5 big UFC rivalries that could develop into trilogies

#4 Francis Ngannou vs. Curtis Blaydes – UFC heavyweight title

Curtis Blaydes could well earn a third fight with UFC heavyweight champ Francis Ngannou in the future

The UFC rarely looks to book trilogies between fighters if the first two meetings end the same way, and so on the face of it, a third bout between UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou and Curtis Blaydes might feel unlikely.

However, there are several reasons why that may not be the case.

Firstly, while the first two fights between Ngannou and 'Razor' ended in the same way – with 'The Predator's' hand raised – it's probably fair to suggest Blaydes might take umbrage with his losses.

Their first fight took place way back in early 2016 and was Blaydes' UFC debut. 'Razor' didn't do badly against Ngannou at all and was only stopped when the cageside doctor decided to pull him out due to swelling around his eye.

And while Ngannou won their second meeting by knockout, there were plenty of observers – including Blaydes – who felt that referee Marc Goddard might've stepped in a little too early, with 'Razor' possibly able to continue.

NO ONE MAN SHOULD HAVE ALL THAT POWER! #UFCBeijing pic.twitter.com/MeloRA3lkX

— UFC (@ufc) November 24, 2018

Secondly, the UFC’s heavyweight division is such that once Ngannou faces the winner of the upcoming Ciryl Gane/Derrick Lewis clash, there isn’t a clear-cut top contender, assuming he retains his title.

That means that Blaydes - who holds wins over Alexander Volkov, Junior dos Santos and Alistair Overeem – could quickly find himself back in title contention if he can defeat Jairzinho Rozenstruik at UFC 266.

Sure, the UFC isn’t exactly enamored with Blaydes, meaning his path to a potential trilogy fight with Ngannou might be tricky. However, if both men keep winning, then a third bout between the two is practically inevitable.

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#3 Israel Adesanya vs. Robert Whittaker – UFC middleweight title

Israel Adesanya and Robert Whittaker seem destined to meet at least one more time

Current UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya and former champ Robert Whittaker have only fought once thus far, with ‘The Last Stylebender’ ending Whittaker’s title reign via knockout at UFC 243.

However, with a second bout between the two looming, an epic trilogy between these two fighters seems almost inevitable.

It’s clear at this stage that Adesanya is the best middleweight in the UFC by some distance. He has overcome every challenge thrown at him thus far into his career and holds wins over Whittaker, Paulo Costa, Yoel Romero and Marvin Vettori.

But despite knocking Whittaker out when they fought in October 2019, it’s likely that ‘The Reaper’ is the only man in the division who possesses the skills to push ‘The Last Stylebender.’

Whittaker has always been a fighter capable of adapting to any situation, and we saw him display a much more patient and measured approach in his victories over Darren Till and Jared Cannonier in 2020.

That approach could pay dividends in his likely rematch with Adesanya – a fight that, with any luck, should take place in late 2021.

The rivalry between Adesanya and Whittaker appears to be heating back up 🔥 pic.twitter.com/eQCLE1Lfph

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) June 21, 2021

Adesanya may well win the rematch, meaning a third fight between him and Whittaker would potentially be unlikely. But given Whittaker’s skill level, there’s every chance that even in losing, he pushes Adesanya harder than anyone has done before.

The dearth of other contenders right now – largely due to the dominance of both Adesanya and Whittaker – means that a trilogy bout between the two could still be likely.