Over the years, UFC has witnessed countless rivalries, but only a select few have etched their place in UFC history as truly unforgettable. Think Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov or Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier. But which one was bigger?

UFC CEO Dana White recently weighed in on which matchups he believes were the most intense of them all. The 56-year-old made an appearance in an interview with Barstool Sports, where he reeled off several fighter duos he felt defined the promotion’s fiercest rivalries. 

Conor McGregor vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov missed the mark 

Speaking to the UFC CEO, host Robbie Fox asked White, besides Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier or Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov, which fighting rivalry was the most intense. “It would absolutely be those two. You know, they fist-fought in the lobby of the MGM,” White said, unable to exclude those two from the list. And for good reason. 

During the UFC 178 press conference staredown in August 2014, Cormier shoved Jones after they went nose-to-nose. This prompted Jones to lunge over a UFC official and throw punches. The two tumbled through a backdrop, fell to the floor, and security intervened while Jones continued swinging. The Nevada Athletic Commission later fined Jones $50,000 plus community service and Cormier $9,000 plus service.

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Coming back to White, though, he felt that such situations are very sensitive to deal with. “The hardest thing is that when you’re there, you’re not there for a photo op. You’re there to make sure these guys don’t touch or disrespect each other,” White said during the interview. “Once somebody feels disrespected, then they have to get… theirs in, and I don’t care who the f—k you are. You’re not stopping s—t.”

Clearly, Dana White feels Jones vs. Cormier was much bigger than Khabib vs. McGregor. Still, he had other rivalries that he had to mention, thanks to the chaos they created. 

Who else besides Jon Jones vs. Daniel Cormier?

Later in the interview, Fox pressed White for more names. “Rampage and Rashad was a good one,” Dana White added. Their rivalry reached its peak during The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights in 2009, where they served as opposing coaches. The animosity generated enormous hype for their UFC 114 main event in May 2010. Evans ultimately emerged victorious, winning by unanimous decision.

White then added another iconic feud to the list: “Chuck and Tito.” Once training partners, Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz evolved into bitter rivals, fueling one of the UFC’s most legendary rivalries. Although their saga spanned a three-fight trilogy, Liddell claimed knockout victories in the first two encounters. But Ortiz finally earned redemption with a first-round knockout in their 2018 boxing match.

White also reflected on Conor McGregor’s rivalries with Khabib Nurmagomedov and Nate Diaz. The McGregor–Khabib feud, in particular, was intensely public and volatile—beginning when Khabib slapped a member of McGregor’s team and culminating with Khabib’s dominant victory inside the Octagon, followed by chaos outside the cage.

Finally, White mentioned one last rivalry. “There’s been a few. Misha and Ronda,” he concluded. Ronda Rousey and Miesha Tate’s fierce feud helped define the early era of women’s MMA, driven by personal animosity and settled across two fights—both ending with Rousey securing armbar submissions.

Dana White obviously remembered all these rivalries quite well. But what about you? Which rivalry was the most intense for you?