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Most MMA fighters, just like great athletes in history, need a rival to elevate their game and achieve greatness. Whether motivated by something personal or strictly professional, fighters often produce their most memorable work when pitted against a rival. Ali had Frazier. McGregor had Diaz.
Whether it's an old gym conflict or a battle for the belt, MMA rivalries are mostly fueled by stories. Great narratives always compel people to tune in. In MMA, some of the most-watched fights are between bitter rivals.
Just the sheer unwillingness to lose to someone you dislike is enough motivation to break through your limits as a fighter. Animosity fuels competitiveness to new levels and we love it.
However, at the end of the day, MMA is a sport. Every athletic endeavor advocates discipline, dedication, and most importantly, respect. The combat aspect of MMA breeds a certain kind of respect that's hard to achieve in any other sport as bonds are forged quite literally in blood, sweat, and (sometimes) tears.
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Once the final horn signaled the end of UFC 268, heated rivals Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington did something unexpected. They shook hands and shared kind words. The two came in as sworn enemies but they left as brothers in the end; at least for the night. Today we list down similar storied rivalries in MMA that ended in respect.
#5. ONE Championship's greatest MMA rivalry ends in mutual respect
The four-fight rivalry between Bibiano 'The Flash' Fernandes and Kevin 'The Silencer' Belingon was one for the ages. Though not rooted in real bad blood, the two had a highly competitive series of fights.
Fernandes and Belingon split the first two fights with one win apiece. The rubber match sparked controversy and tension as Belingon was disqualified due to illegal elbows. With tension brewing, a fourth fight was made to put a definitive end to the rivalry.
Fernandes erased all doubt about his legitimacy as a champion by defeating Belingon in dominant fashion. The Brazilian ONE champion won via rear naked choke after dominating almost every aspect of the fight.
Despite the mild bitterness created by the third fight, the two competitors showed respect for one another in the end. Particularly Fernandes, who spoke these kind words to his Filipino foe:
"Thank you, Kevin. You did great fight, brother. You take care. I wish I can be friend..."
#4. Rose Namajunas and Joanna Jędrzejczyk bury the hatchet after a 5-round MMA war
The two-fight MMA rivalry between 'Thug' Rose Namajunas and Joanna Jędrzejczyk spun a classic tale of good-versus-evil. The drama was carried mostly by Jędrzejczyk, who talked all kinds of mad trash to the otherwise stoic and restrained Namajunas. During their intense UFC 217 weigh-in, the Polish then-champion went full villain while the American challenger said the Lord's prayer. It's a tale as old as time.
If the build-up to the first fight was like a movie, then the fight itself was the dramatic climax. Namajunas knocked out the trash-talking MMA champion with a stepping left hook to win the UFC strawweight crown.
The build-up to the rematch at UFC 223, however, was quite different. Jędrzejczyk, seemingly humbled by her first loss, focused more on rising above adversity. Still, she insisted that Namajunas' win was a fluke. 'Thug' Rose, on her end, was quite the same as the first MMA clash; calm and respectful.
The rematch went down the wire as the two slugged it out in a closely contested classic. Namajunas edged out a decision win after 5 rounds of a grueling back-and-forth slugfest. After the final horn sounds, the two had a beautiful moment of respect and sportsmanship as they embraced and walked the cage in each other's arms. Win or lose, both knew they achieved something that will be remembered in history forever.
#3. Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington share a rare moment of respect
The most recent entry on this list, the rivalry between UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington is still fresh in everyone's minds. The clashes with Covington were similar to Usman's high-profile matches with Jorge 'Gamebred' Masvidal. The only difference is that while the Masvidal fights were one-sided beatdowns, the Usman-Covington fights were extremely competitive and razor-close. The trash-talk was at a level above usual as the divisive Covington spent as much time as he had on the mic to berate his bitter rival.
The first fight was a hotly contested bout with the champion edging out his challenger with a come-from-behind TKO victory. A rematch was set to take place after Covington bounced back with a win over former champion Tyron Woodley.
With the hype behind the rematch reaching lofty heights, the fight absolutely delivered. Covington was knocked down badly in the second round but survived to bring himself back into the fight as the duo battled it out for five rounds in the main event of UFC 268 with Usman emerging victorious.
The end of the fight showed a rather human side to Covington as he seemingly let go of his heel character to shake Usman's hand. The two shared so many kind words that MMA referee Dan Miragliotta had to jokingly separate them and say "you can kiss later". Hear it from the champion himself in this post-fight interview:
#2. Anderson Silva applauds Chael Sonnen to end their historic MMA rivalry
One of the most iconic and heated rivalries in MMA ended with both fighters applauding each other. Anderson Silva was such a dominant champion that no challenger dared to disrespect him -- until he met Chael Sonnen. Sonnen blended bravado, creativity, and humour into his trash talk, such that people couldn't help but pay attention to the fight.
In the first fight, Sonnen almost came through with his big words as he dominated Silva in the first four rounds. In the fifth, however, the champion pulled off a miracle with a come-from-behind triangle choke.
The second fight at UFC 148 was similarly competitive but Silva closed the show with a TKO win in the second round. After the fight, Silva thanked his fallen foe for the memorable MMA fights and even jokingly invited him to his family barbecue. Even Sonnen, who is usually brash and confident, was humble in defeat.
#1. McGregor-Diaz rivalry ends in blood and respect
Without a doubt, the McGregor-Diaz MMA saga is one of the most well-documented and entertaining rivalries in sports, period. Conor McGregor, with a rocketship strapped to his back, was on his way to superstardom. Nate Diaz however, was the first to truly put the Irishman to the test. At UFC 196, the Stockton native pulled off an upset as he presented problems that McGregor couldn't solve.
The rematch, both in the build-up to the bout and the fight itself, was one for the history books. We ranked it as one of the biggest grudge matches in MMA history and it delivered in spades. It was a grueling, back-and-forth affair where both fighters bloodied and battered each other to the final horn. Just look at this epic post-fight photo to see the respect earned and given from both sides after the war they just went through:
Such moments of magnificent humanity tell us that MMA is not just a sport of brutality and violence. It's also, most importantly, a sport rooted in honor and respect.
