Third Time's The Charm: Top 5 Trilogies In MMA History

UFC Welterweight contender and former UFC Welterweight champion Matt Hughes recently announced on his Twitter page that a bout between him and former UFC Lightweight champion BJ Penn was scheduled for UFC 123. This will be the third match up between the two competitors and it will take place in the welterweight division. 

Over the years there have been many trilogies between fighters that had MMA fans delighted and entertained. It either has them debating on who the superior fighter was or who deservedly won the bout, regardless the trilogies are etched forever in the MMA record books.

Here are the Top 5 Trilogies in MMA History.

While this trilogy was hardly competitive, it certainly provided great entertainment. Perhaps the most entertaining moment of their rivalry was when they were opposing coaches on season three of The Ultimate Fighter, as Ortiz and Shamrock got into several confrontations and at one point almost came to trading blows.

Once these two competitors squared off inside The Octagon, Ortiz dominated the elder Shamrock with his superior wrestling skills and stamina, ultimately finishing his opponent by TKO stoppage on three occasions. 

Realistically, this trilogy did nothing more than bring in a mainstream audience to UFC as all three fights did little to enhance either fighter's marketability. Plus it was evident that Shamrock was well past his prime and had no chance hanging with a younger, more skilled fighter in Tito Ortiz.

Two of MMA best heavyweight fighters collided on three separate occasions, which saw Fedor get the better of his opponent, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. While the result of their second bout is debatable, according to the MMA record books, the bout was still officially sanctioned.

At Pride 25 and Pride Shockwave 2004 the 230 lb Emelianenko laid a beating on his Brazilian opponent for three straight rounds to earn a unanimous decision.

As superior and skilled Nogueira was in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, once he faced off against Emelianenko his ground skills became non-existent. In both bouts, Fedor controlled Nogueira on the ground and battered his face with brutal ground and pound, not allowing his opponent to generate any offense from the guard.

The trilogy between two of Pride's most exciting and dominant fighters, cemented both Nogueira and Emelianenko's legacy as two of the greatest heavyweights of all-time.

One of the most entertaining trilogies of all-time featured the two most dominant welterweights of all-time in Georges St-Pierre and Matt Hughes.

All three bouts ended in devastating fashion for both fighters. In their first meeting, Hughes displayed his strong wrestling skills against an inexperienced St-Pierre and controlled the French-Canadian on the ground. Just seconds before the first round came to a close, Hughes caught St-Pierre in an arm bar and won via submission.

The second meeting between the two competitors was a lot different, as St-Pierre came into the bout much more focused and confident.

St-Pierre out wrestled his opponent and was much more effective with his striking. At one point, Hughes went to shoot in for a take down but St-Pierre saw an opening and landed a head kick that sent the former UFC Welterweight champion to the canvas. St-Pierre followed up with a barrage of punches as Hughes was defenseless and earned the victory via TKO.

In the third and final bout St-Pierre once again displayed strong grappling skills and controlled Hughes on the ground. After waring Hughes out and gaining top control, St-Pierre delivered hard shots to the body and locked in an arm bar to pick up the win via submission.

The Hughes versus St-Pierre trilogy not only determined the best welterweight in the world but it also signified the end of Matt Hughes' reign in the welterweight division and the beginning of Georges St-Pierre's.

Perhaps no other fighters have made an impact in UFC quite like Randy Couture and Chuck Liddell. This trilogy not only cemented both competitor's status as two of the toughest fighters but it also made them influential figures in MMA.

The first time these two legends squared off, it was a well-balanced match up with both fighters mixing up their strikes, landing clean and effective shots. Once both men began to pick up the pace and find openings, Couture roughed up Liddell and slammed him to the ground. From there, Couture would control and dictate the pace of the fight as he would once again bring Liddell to the mat, before smothering him with punches and picking up the win via TKO.

In the second bout, Liddell came in much more prepared and was counter striking every shot that Couture threw. An accidental eye poke abruptly stopped the match for a second but both fighters came out swinging with Liddell getting the better of the exchange and dropping Couture in the process. Liddell won via KO.

When these two competitors met for a third time both fighters kept the fight on the feet, as Couture picked his shots and Liddell used his reach to create distance. Both fighters exchanged back and forth until Liddell pressed the action, connecting with a right cross that looked to have Couture shaken up. Couture proceeded to take him down but only for Liddell to bounce right back up.

Both men came out more aggressive in the second round. Couture stepped inside and was dropped by a right hand from Liddell. Liddell followed up with some strikes before the ref stepped in to signal the end of the bout. Liddell won via TKO.

There has never been a more violent, ferocious fighter in MMA history than Wanderlei Silva.

The frantic pace which he fought at was almost like watching a pit bull off its leash. His heated rivalry with Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson remains the most brutal and memorable trilogy in MMA history.

The first two encounters took place in the squared circle in Pride FC, where fans saw Silva man handle Jackson with hard hitting strikes and skull shattering knees. Silva's Muay Thai clinch was one the most feared at the time, and Jackson was on the receiving end of them taking multiple shots to the body and face.

In their second bout, perhaps one the most violent knockouts of all-time, Silva delivered his patented knees to the face of Jackson before he dropped and laid motionless outside of the ring. The horrific image of Jackson knocked out cold looked more like a crime scene than an MMA bout.

However, Jackson would exact his revenge on Silva in 2008 as both rivals met inside the Octagon at UFC 92. Jackson kept his distance and was looking to finish the fight quickly, but as the first round went on he remained composed and picked his shots. Silva, as usual, was the aggressor. Silva then swung wildly, while Jackson ducked and countered with a right hook that knocked his rival out cold.

Jackson might of finally earned a win over his Pride rival, but Wanderlei Silva still holds a 2-1 lead over the former UFC Light Heavyweight champion. While it's likely neither fighter will square off again, their heated and violent trilogy will be remembered for years to come.