5 UFC trilogy fights we need to see in 2023

There have only been a handful of trilogies throughout UFC history. At times, the rivalry between two fighters demands a rubber match to finally settle the score.

Some of the most iconic UFC trilogies include the rivalries between Chuck Liddell and Randy Couture, Tito Ortiz and Ken Shamrock, Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos, Georges St-Pierre and Matt Hughes, Stipe Miocic and Daniel Cormier, Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor, to name a few.

As we embark upon another year of scorching MMA action, we thought we'd rank some of the most intriguing rivalry-settling bouts that could be on offer. That said, here are five trilogy fights we need to see in 2023.

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#5. Brandon Moreno vs. Alexandre Pantoja 3 – UFC flyweight division

Brandon Moreno was a contestant on The Ultimate Fighter 24. That particular TUF season, which was also called The Tournament of Champions, called upon flyweight champions from regional promotions around the planet to compete for a UFC contract, as well as an immediate title shot.

The winner of the reality show was slated to take on then-flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson, who ran out of challengers at 125 pounds.

Moreno, the reigning WFF flyweight champion, was deemed the lowest seed on the show. He suffered a loss in his very first fight at TUF, against Alexandre Pantoja.

Despite his shortcomings on TUF, Moreno received a contract as the promotion's flyweight division lacked talent and depth at the time. He was released after going 1-2 in his next three fights, with one of those two losses coming against none other than Pantoja again.

Moreno returned to the UFC in 2019. He put together a four-fight unbeaten streak to earn a shot at gold in 2020. The Mexican put on a hearty performance against then-champion Deiveson Figueiredo, earning a draw for his efforts in a ‘Fight of the Year’ contender.

The duo squared off in a rematch at UFC 263 in June 2021 in Arizona, where Moreno shocked the world by submitting Figueiredo in the third round to become the new flyweight champion. They ran it back for a third time last year, with Figueiredo edging out a decision win to re-claim his title. They are set to lock horns in a quadrilogy bout next weekend in Brazil.

While the Moreno-Figueiredo rivalry continues to rage on, Alexandre Pantoja has established himself as the clear-cut next challenger for the throne. The Brazilian has a strong case for a shot at the title, considering he has two wins over Moreno.

Moreno has acknowledged that he intends to redeem himself and showcase his improvements in a trilogy fight with Pantoja. The duo are likely to lock horns in the near future. Whether a belt is on the line when they do eventually meet remains to be seen.

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#4. Zhang Weili vs. Rose Namajunas 3 – UFC strawweight division

The UFC strawweight division is inarguably the most competitive and interesting division across women's MMA. Unlike the promotion's flyweight and bantamweight divisions, reigned over by generational greats Valentina Shevchenko and Amanda Nunes, the 115-pound title tends to change hands very often.

In the penultimate pay-per-view of 2022, Zhang Weili won back her strawweight belt with an effortless showing against Carla Esparza. The Chinese phenom continues to improve with every passing fight, and despite her two losses to Rose Namajunas, many believe she is still the best in the weight class.

The first fight between Weili and Namajunas ended very quickly, with the latter shocking the world with a first-round head-kick knockout. When they ran it back, Namajunas eked out a hard-fought decision win, but many believed Weili deserved the judges' nod.

What makes a trilogy bout between the strawweight duo so intriguing are their contrasting trajectories since their two-fight series. While Namajunas went on to lose her title to Carla Esparza in an odd and lackluster fight, Weili showed tremendous improvement in her rematch with Joanna Jedrzejczyk.

Weili subsequently dominated Esparza to win the championship, making light work of arguably the best wrestler in the division, submitting her with ease. Just a month later, Namajunas lasted just 65 seconds in a grappling match loss to unranked flyweight Gillian Robertson.

2023 needs to feature a trilogy matchup between Weili and Namajunas to settle who the best strawweight is, once and for all.

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#3. Amanda Nunes vs. Valentina Shevchenko 3 – UFC women’s bantamweight division

Who is the best pound-for-pound female fighter in the world?

According to the official UFC pound-for-pound women’s rankings, it's Amanda Nunes, with Valentina Shevchenko as a close second. This comes down to Nunes' two prior narrow decision wins over Shevchenko, which crucially took place at 135 pounds.

