Fights where 2 future UFC champions fought

[Chomsky Honk]

I'm trying to think of examples of fights where both fighters would eventually touch UFC gold, but at the time, neither of them were champs/former champs in the UFC.

I'm sure there are a lot of examples from the PRIDE days when UFC and PRIDE were competing for top talent, but I am curious about weird ones early on in careers like Lyoto vs Franklin.

Examples:

Anthony Pettis vs Benson Henderson 1
Bas Rutten vs Frank Shamrock 1, 2, and 3
Bas Rutten vs Maurice Smith 1 and 2
BJ Penn vs Matt Serra
Chuck Liddell vs Murilo Bustamante
Chuck Liddell vs Vitor Belfort
Dave Menne vs Carlos Newton
Forrest Griffin vs Shogun Rua 1
GSP vs Sean Sherk
JDS vs Fabricio Werdum
Johny Hendricks vs Robbie Lawler 1
Luke Rockhold vs Michael Bisping 1
Lyoto Machida vs Rich Franklin
Rampage Jackson vs Chuck Liddell 1
Randy Couture vs Vitor Belfort 1
Rashad Evans vs Michael Bisping
Shogun Rua vs Rampage Jackson

 

[Sgt Smith]

Bisping vs Hendo 1

 

[Fuzzybabyducks]

Like Bisping rashad?

 

[JSN]

Lyoto vs BJ
Forrest vs Chael (People's Champ)

 

[ElCasca]

Edgar x Maynard 1
Nvm Maynard never won

 

[Chomsky Honk]

Lyoto vs BJ
Forrest vs Chael (People's Champ)

BJ was a former champ then

Like Bisping rashad?

Good one

 

[AwEsOmExRAMPAGE]

Shogun-Forrest 1

 

[MartiniSIDe]

Bisping vs Rockhold 1

 

[AwEsOmExRAMPAGE]

St.Pierre vs Sean Sherk

 

[AwEsOmExRAMPAGE]

JDS Vs Werdum

 

[TheChance]

Bisping vs Hendo 1

I see what you did there

 

[Chomsky Honk]

I'm gonna add to the list in the OP thanks for contributing

 

[akc814ilv]

Punk vs Gall

 

[Mr Wings]

Couture vs Belfort 1.

Couture got the belt from Mo Smith in his next fight.

Belfort eventually got the belt from Couture, though only via Couture's scratched eye.

Belfort had won a UFC 8 man tourney already when he fought Couture.

 

[Chomsky Honk]

Couture vs Belfort 1.

Couture got the belt from Mo Smith in his next fight.

Belfort eventually got the belt from Couture, though only via Couture's scratched eye.

Belfort had won a UFC 8 man tourney already when he fought Couture.

good one. and yeah I wont count the tournament belts for this

 

[DonCarlos]

Johny Hendricks vs. Robbie Lawler 1
Vitor Belfort vs. Chuck Liddell
Vitor Belfort vs. Randy Couture
Rampage Jackson vs. Chuck Liddell

 

[MikeyCanFly]

(People's Champ)

 

[CoffeeAndBeer]

Bas vs Frank (three times)
Bas vs Maurice Smith (twice)
Randleman vs Maurice Smith
Randy vs Vitor 1
Ricco vs Arlovski
Chuck vs Vitor
Chuck vs Bustamante
Chuck vs Rampage 1
Newton vs Menne
Machida vs Franklin
Shogun vs Rampage
Shogun vs Forrest
Rashad vs Bisping
Benson vs Pettis 1
Werdum vs Cigano
Rockhold vs Bisping 1


Soon to be added:
Hendo vs Newton
Hendo vs Bustamante 1
Hendo vs Cormier
Overeem vs Chuck
Overeem vs Shogun (twice)
Overeem vs Werdum (twice)
Khabib vs Rafa

 

[Willek]

Dustin Poirier vs Max Holloway.

Just wait.

 

[Chomsky Honk]

Bas vs Frank (three times)
Bas vs Maurice Smith (twice)
Randleman vs Maurice Smith
Randy vs Vitor 1
Chuck vs Vitor
Chuck vs Bustamante
Chuck vs Rampage 1
Newton vs Menne
Machida vs Franklin
Shogun vs Rampage
Shogun vs Forrest
Rashad vs Bisping
Werdum vs Cigano
Rockhold vs Bisping 1


Soon to be added:
Hendo vs Newton
Hendo vs Bustamante 1
Hendo vs Cormier
Overeem vs Chuck
Overeem vs Shogun (twice)
Overeem vs Werdum (twice)

damn you found a lot, adding to the list

edit: I didn't add Randleman vs Smith because Smith beat Coleman for the title before he faught Randleman