Petr Yan vs. Merab Dvalishvili joins UFC's rare list of trilogy bouts at UFC 333

When men's bantamweight champion Petr Yan and former champion Merab Dvalishvili fight in the UFC 333 co-main event on Saturday in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, it will be their third meeting, completing the promotion's 20th trilogy. This weekend's headliners, featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski and undefeated challenger Movsar Evloev, will square off for the first time, but Volkanovski has already been part of a UFC trilogy. His threepeat with Max Holloway several years ago played out far differently from what will unfold in the UFC 333 co-main. That's guaranteed. (Read on to find out why.) How fitting is it that Saturday's event is numbered 333, a coincidental acknowledgment that when the UFC deals out three of a kind, the fans end up with a winning hand. Usually. Trilogies come in all shapes with all sizes. Many of the sport's biggest stars have been in one or more, yet at least one UFC three-fight series featured competitors newer fans probably haven't heard of. Some trilogies have had championship-level stakes in each fight, while others have been driven by nothing but a scornful rivalry that makes the fights feel no less consequential. A few trilogies have been one-sided and a couple have concluded without establishing who's better. We did the math. Other MMA organizations have staged trilogies, and some have played out across multiple promotions, but this list sticks to the 19 all-UFC trilogies to date and sorts them by similarities and distinguishing factors. Passing the torch Trilogies in which the winner of the first fight was at the top of the sport, and by the third meeting the opponent was MMA's top fighter Chuck Liddell vs. Randy Couture Results: UFC 43, June 6, 2003: Couture def. Liddell (TKO3) for interim light heavyweight title UFC 52, April 16, 2005: Liddell def. Couture (KO1) for light heavyweight title UFC 57, Feb. 4, 2006: Liddell def. Couture (KO2) for light heavyweight title Notable: In the lead-up to their second meeting, Liddell and Couture coached against each other on the inaugural season of "The Ultimate Fighter," the reality show UFC CEO Dana White often credits with keeping the UFC in business. Through their TV appearances and contrasting fighting styles and personalities, Liddell and Couture helped catapult MMA toward the sports mainstream. Couture is one of just three fighters (along with Tito Ortiz and Matt Hughes) to compete in two UFC trilogies -- this one and a trio of fights with Vitor Belfort. Georges St-Pierre vs. Matt Hughes Results: UFC 50, Oct. 22, 2004: Hughes def. St-Pierre (Sub1) for welterweight title UFC 65, Nov. 18, 2006: St-Pierre def. Hughes (TKO2) for welterweight title UFC 79, Dec. 29, 2007: St-Pierre def. Hughes (Sub2) for interim welterweight title Notable: This is the only UFC trilogy to feature multiple submission finishes. Hughes won by armbar at UFC 50, and St-Pierre ended the trilogy at UFC 79 by submitting Hughes, also by armbar. When the fighters were standing, though, GSP dominated. In their second meeting, he outstruck Hughes 49-10 with two knockdowns. In the third fight, it was 97-10. A stunning start ... and finish Trilogies that began with a shocking KO upset, followed by the KO victim scoring two dominant wins Cain Velasquez vs. Junior Dos Santos Results: UFC on Fox, Nov. 12, 2011: Dos Santos def. Velasquez (KO1) for heavyweight title UFC 155, Dec. 29, 2012: Velasquez def. Dos Santos (UD) for heavyweight title UFC 166, Oct. 19, 2013: Velasquez def. Dos Santos (TKO5) for heavyweight title Notable: The first fight lasted barely a minute, as Dos Santos essentially won by one-punch knockout. The rematch and trilogy fight dramatically swung the other way. Velasquez