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There have been 18 interim title fights in the UFC, the first of which took place in June 2003 between Chuck Liddell and Randy Couture when Tito Ortiz was the undisputed champion.
At UFC 265, we may see the number extending to 19. According to ESPN, Ciryl Gane and Derrick Lewis will contend for the interim heavyweight strap on the August 7 card.
The pair of heavyweights are riding high on impressive win streaks as the UFC plans on finalizing the challenger for Francis Ngannou's undisputed title.
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Interim title fights usually feature two of the division's top contenders. Their top-notch fighting instincts promise total fireworks inside the octagon, such has been the case in the majority of those fights.
That said, let's take a look at five of the best interim title fights in UFC history.
#5 Tony Ferguson vs Justin Gaethje at UFC 249
Tony Ferguson and Justin Gaethje collided in the main event of UFC 249 - the PPV that was held in the middle of a global pandemic. Ferguson was originally scheduled to fight Khabib Nurmagomedov at the event, but the Dagestani never made it to the United States, owing to Russia's closed borders.
The UFC offered 'El Cucuy' a new opponent, and as expected, he obliged. When the two met inside the octagon, it was Gaethje who put on a striking masterclass.
He consistently hurt Ferguson with his stinging calf kicks and crisp boxing but 'The Boogeyman' was never going to budge. Enduring great damage, Ferguson kept coming forward to counter Gaethje's attacks but he found little success.
In the later stages of the fifth round, 'The Highlight' rocked Ferguson with a slew of lethal combinations that forced the referee to halt the contest, handing Ferguson his first loss in almost seven years.
When Gaethje was crowned the interim UFC lightweight champion, he threw the belt away because he wanted the "real" strap that belonged to Khabib Nurmagomedov.
A few months later, he finally took on Nurmagomedov for the undisputed championship. 'The Eagle', however, choked out Gaethje in the second round of their fight.
#4 Randy Couture vs Chuck Liddell 1 at UFC 43
The first interim UFC title fight saw Chuck Liddell and Randy Couture battle it out in the main event of UFC 43.
Heading into the fight, Couture was on a two-fight losing streak. He lost his heavyweight title to Josh Barnett in 2002 and succumbed to another defeat against Ricco Rodriguez the same year.
On the other hand, Liddell was the overwhelming favorite at UFC 43. He enjoyed a four-fight win streak, including one over Vitor Belfort.
During the fight, Liddell found himself on the backfoot as he appeared clueless against Couture's excellent chain wrestling. Controlling the pace of the fight, 'The Natural' secured a crucial takedown in the third round and transitioned into a full mount position.
He threw a flurry of strikes that made Liddell defenseless. In the third minute, the referee pulled a stop to the contest, helping Couture snap his losing streak.
Couture and Liddell went on to fight twice more in the coming years, with the latter emerging victorious on both occasions.
#3 Conor McGregor vs Chad Mendes at UFC 189
Conor McGregor's win over Chad Mendes helped him attain superstar status in the UFC. The Irishman was expected to challenge Jose Aldo at UFC 189 but the Brazilian was forced to withdraw from the fight. And Chad Mendes stepped in to save the day.
McGregor clearly looked the better fighter on feet, which Mendes realized as he waded in to take the Irishman down. He controlled McGregor on the canvas for the majority of the first round but couldn't maintain his position in the second.
In the dying seconds of the second frame, McGregor stunned Mendes with a barrage of combinations that folded him to the canvas.
McGregor's win over Mendes potentially set up the UFC's biggest fight, which transpired at UFC 194 where 'The Notorious' took on Aldo. Taking the MMA world by storm, McGregor knocked out the Brazilian in 13 seconds of the first round.
#2 Robert Whittaker vs Yoel Romero 1 at UFC 213
Robert Whittaker and Yoel Romero met inside the octagon for the first time at UFC 213 in 2017. Michael Bisping, whose fight against Georges St-Pierre had just fallen apart, thought it wouldn't be wise to go up against either Whittaker or Romero on short notice. Thus, the UFC booked an interim title fight between the top two contenders of the middleweight division.
Romero started the fight on a high as he controlled Whittaker on the ground and had the better of striking exchanges. However, after two rounds, Whittaker came back with a vengeance. He stuffed Romero's takedowns and also outstruck him on the feet.
All three judges scored the contest 48-47 in the Australian's favor. After the fight, Bisping barged into the octagon and called out Whittaker in what remains one of the greatest callouts in UFC history. Unfortunately, the two never got an opportunity to fight.
#1 Israel Adesanya vs Kelvin Gastelum at UFC 236
No one has troubled Israel Adesanya more in the UFC than Kelvin Gastelum. The middleweight duo exchanged heavy leather inside the octagon for a straight 25 minutes in the co-main event of UFC 236.
Adesanya sniped Gastelum with excellent counter punches that should have forced him to retreat, but the American's iron-like chin helped him survive. Gastelum fought back with the same ferocity as he stunned the Kiwi on a number of occasions.
Both men engaged on the ground, scrambled at the fence and delivered a striking masterclass, fulfilling the criteria of the Fight of the Night and Fight of the Year accolade.
At the end of the fifth round, Adesanya was declared the winner with all three judges scoring the fight 49-46.
At UFC 243, 'The Last Stylebender' unified the middleweight championship as he knocked out Robert Whittaker in the second round.
