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UFC 306’s co-main event features a highly anticipated trilogy bout between flyweight champion Alexa Grasso and former champ Valentina Shevchenko.
The two first met at UFC 285, where Grasso shocked the world with a fourth-round face crank submission to steal the title away from Shevchenko, who is regarded as the greatest female flyweight in UFC history. Six months later, they squared off at Noche UFC, fighting to a split draw.
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Before they meet again at UFC 306: O’Malley vs Dvalishvili inside Sphere in Las Vegas, let’s take a trip down memory lane and revisit just a few of the many iconic trilogies to have graced the Octagon.
Chuck Liddell vs Randy Couture
UFC Hall of Famers Chuck Liddell and Randy Couture first clashed at UFC 43 on June 6, 2003, for the interim light heavyweight title. The difference maker in this meeting was Couture’s relentless pressure and wrestling; Couture secured four of five takedown attempts, with the most important coming just over two minutes into round three. Couture took mount and hammered away until the referee stepped in to call the fight, earning Couture a TKO victory and the interim light heavyweight title.
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The two squared off again at UFC 52. Couture entered the bout as the light heavyweight champion, having just regained his title in a rematch against Vitor Belfort. The title quickly changed hands once again, however, as Liddell landed a right hand just two minutes into the first round to finish the champion and claim the throne. The finish earned Knockout of the Year honors in 2005.
Their trilogy came to a decisive end at UFC 57. Liddell, still champion, went into the bout looking for his second title defense. While it took longer to get the job done, Liddell went on to knock out Couture just as emphatically as the last time, closing this chapter with a decisive finish.
Georges St-Pierre vs Matt Hughes
Another pair of UFC Hall of Famers, Georges St-Pierre and Matt Hughes, also shared the Octagon on three separate occasions. After losing his belt to BJ Penn earlier in January of 2004, Hughes got the opportunity to reclaim his throne in October of that year against St-Pierre at UFC 50. Hughes entered the bout as a seasoned veteran and former champ, boasting an ultra-impressive 37-4 record, whereas the undefeated St-Pierre was just seven fights into his professional mixed martial arts career.
With just seconds to go in the first round, Hughes transitioned beautifully from top position to an armbar, forcing the tap from St-Pierre with one second left in the frame to regain the welterweight title.
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The Canadian won five straight after suffering his first pro loss to Hughes until earning a rematch against the champion in the main event at UFC 65 in 2006. A little over a minute into the second round, St-Pierre landed a perfect head kick, sending Hughes crashing to the mat. St-Pierre followed up with a flurry of elbows until the fight was called to capture UFC gold for the first time in his career.
They faced off for the third and final time at UFC 79 in 2007 for the interim welterweight title. St-Pierre closed out the trilogy just how Hughes started it, with an armbar submission victory. This win was the second of what became a 13-fight win streak for St-Pierre before his retirement in 2017.
Stipe Miocic vs Daniel Cormier
After successfully defending his light heavyweight title for a third time, UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier made the move up to heavyweight to take on then-champion Stipe Miocic at UFC 226. Cormier wasted no time etching his name in history, finishing Miocic with a short right hand in the first round to become the second of four fighters in UFC history to hold two belts simultaneously.
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A year later, Miocic got his revenge in their rematch at UFC 241, stopping Cormier with a flurry of punches late in the fourth round to regain his title. Miocic settled the score the following summer, defeating Cormier via unanimous decision in a five-round war. The end of their trilogy also marked the end of Cormier illustrious career in the Octagon.
Dustin Poirier vs Conor McGregor
You can’t have a list of trilogies without mentioning the seven year, three-fight saga between Dustin Poirier and UFC superstar Conor McGregor. Their rivalry began at UFC 178 in September 2014. It was the biggest test of McGregor’s young featherweight career, and he passed with flying colors, stopping Poirier via TKO less than two minutes into the first round.
The two went their separate ways for nearly seven years until they crossed paths in 2021 at UFC 257 in Abu Dhabi. Poirier shocked the world by becoming the first person to stop McGregor via strikes. Emotionally, the rivalry seemed to have settled down, with both fighters respecting one another both before and after the fight.
That all changed six months later, when they met for what became the most highly anticipated trilogy in UFC history at UFC 264. A back-and-forth first round ended in dramatic fashion, as McGregor broke his leg with mere seconds to go in the round, earning Poirier a TKO victory via doctor’s stoppage. Although Poirier holds a 2-1 edge in their trilogy, McGregor took to the mic after the fight and delivered one of his most iconic Octagon interviews, making it sound like their rivalry is far from over.
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