battered JDS for the full 25 minutes of their second meeting, as reflected by one judge awarding him two 10-8 rounds. Velasquez became the first UFC fighter to reach triple-figure significant strikes (111) and double-figure takedowns (11) in a single fight. Stipe Miocic vs. Daniel Cormier Results: UFC 226, July 7, 2018: Cormier def. Miocic (KO1) for heavyweight title UFC 241, Aug. 17, 2019: Miocic def. Cormier (TKO4) for heavyweight title UFC 252, Aug. 15, 2020: Miocic def. Cormier (UD) for heavyweight title Notable: Cormier was light heavyweight champion when he first faced Miocic, and by crushing the heavyweight king with an uppercut, Cormier became the second UFC champ to reign in two weight classes simultaneously. Miocic bounced back in the next two fights, and his victory in the third meeting tied him with Couture for the most UFC heavyweight title-fight wins, with six. Back and forth (and back) Trilogies in which the winner of the first fight lost the second, then won the third -- a rarity Randy Couture vs. Vitor Belfort Results: UFC 15, Oct. 17, 1997: Couture def. Belfort (TKO1) UFC 46, Jan. 31, 2004: Belfort def. Couture (TKO1) for light heavyweight title UFC 49, Aug. 21, 2004: Couture def. Belfort (TKO3) for light heavyweight title Notable: Entering the first fight, Belfort was 20 years old and 4-0 as a pro -- all knockouts of a minute, 17 seconds or faster. But Couture, 34, stopped his momentum cold. When they met again six years later, Belfort won in 49 seconds after his glove scraped Couture's eye, causing a corneal abrasion that prompted the cageside doctor to stop the fight. In the third fight, Couture brutalized Belfort for three rounds before that event's doctor had seen enough. This is the only UFC trilogy in which two fights ended by doctor's stoppage. BJ Penn vs. Matt Hughes Results: UFC 46, Jan. 31, 2004: Penn def. Hughes (Sub1) for welterweight title UFC 63, Sept. 23, 2006: Hughes def. Penn (TKO3) for welterweight title UFC 123, Nov. 20, 2010: Penn def. Hughes (KO1) Notable: After two unsuccessful bids for the lightweight championship, Penn moved up to welterweight and won the belt in a stunning upset, ending Hughes' two-year reign and 13-fight winning streak. After Hughes won the rematch to even the score, Penn completed the trilogy in style, knocking out Hughes in 21 seconds -- the fastest finish in a UFC trilogy. You're just flexing now Trilogies that ended in a 3-0 sweep Tito Ortiz vs. Ken Shamrock Results: UFC 40, Nov. 12, 2002: Ortiz def. Shamrock (TKO3) for light heavyweight title UFC 61, July 8, 2006: Ortiz def. Shamrock (TKO1) UFC Ortiz vs. Shamrock 3, Oct. 10, 2006: Ortiz def. Shamrock (TKO1) Notable: This trilogy is unmatched in its bitter animosity, for sure, and maybe even in one-sidedness. The feud grew out of the brash Ortiz defeating fighters from Shamrock's highly regarded Lion's Den gym, then mocking that team with vulgar gestures and custom T-shirts. Ortiz and Shamrock finally met at UFC 40 amid much anticipation, and the heated buildup drove a pay-per-view buy rate double what the UFC had ever seen. Frankie Edgar vs. BJ Penn Results: UFC 112, April 10, 2010: Edgar def. Penn (UD) for lightweight title UFC 118, Aug. 28, 2010: Edgar def. Penn (UD) for lightweight title The Ultimate Fighter 19 Finale, July 6, 2014: Edgar def. Penn (TKO3) Notable: Penn, who had not lost a lightweight bout in eight years, was a near 8-1 betting favorite in the first fight. Even after Edgar pulled off a narrow upset, he was still the underdog entering the rematch. He won that one more clearly with three 50-45 scorecards, then completed the trilogy with a knockout. Of the UFC's 19 trilogies, 11 have ended with a finish in the third fight. But only two -- both involving Edgar -- ended with a finish after two consecutive decisions. The