In a sport like MMA where a fight can end in a split second, trilogies often bring with them a stamp of finality. When two fighters go at each other on three separate occasions, there is very little doubt as to who is the better fighter. The UFC has played host to a number of such exciting trilogies over its history.

This weekend we have another fight that will likely end up being on the list of greatest UFC trilogies of all time. Before Daniel Cormier and Stipe Miocic step inside the Octagon, we take a look back at the five greatest UFC trilogies of all time.

5. Matt Hughes vs BJ Penn

Arguably one of the strangest trilogies of all time, Penn vs Hughes never went according to the fan’s expectations. After two failed attempts at capturing the lightweight belt, Penn was moving up to welterweight. He had a definitive size disadvantage against the bigger Hughes. However, Penn used his speed to lock-in a rear-naked choke.

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The fight went down in history as one of the greatest UFC upsets of all time. The two went at each other for a second time two years later in 2006. After dominating for two rounds, a gassed-out Penn showed up in the third. Hughes utilized his wrestling and mounted a crucifix upon ‘The Prodigy’. After eating a barrage of strikes, Penn was saved by the referee as Hughes would even the score.

The final fight took place in 2010. Both Penn and Hughes were getting out of the title picture. Penn had suffered a couple of losses to the champs of both lightweight and welterweight. Regardless, it only took him 21 seconds to knock out Hughes. Unfortunately, for Penn, the fight remains his last victory inside the Octagon.

4. Dominick Cruz vs Urijah Faber

Trilogies get that much more exciting once there is genuine bad blood between the two. Dominick Cruz vs Urijah Faber is one of those fights which was fought as craftily on the mic outside the Octagon as it was inside. The two met for the first time in WEC at featherweight. The experienced Faber choked out Cruz in the very first round.

Following the loss, Cruz went into a zone of his own. He’d string together an array of victories, thus becoming the first UFC bantamweight champion after the promotion acquired and retired WEC. For his first title defense, he went against a familiar foe – Urijah Faber.

In a fight that went on for five rounds, Cruz’s evasive style proved too crafty for Faber. He won the nod of all three judges, thus taking the score to 1-1. The rubber match between the two was expected to happen after they both appeared as coaches on The Ultimate Fighter. However, Cruz suffered an ACL tear, thus delaying the trilogy.

The two finally met at UFC 199 in 2016, nine long years after there initial meeting. In his patented style, Cruz won the judges’ nod once again. While Faber never won a UFC title, he still remains one of the most well-known fighters among the lighter weight classes in the promotion.

3. Georges St-Pierre vs Matt Hughes

Once again Matt Hughes makes his appearance on the list, thus proving how many great moments he has had inside the Octagon. His rivalry with Georges St-Pierre is often looked back upon as the passing of the torch between two of the best UFC welterweights of all time.

In the first fight, Hughes used his wrestling effectively against a relatively inexperienced GSP. Just like Faber vs Cruz I, Hughes submitted his opponent via an armbar in the dying seconds of the first round. In hindsight, the loss could have been one of the best things to happen for GSP’s career. He took the loss in his stride and became much more efficient on the ground.

Consequently, the GSP of the second meeting was much more confident in his ability to hang in the Octagon against Hughes. The latter went in for a takedown but ended up meeting St-Pierre’s knee on the way. The Canadian followed it up with a barrage of punches to claim the UFC welterweight gold.

The rubber match between the two took place for the interim welterweight title. GSP stuffed Hughes’ wrestling and also imposed his own takedowns. In a role reversal from the first fight, GSP attempted a kimura at the end of the second round. He instead ended up locking in an armbar forcing Hughes to tap out verbally.

2. Frankie Edgar vs Gray Maynard

The trilogy between Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard played a huge rule in defining their fighting careers. It showed the world how tough Edgar is. On the other hand, Maynard was so close, yet so far, of being a UFC champion not once but twice.

The first fight between the two took place when both were undefeated and highly new to the game. Living up to his nickname, Maynard bullied Edgar inside the Octagon. He landed takedown after takedown to earn his way to a unanimous decision. For Edgar, it was a wake-up call. If he had to make a living out of being a fighter, he had to be more dedicated to it.

The second meeting had much higher stakes. With the lightweight belt on the line, Edgar and Maynard engaged in what is now remembered as one of the greatest UFC fights of all time. The challenger knocked Edgar down thrice in the first round, but somehow, someway ‘The Answer’ found a way to survive.

The two would go back-and-forth for the remaining four rounds, with Edgar even taking Maynard down. The fight ended with a split draw.

The final meeting took place in the same year as the rematch. In a manner similar to the second fight, Maynard knocked down Edgar once again, only to see him ride it out. Edgar won the next two rounds before winning the fight in the fourth due to a TKO.

While Edgar may have had the last laugh, Maynard was the more dominant fighter if you consider all the three fights. However, he could just never land the finishing blow.

1. Randy Couture vs Chuck Liddell

It hardly gets any bigger when you have two of the most influential fighters fighting each other, not just once or twice, but three times. Couture vs Lidell coincided with the UFC making its way into the mainstream media. Needless to say, two of the sport’s biggest stars facing each other thrice during the time period had a big role in the same.

The two fought for the first time at UFC 43. Couture was making his light heavyweight debut with the interim belt at stake. The fight started out as a calculated encounter with both the fighters landing clean strikes. However, as they picked up their respective pace, ‘The Natural’ slammed Liddell down. After controlling the pace from there on, he would win the fight via a TKO.

The second meeting happened on the back of Liddell and Ortiz appearing as coaches on the first season of The Ultimate Fighter. ‘The Iceman’ came in much more prepared this time around, countering every shot of his opponent. It only took him a little over two minutes to get the better of the exchanges and return the favor from the first fight.

The trilogy took place a year later in 2006. Just like the previous two contests, the battle was fought during the stand-up with both fighters employing their boxing skills. Couture stayed cautious picking his shots. However, once Chuck pressured him, he didn’t have an answer. Liddell closed out the trilogy with a TKO in the second round.

With this, we wind-up the list of the greatest UFC trilogies of all time. Do let us know if you would make any changes to this list.