Issue 184

November 2019

Trilogy fights build legacies, attract new fans and transcend the normal boundaries of sport. Fighters Only looks at the greatest triple-headers that have been and the most epic rivalries yet to enter their third stanza. 

The ‘Thrilla in Manila’ in 1975 is widely recognised as being the ultimate ‘fight of the 20th century’ between two of sport’s most notorious rivals. It was the third in a captivating trilogy between ‘The Greatest’, Muhammad Ali and ‘Smokin’ Joe Frazier. It was a truly global event and seemingly tipped the world on its axis as boxing’s popularity reached fever pitch in the golden age of the heavyweight division.

Marco Antonio Barrera’s own trilogy of fights – all of which went the distance – with great rival Eric Morales, was another instance when fighters transcended the ring. The sporting world looked on in awe as the two Mexican boxers slugged it out for eternal bragging rights and world title belts in three different weight divisions throughout the early 2000s.

And no sports fan in their right mind could forget the triple-header featuring Canadian, Arturo Gatti and Boston’s Micky Ward, whose own sporting legacies are now forever woven into the patchwork quilt of boxing’s greatest ever wars.

It’s these kinds of rivalries that make great champions. Trilogy match-ups that inspire a new generation of fans to the ring. When two athletes are locked in a battle for supremacy over a series of contests, legacies are secured and fight cards go down in history.

Many of boxing’s greatest moments from the past 50 years were a culmination of trilogy campaigns. And the excitement of these super-fights are what has consistently breathed fresh life into a sport that is notorious for going through peaks and troughs from one decade to the next.

And it’s not just fighters and fans who benefit from trilogy fights. From a business perspective, return contests make huge sums of money and can build sporting empires. Going back to Ali-Frazier III in the Philippines, that event truly legitimized Don King as one of the world’s leading fight promoters.

King had emerged from his chequered past a year earlier to stage the ‘Rumble in the Jungle’ in Zaire between George Foreman and Ali. But it was in clinching the fight in Manila that he laid the foundations for a two-decade reign as boxing's dominant matchmaker. It made him, just like it made Frazier and solidified Ali's legend.

That same trilogy-spawned success can certainly be turned to mixed martial arts and, indeed, its leading organisation, the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Trilogies have punctuated the sport over the past two decades, and one, in particular, proved to be MMA’s saviour.

UFC president Dana White likes to describe The Ultimate Fighter season one finale as the UFC’s ‘Trojan Horse.’ As the singular event and fight that saved Fertitta brothers, Frank and Lorenzo from cutting their substantial losses and walking away from MMA for good. And while there’s no doubting the significance of the first fight between Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar in finally capturing the attention of TV broadcasters and the home audience, it was merely the baited hook.

The card that followed, UFC 52, one of the greatest fight cards in UFC history, could be seen as the real defining moment; the occasion that truly kept the fans coming back for more.

It was the highest-grossing UFC event ever at the time, taking over $2.5 million at the gate, and it delivered thrills in spades with standout performances from rising welterweight star, Georges St-Pierre, a sweet armbar submission from Babalu Sobral, and also Matt Hughes and Frank Trigg contesting one of the greatest fights ever witnessed. But at its epicentre was the second fight in the generation-defining trilogy between Randy Couture and Chuck Liddell.

You could argue it was Liddell and Couture’s rivalry, playing out live during the UFC 52 main event and beyond, that retained the imagination of fans who had first been lured to the Octagon by the TUF 1 Finale. It was Chuck and Randy who kept fans traveling back to Las Vegas, more so than any other fighters.

Surely without the epic Couture-Liddell trilogy, Griffin-Bonnar may never have had the impact it is now rightfully credited with. It was Chuck and Randy’s triple-header in the Octagon that orchestrated the biggest influx of sports fans into mixed martial arts, just like trilogies had done so often before for boxing.

Ever since then, plenty of the greatest rivalries in the sport have seen more epic trilogies come and go. We’ve picked out some of the most action-packed and iconic from the history of mixed martial arts.

MMA’S GREATEST TRILOGIES

Fedor Emelianenko vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira

Aside from the headbutt which turned their second fight into a no contest, the Pride title fight meetings between Fedor and ‘Big Nog’ are undoubtedly what helped cement the Russian’s legacy as a genuine heavyweight great. Fedor’s grappling prowess against a jiu-jitsu wizard-like Nogueira was truly remarkable, earning decision victories at both Pride 25 and Shockwave 2004. These performances paved the way for a generation of Fedor superfans.

Wanderlei Silva vs. ‘Rampage’ Jackson

When you talk about iconic MMA trilogies, this is right up there. Driving Thai knees helped Wanderlei dominate their Pride encounters, winning their first through a TKO in the opening round, before he followed up a stunning right hand and more driving knees to send Jackson face-planting into the ring ropes in their second fight. But, it was Rampage who had the last laugh inside the UFC Octagon. Four years after their second Pride fight he landed a left hook KO of his own to ensure this trilogy reached iconic status. The fourth outing between the pair in Bellator last year was nothing to write home about, but the first three fights will live long in the memory.

