Considering how many talented and eye-catching lightweight contenders there are in the UFC, the highly-anticipated third fight between lightweight champion Frankie Edgar and proven No. 1 contender Gray Maynard couldn’t come soon enough.
Edgar and Maynard fought to a draw in one of the best fights of the year, ironically on the first day of the year. Since then, the lightweight division has been gridlocked. For the top-10 at 155-pounds, the division is about to change; a new challenger will be needed.
Whether Edgar and Maynard meet for a fourth time or not, it will not be any time in the near future. The UFC needs some fresh new matchups at lightweight, and there will be no shortage of those.
But, with such a meaningful rematch approaching that will change the look of the division for the foreseeable future, I find myself reflecting on previous rematches that had a similar effect. Fights that represented a fork in the road and created a new era.
If Edgar wins, he will have defended his title three time against the hardest competition after winning it in one of the biggest upsets of all time.
If Maynard takes it, the UFC will have a new champion and one that made his UFC debut on the reality show The Ultimate Fighter.
It should be a fight to remember and could easily be included in this list some time down the road. But for now, here are the five most pivotal rematches in UFC history, prior to Saturday night.