other was Edgar's series with Gray Maynard. Alexander Volkanovski vs. Max Holloway Results: UFC 245, Dec. 14, 2019: Volkanovski def. Holloway (UD) for featherweight title UFC 251, July 11, 2020: Volkanovski def. Holloway (SD) for featherweight title UFC 276, July 2, 2022: Volkanovski def. Holloway (UD) for featherweight title Notable: Just because this trilogy ended 3-0 doesn't mean Volkanovski had it easy. In the second fight, Holloway knocked him down in each of the first two rounds, forcing the champ to play catch-up. Holloway made Volkanovski work the full five rounds in all three fights. At 75 minutes of total cage time, this is the UFC's longest trilogy. Let's call it even Trilogies that ended at 1-1, plus a draw Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard Results: UFC Fight Night, April 2, 2008: Maynard def. Edgar (UD) UFC 125, Jan. 1, 2011: Maynard vs. Edgar for lightweight title ends in split draw UFC 136, Oct. 8, 2011: Edgar def. Maynard (KO4) for lightweight title Notable: The second meeting produced the greatest comeback and the most memorable draw in UFC history. Maynard knocked Edgar down three times in Round 1 while piling up a 47-10 edge in strikes landed. All three judges scored it 10-8, and Edgar was so rocked that he doesn't remember anything from the rounds that followed. He "missed" a great fight. The final meeting also began badly for Edgar, but this time his comeback built toward a late knockout that emphatically evened the score. Valentina Shevchenko vs. Alexa Grasso Results: UFC 285, March 4, 2023: Grasso def. Shevchenko (Sub4) for women's flyweight title Noche UFC, Sept. 16, 2023: Shevchenko vs. Grasso for women's flyweight title ends in split draw UFC 306, Sept. 14, 2024: Shevchenko def. Grasso (UD) for women's flyweight title Notable: The only women's trilogy in UFC history opened with a staggering upset, as Grasso capitalized on an ill-advised spinning attack by Shevchenko to seize control and quickly lock in a choke that ended the champ's six-year unbeaten run. Grasso narrowly held on to the title in a tightly contested second fight. Shevchenko dominated the third meeting, thanks to a change in strategy. Her grappling-heavy approach produced at least one takedown in each of the five rounds, 16 minutes of ground control and a trio of 50-45 scorecards. Remember me? Trilogies with at least seven years between fights Dustin Poirier vs. Max Holloway Results: UFC 143, Feb. 4, 2012: Poirier def. Holloway (Sub1) for interim lightweight title UFC 236, April 13, 2019: Poirier def. Holloway (UD) UFC 318, July 19, 2025: Holloway def. Poirier (UD) for BMF title Notable: The first fight was Holloway's UFC debut at 20 years old, and their final meeting 13 years later was Poirier's retirement fight. By winning that third bout, Holloway became the first fighter to win a UFC trilogy after losing the first two matchups. Leon Edwards vs. Kamaru Usman Results: UFC on Fox, Dec. 19, 2015: Usman def. Edwards (UD) UFC 278, Aug. 20, 2022: Edwards def. Usman (KO5) for welterweight title UFC 268, March 18, 2023: Edwards def. Usman (MD) for welterweight title Notable: Usman was 58 seconds from going up 2-0 in this series when an Edwards head kick out of nowhere changed everything. Usman had won 15 fights in a row and was on the verge of tying Anderson Silva's record for the longest UFC win streak at the time. Since that shocking defeat, he's gone 1-3, including another loss to Edwards. No gold, just (a little) glory Trilogies in which no championships were on the line Sam Stout vs. Spencer Fisher Results: UFC 58, March 4, 2006: Stout def. Fisher (SD) UFC Fight Night, June 12, 2007: Fisher def. Stout (UD) UFC on FX, June 22, 2012: Stout def. Fisher (UD) Notable: The first meeting was Stout's UFC debut, and apparently both fighters