5 best trilogies in UFC history

#2. Matt Hughes vs. Georges St-Pierre - UFC welterweight division

Georges St-Pierre (left) and Matt Hughes (right)

The epic trilogy between Matt Hughes and Georges St. Pierre represented a lot more than just the rivalry between the two UFC welterweights.

Hughes, at the peak of his powers, was considered one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the sport. He defeated Carlos Newton in 2001 to become the new champion at 170 lbs and subsequently defended his belt five times before losing to B.J. Penn. The American bounced back with a win over Renato Verissimo and earned a shot at the then-vacant title.

At UFC 50, Hughes took on Georges St-Pierre, a young Canadian fighter holding a record of 7-0. St-Pierre came in with a ton of hype and many believed the former champion would struggle against the young prospect. However, he silenced the doubters with a sensational armbar-submission to reclaim the title he lost to Penn.

The duo ran it back over two years later at UFC 65.

St-Pierre exacted his revenge in style, catching Hughes with a perfectly placed head-kick that saw the reigning champion crash to the canvas. After a few follow-up strikes on the ground, the referee called a halt to the fight and 'Rush' was crowned the new welterweight champion.

There was a lot more than a world title on the line going into their trilogy bout. The question as to who was the best welterweight of their era was still up for debate. They squared off at UFC 79 to finally settle the score.

St-Pierre dominated the third bout. The Canadian finished Hughes the same way the American finished him in their first fight - with an armbar. 'Rush' went on to rule the 170 lbs division for over half a decade before vacating the belt.

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#1. Chuck Liddell vs. Randy Couture - UFC light heavyweight division

Chuck Liddell (left) and Randy Couture (right)

The rivalry between MMA legends Chuck Liddell and Randy Couture produced the first epic trilogy in UFC history.

Couture, the former heavyweight champion, opted to move down to light heavyweight after back-to-back losses to Josh Barnett and Ricco Rodriguez. He made his 205 lbs debut when he took on Liddell for the interim light heavyweight title at UFC 43. The winner was slated to take on then-champion Tito Ortiz.

Couture demolished Liddell that night. 'The Natural' won the interim title and subsequently defeated Ortiz to become the undisputed champion, as well as the first fighter to hold titles in two divisions.

The rematch had a lot more hype behind it. The duo featured as coaches on the inaugural season of The Ultimate Fighter, a reality series. The show was an instant-hit and garnered a significant amount of attention.

Following the conclusion of the series, Liddell and Couture locked horns with the latter’s light heavyweight title on the line. The fight lasted a little over two minutes as Liddell knocked Couture out in the very first round to become the new champion at 205 lbs.

The trilogy bout went down at UFC 57, where Chuck Liddell successfully defended his title against Randy Couture. 'The Iceman' secured a second-round KO to put the duo's long-running rivalry to bed.

So what makes their trilogy the greatest? There are a multitude of reasons. All three bouts were title fights that ended in finishes, unlike any other entry on this list. Also, all three fights were the main events on pay-per-views.

More importantly, Liddell and Couture played a pivotal role in the growth of MMA.

Their first fight saw Couture become a two-division champion, an achievement only seven fighters have accomplished in promotional history. The second fight came in the aftermath of The Ultimate Fighter, the show that famously saved the company from potentially shutting down. If it wasn't for their rivalry, who knows what would have happened to the sport we know and love today?