Tito Ortiz vs Ken Shamrock

Tito Ortiz and Ken Shamrock’s lengthy rivalry lasted over a span of four years between 2002 and 2006 and ultimately ended with Ortiz taking home a clean sweep of victories. Ortiz overcame adversity in the first fight at UFC 40 to go 1-0 up, but his second win at UFC 61 was clouded with controversy after Shamrock claimed the fight had been stopped prematurely by referee Herb Dean. Ortiz vs. Shamrock III: The Final Chapter settled the rivalry just three months later with Ortiz again overpowering Shamrock to make it 3-0. Ortiz gave Shamrock a pair of one-finger salutes in the immediate aftermath, but after a brief exchange of words, they embraced and put an end to an intense rivalry.

Randy Couture vs. Chuck Liddell

When greatness collides great things happen. Couture won the first fight, hammerfisting his way to victory at UFC 43 and ending Chuck’s hopes of a world title showdown with Tito Ortiz. Then at UFC 52, Chuck finally had a UFC belt to call his own after scoring an emphatic first-round knockout. The two were matched up for the final time at UFC 57 when just moments into the second round Liddell landed a right hook that brought Randy down like a tree and earned Chuck the definitive knockout victory.

BJ Penn vs. Matt Hughes

It started at UFC 46, when Penn truly arrived as a champion and ended Hughes’ title reign courtesy of a rear naked choke in one of the biggest upsets in history. Hughes would return the favor two years later, halting Penn in the closing stages at UFC 63. And the trilogy was made complete in 2010 when BJ scored a resolute 21-second KO at UFC 123 that banged the penultimate nail into Hughes’ career coffin.

Shinya Aoki vs. Joachim Hansen

One of the greatest trilogy fights in Japanese MMA history. When Aoki and Hansen threw down, tickets would sell out fast. At Pride Shockwave 2006, submission specialist Aoki drew first blood, with an amazing gogoplata no less. But the Norwegian ‘Hellboy’ captured the inaugural Dream belt by knocking him out in the finals of the lightweight Grand Prix two years later at Dream 5. And the rubber-match finally concluded it all in front of a capacity crowd at Dream 11 when Aoki landed a perfect armbar in the second round.

Georges St-Pierre vs. Matt Hughes

This trifecta of combat signified the changing of the guard at 170lb, as one welterweight great passed the torch to the next. Veteran champ Hughes won the first fight with a last-second armbar in the first round to claim the vacant title, but St Pierre fought back into contention and two years later scored a second-round headkick and ground ‘n’ pound TKO to claim the title. The rubber-match was one-sided, however, with Georges dominating the vet before an armbar submission deep in the second round.

Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard

If the combination of these two names doesn’t get you excited then you’re not thinking straight. On two occasions when they met, Maynard had Edgar seemingly beat. But somehow New Jersey’s finest survived and ended with his hand raised. Maynard took an early lead in this trilogy in 2008, being the first man to defeat Frankie. But that was just an appetizer. The main course was their 2011 ‘Fight of the Year’ on New Year’s Day, which was a slugfest from start to finish, and ended in a painful draw. But the third fight was decisive, as Edgar survived his usual early scare to score a sensational fourth-round KO.

Forrest Griffin vs. Tito Ortiz

No titles and no stoppages, yet their three fights were all genuine wars. The first was a thrilling 2006 highlight at UFC 59. The second was a bloody battle of attrition won by late stand-in Griffin at UFC 106. While the third, which went down at UFC 148 in 2012, was another split-decision victory – handing bragging rights to Forrest while earning both a ‘Fight of the Night’ bonus.

Josh Thomson vs. Gilbert Melendez

Between 2008 and 2012, Josh Thompson and Gilbert Melendez shared no fewer than 75 minutes locked in a cage with one another. Still, after three close fights, there was nothing to choose between them. Melendez ultimately won two of the three fights after successfully defending his Strikeforce lightweight title for the fourth time via split decision in May 2012, but it will forever be remembered as one of the closest and greatest trilogies in MMA history. 

Dan Henderson vs. Vitor Belfort

The Dan Henderson and Vitor Belfort feud ignited in 2006 when the pair first clashed at Pride 32. Henderson was able to pull out a unanimous decision victory over the Brazilian, but six years later at UFC Fight Night 32 ‘The Phenom’ got his revenge with a brutal head kick just a minute into the first round to make it 1-1. Two years later, the two men headlined UFC Fight Night 72 and in a near mirror image of the men’s second bout, Belfort toppled Henderson with a huge head kick and followed it up with a barrage of punches to finish the fight and settle the rivalry. 

Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos

No analysis of trilogy fights would be complete without a nod of appreciation for the great rivalry between Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos. The Brazilian defeated Velasquez at UFC on Fox 1 in 2011 to take both his title and undefeated streak. However, in the two years that followed, Velasquez got his revenge by beating dos Santos twice – at UFC 155 and UFC 166 – to regain and defend the UFC heavyweight title. It remains one of the finest rivalries in MMA heavyweight history.

Trilogies that still could be...

Whilst there have already been some incredible trilogies that have shaped the history of MMA, some stories still have a final chapter yet to be written. In most cases, each fighter holds a win over the other, but not always. Some rivalries and grudges have become so personal that a third showdown is not just demanded by the fans, but both of the fighters involved. With scores to be settled and conflicts to be put to bed, here are some trilogies that really need to happen. 

Miocic vs Cormier III

After Daniel Cormier knocked out Stipe Miocic at International Fight Week 2018 to capture the UFC heavyweight title, Miocic got his revenge 13 months later when he returned the favor at UFC 241. Cormier is knocking on the door of retirement, but surely with the score now at 1-1, a third and final showdown between the two has to take place before DC hangs up the 4-oz. gloves.

Diaz vs McGregor III

If a third showdown between Nate Diaz and Conor McGregor never takes places there will be riots in the streets. After Diaz submitted McGregor at UFC 196, the Irishman won a majority decision at UFC 202 to make it 1-1. With so much money, pride and bragging rights on the line, the third fight has to happen. With McGregor looking for a UFC return, don’t be surprised if it’s Diaz standing opposite him on fight night. 

Jones vs Cormier III

Jon Jones may have already defeated Daniel Cormier twice, but their rivalry continues to escalate. The window of opportunity for a third fight between the pair closed following Cormier’s defeat to Miocic, though the hatred between the two could convince Cormier to stick around long enough for a third showdown. A heavyweight fight between the pair would draw a lot of eyeballs.

Nunes vs Shevchenko III

Would it be third time lucky for Valentina Shevchenko? Or would Amanda Nunes prove beyond any reasonable doubt that she’s the greatest female fighter of all time? The Brazilian has already beaten Shevchenko twice inside the Octagon, but after missing out on getting her hand raised by the slimmest of margins in their second fight, “Bullet” has every right to think she deserves one more shot down the line.

Shevchenko vs Carmouche III

With a lack of contenders in the UFC’s 125-pounds women’s division, a third fight between Shevchenko and Liz Carmouche certainly isn't out of the question. After losing the first fight between the pair of them back in 2010 due to a doctor stoppage, Shevchenko got her revenge earlier this year with a unanimous decision win at UFC Uruguay. If it’s to go to a third bout, both women will have to be more aggressive if they want to appease the fans.

Bisping vs Rockhold III

Michael Bisping has officially retired, but this is MMA. Never, say never. The rivalry between Bisping and Luke Rockhold will forever be remembered as one of the most heated in UFC history. Rockhold beat Bisping at UFC Fight Night 55, but the Brit got sweet revenge at UFC 199 when he defied the odds and knocked Rockhold out to claim the UFC middleweight title. A third fight is unlikely, but stranger things have happened.

Chandler vs Alvarez III

After two ‘Fight of the Year’ classics in their first two outings, there’s not a person on the planet who wouldn’t want to see a third fight between Michael Chandler and Eddie Alvarez. With Chandler winning the first fight at Bellator 58 in 2011, Alvarez levelled it at 1-1 when he beat Chandler by unanimous decision at Bellator 106 in 2013. Could a third fight happen? Fingers crossed it does. 

Alvarez vs Aoki III

Whilst a lot of pieces of the puzzle have to fall in line for Alvarez vs Chandler III, one trilogy that looks certain to happen is Alvarez vs Shinya Aoki III. After being heel-hooked by Aoki in Japan in 2008, Alvarez defeated the Japanese fighter four years later under the Bellator banner. With both fighters now in ONE Championship, there’s money to be made in making a third fight between the two legends.

Cejudo vs Johnson III

Demetrious Johnson destroyed Henry Cejudo in their first outing at UFC 197, but “Triple C” got revenge in a big way at UFC 227 when he handed “Mighty Mouse” his first defeat in seven years. Cejudo showed incredible improvements in the rematch. Matching Johnson for speed, power and composure, he captured the UFC flyweight title. Johnson may now be plying his trade elsewhere, but the temptation for a rubber match with Cejudo may one day tempt him back to the UFC.

Romero vs Whittaker III

After a ‘Fight of the Year’ contender in 2018, no one would deny wanting to see a third fight between Yoel Romero and Robert Whittaker. The two middleweights have beaten each other from pillar to post over ten hard-fought rounds and both times Whittaker has just done enough to get his hand raised. With Whittaker taking a split decision at UFC 225, it only seems right that Romero somewhere down the line gets an opportunity to have a third crack at him and settle the score once and for all.