Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor settling their rivalry at UFC 264 on Saturday night will mark the latest trilogy in what has been a rich history of trilogy fights for the promotion.
McGregor starched Poirier in their initial tilt via a first-round TKO (punches) back in September 2014, before Poirier exacted revenge with a second-round TKO (punches) of his own this past January to knot the series up at 1-1.
With Poirier-McGregor 3 just days away, and marking the UFC's 14th trilogy, we look back at the best trilogy fights in UFC history.
Chuck Liddell def. Randy Couture (2-1)
You cannot talk UFC trilogies without mentioning the three wars Chuck Liddell had with Randy Couture. Like Poirier and McGregor, Liddell and Couture entered the Octagon with their feud knotted at 1-1. Couture took a third-round TKO (punches) back in June 2003, before "The Iceman" returned the favor with a first-round KO (punches) in April 2005. Then, for the rubber match, Liddell proved to have Couture's number by knocking him out again — this time in the second round in their Feb. 2006 clash. All three of their fights were pay-per-view headliners.
Tito Ortiz def. Ken Shamrock (3-0)
Only two of the UFC's 13 trilogy fights ended in a clean sweep. Well, Ortiz demolishing Shamrock will always have the distinction for being the first sweep in UFC trilogy fight history. (Frankie Edgar over B.J. Penn was the other). Ortiz punctuated each of his three wins over Shamrock with a TKO: There was the third-round corner stoppage that sparked their war in Nov. 2002 followed by back-to-back first-round TKOs to finish their rivalry definitively in July and October 2006, respectively.
Randy Couture def. Vitor Belfort (2-1)
It took nearly seven years for Couture and Belfort to get back into the Octagon following Couture's first-round TKO victory in Oct. 1997. And when given the chance in the rematch, Belfort immediately made things interesting, punctuating a first-round TKO victory in Jan. 2004 to win the UFC light heavyweight title and set up the rubber match in Aug. 2004. That's when Couture not only came away with a third-round TKO via a doctor's stoppage, but the light heavyweight strap back around his waist.
Cain Velasquez def. Junior dos Santos (2-1)
Oh boy, did Dos Santos lay down the gauntlet for this feud with a 64-second knockout before a nationally-televised audience to claim the heavyweight title in their first fight back in Nov. 2011. However, Velasquez wouldn't be denied over their next two fights. He'd win back the title by willing a unanimous decision performance in Dec. 2012, before defending it via fifth-round TKO on a devastating slam and punch in Oct. 2013 to close this chapter of his illustrious career.
Georges St-Pierre def. Matt Hughes (2-1)
To date, this marks the only UFC trilogy to have count than one submission as a final result. Hughes handed St-Pierre his first pro loss via a first-round buzzer-beating submission (armbar) that came at 4:59 into their UFC 50 fight back in Oct. 2004. St-Pierre would exact revenge with a second-round TKO (head kick and punches) in Nov. 2006 to claim the welterweight title and get an armbar submission of his own to close out the trilogy just over a year later.
B.J. Penn def. Matt Hughes (2-1)
Now, that's how you punctuate a trilogy fight! Penn did just that by delivering a 21-second blitz of Hughes in their third and final fight Nov. 2010 to win the trilogy with an exclamation point.
Forrest Griffin def. Tito Ortiz (2-1)
Griffin and Ortiz never had a title on the line for their three wars, but that didn't stop them from going the distance in three memorable bouts. After trading split-decision results, Griffin produced a unanimous decision nod in July 2012 to definitively close out their trilogy.
Stipe Miocic def. Daniel Cormier (2-1)
Miocic didn't have any opponents between his trilogy with DC. Perhaps, that helped Miocic rebound from having Cormier shock him with a first-round KO (punches) to become the new heavyweight champion back in July 2018. Miocic exacted sweet revenge with a brutal fourth-round TKO (punches) in Aug. 2019 to reclaim the title and defended it a year later via unanimous decision in a trilogy closer that didn't carry as much sizzle, but still got the job done.
Tim Sylvia def. Andrei Arlovski (2-1)
After Sylvia's first-round TKO tied the series at 1-1, these two warriors didn't waste time locking themselves up in the Octagon again. Less than 90 days after the rematch, Sylvia produced a unanimous decision in July 2006 to win the trilogy.
Charles Oliveira def. Nik Lentz (2-0, including 1 no contest)
Well before Charles Oliveira was crowned lightweight champion, he was embroiled in an odd, yet entertaining trilogy with Nik Lentz. After their first meeting ended in a no-contest due to an illegal knee, it took nearly four years for them to clash in the Octagon again. The rematch had Oliveira getting a third-round submission (guillotine choke) in May 2015, before tacking on a second-round TKO (punches) nearly another four years later to end their rivalry.
How will Poirier-McGregor 3 stack up? Follow DAZN News for all the live updates, results and highlights from UFC 264: Poirier vs. McGregor 3 on Saturday night.