third fight someday.

The rivalry began back in 2015, after Diaz had won a fight with Michael Johnson. In his post-match, Diaz called out McGregor, vowing to fight him. Diaz got his wish a few months later, when he was chosen as a replacement for Rafael dos Anjos, who had originally been scheduled to fight McGregor at UFC 196.

Diaz only had 11-days notice before the fight and didn't have much time to cut weight or prepare. He went in as a big underdog, but shocked everyone by getting a second-round submission win.

A rematch was set up for UFC 200, which was later pushed back to UFC 202. This time, McGregor took the win via decision. McGregor said he’d be happy to do a third fight and settle the argument of which fighter is best, but it is looking increasingly unlikely.

Wanderlei Silva vs. Quinton "Rampage" Jackson – PRIDE’s Greatest Feud

Now, we’re heading back in time to one of the older rivalries in MMA history: Wanderlei Silva vs. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. These guys met no less than four times over the course of their careers in all three of the major MMA promotions: Pride, UFC, and Bellator.

It all started at PRIDE, with Wanderlei and Jackson meeting for the first time at PRIDE 2003. The Brazilian got the better of the American, with Silva getting a brutal TKO in the match, and he followed that up with a complete knockout of Jackson at PRIDE 2004.

At that point, Wanderlei was 2-0 up over Jackson, but the American hadn’t said his final word. He got a shot at revenge at UFC 92, in a much-hyped match. There, Rampage lived up to his name and enjoyed a devastating KO win over Silva.

Then, a whole decade later, at Bellator 206 in 2018, the two men met once more. Rampage again got a win, settling the score between them at 2-2. But, given that both men are approaching 50 and retired from MMA now, it’s unlikely we’ll see them meet again.

Memorable Moments from MMA’s Greatest Rivalries

Next, let’s look back on a few memorable moments from some of the rivalries listed above:

• McGregor/Khabib: Before UFC 229, McGregor famously threw a dolly at Khabib’s bus, shattering one of the windows in a moment that seemed pulled from the world of WWE.
• Jones/Cormier: A big moment at this rivalry came in a pre-bout UFC press conference, where the two actually started to brawl with one another and had to be separated.
• Sonner/Silva: At UFC 117, Sonnen actually started his fight with Silva really well, with the underdog seeming ready to get a shocking win before Silva locked in a triangle choke.
• Diaz/McGregor: Diaz had the last laugh when he beat McGregor, iconically stating “I’m not surprised” about his victory.

Why Rivalries Are Essential to MMA’s Growth

Rivalries aren’t just fun to watch or bet on, they’re crucial to the health and growth of MMA itself.

The stats prove it. Many of the big rivalry matches rank among the most-watched and biggest-earning MMA events ever, with Khabib vs Conor at the top of the list. Tons of fans tune in to see these fights play out, and even people who wouldn’t usually watch MMA tend to still watch, because they’re drawn in by the hype.

Those funds all help MMA get more fans, engagement, and attention, which helps leagues like UFC get bigger.

The rivalries have impacts on individual fighters too, often helping to shape their careers and the legacies they leave behind. Even those that are on the losing end of these rivalries, like Chael Sonnen, often end up profiting from them in terms of earning more money and gaining new fans and followers.

Conclusion: The Greatest Rivalry in MMA History

So, which rivalry is greatest? That’s for every fan to decide. Overall, Khabib/McGregor was perhaps the fieriest, but other rivalries have been entertaining in their own ways, and fans are eager and excited to see which new rivalries come next, and which might surpass the likes of Khabib/McGregor and Jones/Cormier in terms of intensity and hype.