5 intriguing UFC title fights that the fans never got to see

#2. Conor McGregor vs. Frankie Edgar – UFC featherweight title

After winning the featherweight title in 2015, could Conor McGregor have faced Frankie Edgar?

Conor McGregor has been part of some of the biggest fights in UFC history alongside the likes of Nate Diaz, Dustin Poirier and Khabib Nurmagomedov. However, the Irishman’s tendency to simply look for the clashes that will draw the most money has meant we’ve missed out on a number of potential fights involving him.

One title fight involving ‘The Notorious’ that fans were forced to miss out on was a possible featherweight championship clash with Frankie Edgar. Under different circumstances, it probably would’ve happened in early 2016.

As everyone remembers, McGregor became the UFC featherweight champion in December 2015 by knocking out longtime champion Jose Aldo in just 13 seconds. The result stunned the world, and meant that the Irishman instantly became the biggest star in the sport.

Just one night before that, though, Edgar knocked out Chad Mendes to clearly state his claim as the division’s top contender. It seemed to make sense for ‘The Notorious’ and ‘The Answer’ to fight with the title on the line.

However, McGregor ended up moving up in weight to fight Diaz twice and challenge for the lightweight title. Any possibility of a fight with Edgar went down the drain, particularly when the New Jersey native lost an interim title bout to Aldo.

Quite how this fight would’ve gone is anyone’s guess, although McGregor’s wins over Mendes and Eddie Alvarez suggest he would’ve had the edge. Regardless, though, it’s unfortunate that the clash never happened, as it may well have been fantastic to watch.

---

#1. Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Tony Ferguson – UFC lightweight title

Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Tony Ferguson fell through on numerous occasions

Naturally, the greatest example of a highly anticipated title bout that UFC fans missed out on remains the lightweight title clash between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson.

It’s hardly fair to blame the promotion for this fight never happening, too, as they attempted to book it on numerous occasions. Three of those times were with the lightweight title on the line only for it to fall apart under various different circumstances.

2017 would’ve seen the two men do battle with an interim title on the line as champion Conor McGregor was busy pursuing a boxing match with Floyd Mayweather. However, Nurmagomedov was forced out due to weight cutting issues.

A year later, the UFC booked the fight again, this time for the title vacated by McGregor. Ferguson blew his knee out just days before, forcing Khabib to defeat Al Iaquinta to claim the gold instead.

Finally, Ferguson was set to challenge ‘The Eagle’ in April 2020 at UFC 249, only for the COVID-19 pandemic to strike, preventing Khabib from entering the US. When the event was rescheduled a month later, Ferguson was instead faced with Justin Gaethje and ended up losing by TKO.

Five months later, Khabib returned, defeated Gaethje, and promptly retired from MMA altogether, putting an end to any hopes of a fight with ‘El Cucuy’.

So who would’ve won this fight, and would it have lived up to the hype? The answer to the first question is hard to say. Sure, Khabib was able to dominate every opponent he faced in the octagon, but he never faced a fighter as aggressive in all areas as Ferguson.

However, ‘El Cucuy’ did have a tendency to accept fighting from his back a little too much, suggesting that ‘The Eagle’ would’ve come out on top.

Would this fight have been a classic, though? Most likely, given that the two men were undoubtedly the best lightweights on the planet at their best and nearly always put on exciting fights. Almost two years down the line from when it was most recently scheduled, it’s still gutting for the fans that this fight never happened.