were just warming up. The rematch and trilogy fight each earned fight of the night bonuses. The third meeting had an added emotional element for Stout, as it was his first fight after the death of his coach and brother-in-law, Shawn Tompkins. Forrest Griffin vs. Tito Ortiz Results: UFC 59, April 15, 2006: Ortiz def. Griffin (SD) UFC 106, Nov. 21, 2009: Griffin def. Ortiz (SD) UFC 148, July 7, 2012: Griffin def. Ortiz (UD) Notable: Both competitors were 205-pound champions, just not during any of their three meetings. All three fights happened after Ortiz's title reign from 2000 to 2003. The first fight was before Griffin became champ in 2008, and the other two were after he lost the belt later that same year. The trilogy fight was Griffin's career finale and Ortiz's final UFC appearance. Charles Oliveira vs. Nik Lentz Results: UFC on Versus, June 26, 2011: Oliveira vs. Lentz ends in no contest UFC Fight Night, May 30, 2015: Oliveira def. Lentz (Sub3) UFC Fight Night, May 18, 2019: Oliveira def. Lentz (TKO2) Notable: The first bout appeared to end with an Oliveira rear-naked choke in Round 2, but the Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission ruled that Oliveira had landed an illegal knee and overturned the result to a no-contest. The bout earned both men fight of the night bonuses, as did the second fight. Dustin Poirier vs. Conor McGregor Results: UFC 178, Sept. 27, 2014: McGregor def. Poirier (TKO1) UFC 257, Jan. 23, 2021: Poirier def. McGregor (TKO2) UFC 264, July 10, 2021: Poirier def. McGregor (TKO1) Notable: This rivalry could have fit in the "Remember me?" category because of the seven-year gap between the first and second bouts. But what truly makes this trilogy stand apart from all others is McGregor's star power. He headlined the seven highest-selling pay-per-views in UFC history, and only his bouts with Khabib Nurmagomedov and Nate Diaz outsold his two meetings with Poirier in 2021. McGregor suffered the first two knockout losses of his MMA career in those bouts, the second finish coming by doctor's stoppage after he broke his left tibia and fibula. Three is not enough? The only UFC tetralogy -- plus 75% of another Brandon Moreno vs. Deiveson Figueiredo Results: UFC 256, Dec. 12, 2020: Moreno vs. Figueiredo for men's flyweight title ends in majority draw UFC 263, June 12, 2021: Moreno def. Figueiredo (Sub3) for men's flyweight title UFC 270, Jan. 22, 2022: Figueiredo def. Moreno (UD) for men's flyweight title UFC 283, Jan. 21, 2023: Moreno def. Figueiredo (TKO3) for men's flyweight title Notable: These two flyweights squeezed in four fights over 25 months, faster than many two-fight series. Moreno and Figueiredo each produced heart-pounding moments throughout the four fights, and together they landed exactly 700 strikes. The second fight represented a memorable accomplishment for Moreno when he became the first Mexico-born UFC champion. Tim Sylvia vs. Andrei Arlovski Results: UFC 51, Feb. 5, 2005: Arlovski def. Sylvia (Sub1) for interim heavyweight title UFC 59, April 15, 2006: Sylvia def. Arlovski (TKO1) for heavyweight title UFC 61, July 8, 2006: Sylvia def. Arlovski (UD) for heavyweight title One FC 5, Aug. 31, 2012: Sylvia vs. Arlovski ends no contest in One Championship Notable: The first fight lasted 47 seconds, with Arlovski's quick knockdown leading to a leg-lock finish. Arlovski nearly repeated the feat in the rematch, dropping Sylvia halfway through Round 1. But after a wobbly Sylvia got back to his feet and Arlovski moved in for a finish, Sylvia caught him with a short uppercut to even the score. Their final UFC meeting turned into a tactical, tentative sparring session, as one might expect from a matchup where each fighter had already felt the other's power. Also as expected, the ornery crowd was unimpressed.