5 big UFC rivalries that could develop into trilogies

#2 Amanda Nunes vs. Valentina Shevchenko – UFC bantamweight title

After two razor-close bouts, could Amanda Nunes and Valentina Shevchenko meet again?

Given that they have a total of 12 successful UFC title defenses between them, it’s probably fair to say that UFC bantamweight and featherweight champ Amanda Nunes and UFC flyweight champ Valentina Shevchenko are the most dominant female fighters in UFC history.

And that’s why – despite their first two meetings ending in Nunes’ favor – a third bout between these two UFC legends could still be on the cards.

Nunes has her next title defense lined up. She’s set to face Julianna Pena for the UFC bantamweight title at UFC 265. Shevchenko, meanwhile, defeated Jessica Andrade to defend her title at UFC 261.

Both women stand head and shoulders above the other fighters in their respective divisions, and the only real challenge for them could be one another.

It’s not like the first two fights between them were whitewashes, after all. Their first bout, at UFC 196 in 2016, saw Nunes take the first two rounds before Shevchenko came back in the third but couldn’t overhaul her deficit.

Their rematch at UFC 215 in 2017 was even closer, with Nunes being awarded a split decision that could easily have gone the other way on a different night.

It was one year ago today when Amanda Nunes defeated Valentina Shevchenko at UFC 215.The decision is still disputed amongst fans. As per the Global Scorecard, the closest round of the fight was the 3rd, which had a difference of 0.05 only. pic.twitter.com/a1nESzVnsG

— Verdict (@VerdictMMA) September 9, 2018

That fight wasn’t very entertaining to watch, which probably explains the UFC’s reluctance to book a third bout in the four years that have followed. But if both women keep winning, developing their rivalry into a trilogy will be something that the UFC simply can’t ignore.

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#1 Conor McGregor vs. Nate Diaz

A third fight between Nate Diaz and Conor McGregor could shatter the UFC's pay-per-view buyrate record

It’s probably safe to say that despite it not involving a UFC title, a trilogy bout between superstars Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz would be arguably the most highly anticipated fight in UFC history.

Simply put, McGregor and Diaz have managed to transcend the UFC and its titles. Both men can – and have – easily overshadowed UFC title bouts during their tenure with the promotion, and a third fight between the two would stand a good chance of breaking the UFC’s pay-per-view buy rate record.

Incredibly, the first fight between the two – which headlined UFC 196 in 2016 – wasn’t originally supposed to happen.

Diaz stepped in on late notice to replace the injured Rafael dos Anjos. In a bizarre situation that saw the UFC’s then-featherweight champ McGregor move up to 170lbs, Diaz became the first man to beat ‘The Notorious’ in the octagon.

UFC 196 ended up surprising everyone by drawing over a million buys on pay-per-view, and the UFC naturally capitalized on the interest by booking an immediate rematch at UFC 202 five months later.

Video Highlights - #UFC202: Diaz vs. McGregor 2 | https://t.co/pPJQ37pmtE pic.twitter.com/ijtThAdgiQ

— Fight Network (@fightnet) August 21, 2016

The rematch was a much closer fight and was also among the greatest five-round epics. McGregor came out on top in a tight decision, but it was clear that nothing was fully resolved between the two.

If anything, it’s a surprise that the UFC haven’t booked the trilogy bout between the two already, but with both men now firmly back in the fold and active once again, it seems highly likely that they’ll face off for a third time in the near future.