Some rivalries in the UFC are built on bad blood. Others are simply built on two fighters being too evenly matched to settle things in a single fight. Both kinds have produced some of the sport’s most memorable moments.
## Current Trilogies Worth Watching
Petr Yan and Merab Dvalishvili are about to settle their rivalry for a third time at UFC 333, with the series currently tied 1-1. Dvalishvili won their first meeting in 2023, ending Yan’s title reign, before Yan reversed the result in December 2025 to reclaim the bantamweight belt. A trilogy fight with a title on the line and a genuinely split history is about as compelling as rivalries get.
## Why Rivalries Matter Beyond the Belt
The best UFC rivalries typically combine three ingredients: stylistic contrast, a genuinely competitive history, and stakes that matter beyond just personal pride. A trilogy fight for a championship, like the Yan-Dvalishvili series, checks every one of those boxes.
## Rivalries Born From Circumstance
Not every great rivalry starts with animosity. Some of the most compelling matchups in UFC history developed simply because two fighters kept ending up on opposite sides of a closely contested divisional picture, with each subsequent meeting raising the stakes of the last.
## What Makes a Rivalry Last
– A split record that leaves the true better fighter genuinely in question
– Championship or title-eliminator stakes attached to at least one meeting
– Contrasting styles that produce different kinds of fights each time out
For the full context on the current bantamweight trilogy, see our breakdown of upcoming UFC title fights. If knockouts are more your interest, check our list of greatest UFC knockouts in history, and for how these rivalries shape all-time records, see UFC records: winning streaks, wins and finishes.
## Final Word
Rivalries like Yan-Dvalishvili remind fans why trilogy fights, when they’re genuinely earned, remain some of the most anticipated bouts the sport can produce.