Nunes re-claimed her pound-for-pound queen status with a dominant showing in her rematch with Julianna Pena last year. Meanwhile, Shevchenko has cemented her standing as one of the best fighters on the planet in recent years, irrespective of gender.

Shevchenko’s run in the UFC at 135 pounds pre-dated the existence of the promotion’s flyweight division. As a result, she spent almost half her career competing at bantamweight. Despite clearly being undersized, ‘Bullet’ emerged as one of the best fighters in the division, picking up wins over Holly Holm and Julianna Pena.

In fact, it was Shevchenko and Nunes who were the clear-cut best fighters in the 135-pound bracket. The duo locked horns twice, with Nunes securing a unanimous decision victory in the first and a split decision in the second. However, many believe Shevchenko should have come out on top in their rematch.

Amanda Nunes is considered by many to be the GOAT of women’s MMA. She is one of only seven fighters in UFC history to become a two-division champion and is also the only woman to have achieved this feat.

A trilogy fight against Valentina Shevchenko would be a legacy fight unlike anything we've seen in women's MMA. While Shevchenko is considered the more technically skilled of the two, it remains to be seen how she deals with Nunes' size advantage in a potential third meeting.

'Bullet' hasn't tasted defeat since her razor-close loss to Nunes over half a decade ago. A trilogy fight would determine the best female fighter of the modern era.

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#2. Leon Edwards vs. Kamaru Usman 3 – UFC welterweight division

Kamaru Usman and Leon Edwards squared off for the first time way back in 2015, on the preliminary card of a Fight Night event in Orlando, Florida. Usman's superior wrestling proved to be a game-changer on the night as he cruised to a unanimous decision win over Edwards, who was just 23 at the time.

Both fighters ran through the welterweight division over the next six years. Usman worked his way to a title shot, defeated then-champion Tyron Woodley and racked up five title defenses to establish himself as the pound-for-pound king. Meanwhile, Edwards' rise to the top largely flew under the radar.

The duo finally rematched at UFC 278 in Salt Lake City last year, where Edwards turned the MMA world on its head.

After being overlooked for the majority of his career leading up to his title fight, Leon Edwards won the welterweight title in emphatic fashion, putting Kamaru Usman to sleep with a Hail Mary head-kick in the final minute of the final round. What made the knockout even sweeter was the fact that 'Rocky' was clearly down on the scorecards heading into the last round.

Usman's prior accomplishments definitely warrant a rematch, which looks set to headline UFC 286 in London in March.

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#1. Conor McGregor vs. Nate Diaz 3 – UFC welterweight division

The rivalry between Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz has produced some of the most memorable moments in UFC history. The duo are among the biggest stars in the sport at the moment, despite Diaz not being under contract with the UFC anymore.

Thankfully, Diaz revealed soon after his last octagon outing that he will likely re-join the UFC down the line.

The first time McGregor and Diaz fought, ‘The Notorious’ was on an incredible tear in the UFC's featherweight division. The Irishman was coming off a sensational 13-second KO victory over then-featherweight champion Jose Aldo. He was then set to fight then-lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos in pursuit of double-champ status at UFC 196.

However, dos Anjos was forced to pull out of the bout less than two weeks before the event due to a foot injury. Nate Diaz, the TUF season 5 winner and brother of MMA legend Nick Diaz, stepped in on short notice as a replacement for the 155-pound champion. The bout was contested at welterweight as Diaz didn’t have enough time to make the lightweight limit.

Many expected McGregor to walk through Diaz. However, the Stockton native shocked the world as he choked out his Irish counterpart in the second round, handing McGregor his first loss in the UFC.

Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz locked horns in a rematch at UFC 202, just five months after their initial meeting. McGregor dominated Diaz in the opening three rounds, knocking him down to the canvas several times with his infamous left straight. However, Diaz survived and swarmed McGregor in the final two rounds. Ultimately, McGregor edged out a majority decision win.

Now at 1-1, this iconic rivalry deserves a fitting ending. It would be a travesty if a trilogy bout never comes to fruition.

McGregor vs. Diaz 3 fan-made poster [Image via @SandhuMMA on Twitter]