5 blockbuster UFC rematches that will likely never happen

#2. Ronda Rousey vs. Holly Holm (UFC 193)

UFC 193: Ronda Rousey vs. Holly Holm

From 2013 to 2015, Ronda Rousey appeared to be the most dominant champion in the UFC. That all changed when she met former undefeated kickboxer Holly Holm in the main event of UFC 192.

In hindsight, Holm being pegged as the heavy underdog against Rousey was a massive miscalculation on the part of betting analysts. But at the time, 'Rowdy' was cruising through a 12-fight winning streak with multiple stoppage wins.

Come fight night, Holm exposed Rousey's lack of proficiency in the striking department. 'The Preacher's Daughter' picked the seemingly invincible champion apart before putting her away with a thunderous head kick in the second frame.

Rousey would return to the octagon over a year later and was mauled by Nunes, who handed her a second consecutive stoppage loss. That was the last time Rousey was seen in the octagon as she'd moved on to professional wrestling before leaving combat sports altogether in 2019.

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#1. Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Conor McGregor (UFC 229)

UFC 229: Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Conor McGregor

Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov collided in one of the most highly anticipated matchups in UFC history. With two of the biggest MMA stars set to lock horns, UFC 229 generated approximately 2.4 milion pay-per-view buys, which remains the highest buyrate in the promotion's history.

As we've learned in previous years, McGregor usually gets his rematch after a loss. He was awarded an immediate rematch against Nate Diaz five months after their first go-round and a trilogy bout with Dustin Poirier less than six months after he was knocked out in their rematch.

But with Khabib, it was a completely different story. McGregor was thoroughly dominated by the Russian fighter to the point where an immediate rematch wasn't justifiable. On top of that, lightweight contenders Poirier and Justin Gaethje were on a roll and snubbing them in favor of McGregor would have been such a bad look for the company.

'The Eagle' defended his crown twice more after vanquishing McGregor. However, the undefeated champ revealed that he was hanging his gloves up after 29 professional MMA fights in October 2020.

Unless the UFC can convince Khabib to come out of retirement, a rematch between the two stars will forever remain a what-if scenario.