Some of the most storied rivalries in UFC history got squashed in grudge matches. The completion of trilogies like Chuck Liddell vs. Randy Couture, Georges St. Pierre vs. Matt Hughes, and Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard, each helped establish today’s Zuffa-owned UFC while paving the way for potential rubber matches between superstars like heavyweight champ Junior Dos Santos and former heavyweight kingpin Cain Velasquez.
But a rematch between Dos Santos and Velasquez didn’t even seem imminent after Cigano dispatched of the former Arizona State University wrestler in just 64 seconds at the first installment of the UFC on Fox in February 2011. Velasquez, however, needed just one outing, albeit a gruesome and bloody one, to persuade the UFC brass to give him another crack at Dos Santos and the belt he once wore for just over six months.
Regardless of who prevails in the rematch, two things seem inevitable: Velasquez will show his true colors and put on a much better show this time, and the loser will remain a significant force in the heavyweight division.
The following are four reasons the Dos Santos — Velasquez saga will grow into a classic UFC trilogy.