On October 19th
at UFC 166, the trilogy of championship bouts between Cain Velasquez
and Junior Dos Santos will finally reach its epic conclusion (Watch the first and second bouts here). Current champion Velasquez looks to avenge the only loss in his MMA career, while “Cigano” will be looking to reclaim the
prize that was taken from him at UFC 155. Here, a look back at the Octagon's history of threepeat thrillers.
12
Number of trilogies that have been completed in the UFC
2
Number of UFC trilogies scheduled to wrap by the end of the year – Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos 3 at UFC 166 and Gray Maynard vs. Nate Diaz at the TUF 18 Finale
4
Number of UFC fighters who’ve been part of two trilogies – Randy Couture (vs. Vitor Belfort and Chuck Liddell), Tito Ortiz (vs. Ken Shamrock and Forrest Griffin), Matt Hughes (vs. Georges St-Pierre and BJ Penn) and Gray Maynard (vs. Frankie Edgar and Nate Diaz).
1-1-1
Final result of the Edgar-Maynard trilogy, with a draw in their second matchup, Edgar’s lightweight title defense, with Edgar winning the final bout via TKO to retain his lightweight title
3-0
Final results of the Ortiz-Shamrock and Nogueira-Herring series, with Ortiz and Nogueira pitching shutouts.
3
Number of trilogies – pending and completed – with all three
fights being title bouts: St-Pierre vs. Hughes (GSP 2-1), Liddell vs.
Couture (Liddell 2-1) and Velasquez vs. Dos Santos (1-1-TBD).
1
Number of trilogies that started in the WEC and concluded in the UFC – Brian Stann vs. Steve Cantwell. (Dominick Cruz vs. Urijah Faber III would have made this list had injury not bumped it from its UFC 148 home.)
1
Number that began in TUF semi-final bouts – Nate Diaz vs. Gray Maynard
2
Number that started in PRIDE and ended in the Octagon (Minotauro Nogueria vs. Heath Herring and Rampage Jackson vs. Wanderlei Silva)
17
Number of months since an injury to bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz scrapped plans for his threematch against Urijah Faber. Cruz has yet to return to active duty inside the Octagon.
2
Number of times the Ortiz vs. Griffin trilogy fights won Fight of the Night bonuses (outcome: Griffin 2-1)
5
Number of Knockout of the Night bonuses scored in trilogy fights: Junior Dos Santos for Velasquez vs. Dos Santos 1; BJ Penn for Penn vs. Hughes 3; Rampage Jackson for Jackson vs. Wanderlei Silva 3; Georges St-Pierre for Hughes vs. GSP 2; Tito Ortiz for Ortiz vs. Shamrock 3.
Watch the Trilogies
Cain Velazquez vs. Junior Dos Santos (1-1-TBD)
UFC on FOX 1 (free through 10/19)
UFC 155 (free through 10/19)
UFC 166 (future)
Nate Diaz vs. Gray Maynard (1-1-TBD)
TUF 5 episode 12 (free)
UFN 20
TUF 18 Finale (future)
Randy Couture vs. Vitor Belfort (Couture 2-1)
UFC 15
UFC 46
UFC 49
Randy Couture vs. Chuck Liddell (Liddell 2-1)
UFC 43
UFC 52
UFC 57
Tim Sylvia vs. Andrei Arlovski (Sylvia 2-1)
UFC 51 (free)
UFC 59
UFC 61
Tito Ortiz vs. Ken Shamrock (Ortiz 3-0)
UFC 40
UFC 61
UFN 6.5
Minotauro Nogueira vs. Heath Herring (Nogueira 3-0)
PRIDE 17 (free)
PRIDE Critical Countdown 2004 (free)
UFC 73 (free)
Georges St-Pierre vs. Matt Hughes (St-Pierre 2-1)
UFC 50
UFC 65
UFC 79
Rampage Jackson vs. Wanderlei Silva (Silva 2-1)
PRIDE Final Conflict 2003 (free)
PRIDE 28 (free)
UFC 92
Matt Hughes vs. BJ Penn (Penn 2-1)
UFC 46
UFC 63
UFC 123
Brian Stann vs. Steve Cantwell (Stann 2-1)
WEC 26
WEC 35
UFN 19
Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard (1-1-1)
UFN 13
UFC 125
UFC 136
Forrest Griffin vs. Tito Ortiz (Griffin 2-1)
UFC 59 (free)
UFC 106
UFC 148
Spencer Fisher vs Sam Stout (Stout 2-1)
UFC 58
UFN 10
UFC on FX 4