UFC Trilogies that don't end with a rubber match

[JayPettryMMA]

I'm trying to think of trilogy fights in the UFC between two fighters where one fighter has won two of those bouts ahead of the third. I was having a discussion about fighters earning a third shot at a guy after losing twice, like if Benavidez or Dodson somehow got a third crack at MM, or Cowboy fighting RDA again.

I can think of the following:

Edgar vs BJ - Edgar won twice, then won the third time
Tito vs Ken - Tito won twice, then won the third time
I think Big Nog fought Herring three times, with Nog winning the first two before the third, but I thought two were in PRIDE.
Potentially Ronda vs Tate - Ronda has won the first two, and we'll see if they fight again.

Have there been more fights where a fighter earns a third shot at another fighter who has beaten them twice already? Arlovski and Tim fought four times but each of them have won at least once.

 

[jimbob27]

Wanderlei and Rampage finished their trilogy in the UFC after Wanderlei won the first two in pride.

 

[SUBLIME FAN]

Frankie/Gray

1st fight Maynard, 2nd fight Draw, 3rd fight Frankie

 

[Paradigm]

Frankie/Gray

1st fight Maynard, 2nd fight Draw, 3rd fight Frankie

I don't think that counts based on his criteria.

 

[JayPettryMMA]

Oh I knew I was missing one big one (phrasing), Wandy vs Rampage.

And the Edgar/Maynard one is good, I was on the fence about including that because Maynard didn't win twice, but Frankie hadn't beaten Maynard up to the third fight.

 

[SUBLIME FAN]

Cerrone/Henderson

 

[HI SCOTT NEWMAN]

Ken Shamrock vs Royce Gracie comes to mind, and Sam Stout vs Spencer Fisher

 

[JayPettryMMA]

Cerrone/Henderson

How on earth did I forget Cerrone vs Henderson, especially if the conversation was about Cowboy? Man. I mean I know they fought twice in the WEC, but I must have just marked that last fight off in my mind as a loss for Cerrone or something.

 

[LukeSkyRutten]

Ronda has won the first Holly fight according to Ronda, and in her head she has already won the second.

 

[JayPettryMMA]

Ken Shamrock vs Royce Gracie comes to mind, and Sam Stout vs Spencer Fisher

Stout/Fisher was a rubber match, Stout won at UFC 58 and Fisher won at UFN Stout vs Fisher. That said, Stout vs Fisher is probably the most underrated trilogy in MMA.

Also, Shamrock and Gracie fought to a draw in their second bout, so it's like Edgar/Maynard. Then they "settled" it in Bellator, albeit with Shamrock taking some sort of drug but he did "lose".

 

[JayPettryMMA]

Ronda has won the first Holly fight according to Ronda, and in her head she has already won the second.

Let's not go down that road.

 

[RNC&Poke]

Wanderlei and Rampage finished their trilogy in the UFC after Wanderlei won the first two in pride.

Thats the 1st one that came to mind for me.

 

[Tanaka]

Sarah Kaufman vs Alexis Davis. Kaufman was up 2-0 going into the third fight.

 

[Pacemaker Joe]

Not UFC, but Wand KOed Saku 3 times... and is in a tag team extreme rules grappling match (whatever the fuck that is) soon. He also fought Rampage 3 times, winning the first two so the 3rd wasn't a rubber match.

 

[Pacemaker Joe]

Cerrone/Henderson

They only fought twice?

edit: nevermind, I'm retarded.

 

[JayPettryMMA]

Sarah Kaufman vs Alexis Davis. Kaufman was up 2-0 going into the third fight.

Excellent, that's what I'm looking for. Kaufman won the first two and then got armbarred in the third. I know they fought once in Strikeforce and once in the UFC, but I don't remember their first fight.

 

[Team Sleep]

Pacquiao and Marquez. 4th times a charm.

 

[JayPettryMMA]

I gotta admit, I blocked out the Wandy/Saku murders out of my memory because they hurt to watch. That's a good example trilogy of a guy that got mauled in the first two fights and then still ended up fighting the same guy a third time. I'm open to non-UFC trilogies, especially Zuffa property like Strikeforce/WEC/PRIDE.

Mostly, I'm trying to think of all the trilogies where a fighter went into the third fight having lost the first two and then came out with a win or where the winning fighter pitched a shutout, so to speak.