Correction, 12 September 2026: This article has been rewritten after a factual review. The previous version gave incorrect event details for Liddell–Ortiz and Jones–Cormier, called McGregor's UFC 202 win unanimous, and placed the first Rousey–Tate meeting at UFC 168. The corrected chronology and supporting sources appear below.
A rivalry becomes more interesting when you compare what actually changed between meetings: the champion, the distance, the route to a finish, or the official result. The argument outside the cage can make people watch; the sequence inside it gives a rematch its sporting meaning.
These four rivalries offer different ways to read that sequence. The dates and outcomes below come from UFC reports and records. The comparisons are our interpretation of those documented fights, rather than claims of ringside reporting.
Randy Couture and Chuck Liddell: a series that changed hands
| Event | Date | Result |
|---|---|---|
| UFC 43 | 6 June 2003 | Couture won by third-round TKO; interim light heavyweight title. |
| UFC 52 | 16 April 2005 | Liddell won by first-round knockout; light heavyweight title. |
| UFC 57 | 4 February 2006 | Liddell won by second-round knockout; retained the title. |
In the first fight, Couture made Liddell work while moving backwards, mixed striking with takedown pressure, and finished from top position. In the later meetings, Liddell's movement and counterpunching gave Couture a different problem when he tried to close the gap. UFC's trilogy retrospective describes that contrast; its UFC 43 account and UFC 52 recap supply the early chronology.
The useful comparison is the entry: how does the advancing fighter reach a position where wrestling becomes possible? Calling this simply a wrestler against a striker misses the striking that helped Couture enter and the movement that helped Liddell prevent those entries.
One common mix-up needs separating from this trilogy. Liddell's UFC 115 opponent was Rich Franklin, not Tito Ortiz. That event cannot be counted as a completed Liddell–Ortiz meeting. UFC's announcement identifies Franklin.
Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz: a finish followed by a close decision
| Event | Date | Result |
|---|---|---|
| UFC 196 | 5 March 2016 | Diaz won by rear-naked choke in round two. |
| UFC 202 | 20 August 2016 | McGregor won by majority decision: 48–47, 47–47, 48–47. |
Diaz accepted the first fight as a replacement for Rafael dos Anjos. McGregor found success early, but Diaz's second-round striking pressure preceded the grappling sequence that ended the contest. The choke is the recorded finish; the exchanges that led to it explain why the fight reached that position. UFC 196 report.
The rematch requires another kind of reading. Two judges favoured McGregor, while one scored a draw. That is a majority decision, not a unanimous decision or a split decision. A close result still produces an official winner, but the scorecards preserve how narrow the margin was. UFC 202 results.
For a replay, compare the second rounds first, then watch the rematch's full five-round structure. A single finishing clip and a judges' total answer different questions about the matchup.
Ronda Rousey and Miesha Tate: the rivalry began in Strikeforce
| Event | Date | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Strikeforce: Tate vs. Rousey | 3 March 2012 | Rousey won the bantamweight title by first-round armbar. |
| UFC 168 | 28 December 2013 | Rousey retained the UFC bantamweight title by third-round armbar. |
The promotion matters. Their first championship meeting happened before either woman fought in the UFC. Tate entered that Strikeforce bout as champion and lost the belt to Rousey. Contemporary Strikeforce results.
At UFC 168, Tate extended Rousey beyond the first round for the first time in her professional career. Rousey nevertheless finished with the same submission and retained her title. UFC 168 report.
That makes this a useful example of why identical methods do not mean identical fights. Compare the time spent escaping and rebuilding positions, rather than treating both armbars as interchangeable highlights. The rematch tells a story of resistance as well as repetition.
Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier: separate the fight from the final record
| Event | Date | Official outcome |
|---|---|---|
| UFC 182 | 3 January 2015 | Jones won by unanimous decision, 49–46 on all three cards. |
| UFC 214 | 29 July 2017 | No contest after the original Jones victory was overturned. |
The first meeting took place at UFC 182, despite their earlier association with UFC 178. All three judges returned the same total. UFC 182 report.
Jones initially stopped Cormier in their rematch, but the result was overturned following a failed drug test. Cormier was reinstated as champion. UFC's Jones record and September 2017 statement document the change. Recording the series as two official Jones wins would erase that distinction.
When comparing rivalries, keep three separate notes: what happened during the contest, what the official result became, and your assessment of the performance. That habit makes historical debate more precise—and helps prevent a memorable broadcast moment from becoming an inaccurate record.
Revised with AI assistance. The linked primary sources support the dates and results; comparisons are editorial interpretation.