The Right and Wrong Way to Rematch

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UFC 227 is now available on Amazon Prime.

This weekend at UFC 227, the Ultimate Fighting Championship reaches into the rematch well for both the main and co-main events. Bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw faces former champion Cody Garbrandt again while Henry Cejudo gets another opportunity to dethrone flyweight title-holder Demetrious Johnson. Rematches are a frequent occurrence in mixed martial arts. Take a quick glance at the busy fight schedule and you’ll see plenty of rematches booked across all levels of the professional spectrum. This year alone, three UFC main events were contested between familiar faces. Where UFC 227 stands out is: one, the dual dosing of repeat match-ups; two, that this is only the fifth time in the history of the promotion that two rematches headlined a pay-per-view card; and three, the circumstances that preceded the bookings.

Less than a year ago at UFC 217, Dillashaw’s striking variety proved too much for Garbrandt in his first and only title defense. Although the first round saw the Team Alpha Male exile get dropped by Garbrandt’s solid boxing, he survived the danger to turn the fortunes in his favor during the following frame and secure a dramatic finish. Besides the fact that Garbrandt’s performance to win the belt against consensus bantamweight GOAT Dominick Cruz established him as a potential star for the division, there was nothing suggesting an immediate rematch for the belt was warranted. Not only did he drop the title before cementing his reign with a defense, he was finished early in the fight without any controversy.

While a rematch between the two heated rivals will likely produce fireworks in the Octagon, pairing these two again does the division no favors. With the emergence of former World Series of Fighting champion Marlon Moraes, there are viable contenders that offer fresh pairings. One of those good options was Jimmie Rivera. However, scheduling Dillashaw and Garbrandt to run it back left Rivera and Moraes to compete against each other in June at UFC Fight Night 131. Moraes emerged victorious and the UFC successfully picked off a contender. While the 135-pound class has benefited from the presence of fresh faces, worthy title challengers are simply not easy to come by. As prospects like Cody Stamann work to further establish themselves, the forgotten Raphael Assuncao continues his winning ways and Cruz continues his career-long injury struggles, needlessly eliminating challengers is a luxury the promotion simply cannot afford at the moment.

By immediately booking the inevitable second meeting between Dillashaw and Garbrandt, the UFC continues a troublesome pattern of rushing through natural rivalries without maximizing their worth. As former teammates with a wealth of history and mean vibes to pass back and forth, the relationship is promotional gold. Leaked sparring footage, Twitter rants and heated staredowns have already made this one of the most personal feuds we’ve seen in the sport. Instead of building up to a fever pitch, we’re left with a rushed affair with nothing to add to the hype aside from the usual shenanigans.

Looking back at the trio of heavyweight title tilts between Junior dos Santos and Cain Velasquez, we have an example. After the quick knockout that passed the belt from Velasquez to Dos Santos at the first-ever UFC on Fox card, both fighters competed against other contenders and scored highlight-reel finishes. While the amount of time that passed between their first and second contests was undoubtedly rushed -- all three of their fights took place in less than two years, in fact -- there was at least something in between to whet the appetite of fans. However this approach still ran through Dos Santos’ viability as championship contender too quickly. Even with Velasquez’s inability to remain healthy, and the infamously unstable living conditions of the heavyweight belt, it took several years for the Brazilian to legitimately re-insert himself into the title picture.

A better example would be found in the rivalry of light heavyweight legends Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz. While contract disputes are a part of the story, Liddell and Ortiz were former teammates on a collision course. When they first met at UFC 47, it was a success relative to the other events at the time. After their first matchup, they went their separate ways for two years, compiling separate lengthy win streaks, which set the stage for a massively hyped UFC 66 that reached the seemingly unattainable mark of 1 million pay-per-view buys. Similarly, Liddell’s trilogy with Randy Couture was allowed to simmer over time and resulted in great financial returns for the company and an enduring legacy for fans.

On the other hand, the co-main event is a perfect example of a rematch done correctly. When “Mighty Mouse” and Cejudo first met at UFC 197, the challenger was simply overwhelmed by the more experienced tactician and was quickly added to the historically long list of the Johnson’s victims. Since then, Cejudo has been afforded the opportunity to grow as a fighter. After showing growth in a very competitive split decision loss to Joseph Benavidez, the Olympic gold medalist noticeably improved his craft in subsequent wins over Wilson Reis and Sergio Pettis. Instead of reentering the cage against Johnson as essentially the same man that was TKOed in 2016, his development as a fighter offers a different look than what he initially offered the dominant king of the division.

If Garbrandt can’t redeem himself this Saturday, he will find himself in a difficult spot with two losses to the reigning champion. As we have seen recently with former strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk, consecutive losses to the champion can leave the challenger in a nomadic state with no clear path to the crown. Cejudo can face a similar fate. However, the main difference between the two is the time table on the stakes of their respective repeat match ups. We’ve seen Cejudo improve and more fully realize his potential with the hopes of climbing to the mountain top. He has proven himself worthy of another shot whether he makes good on it or not. Conversely, Garbrandt has been pushed through at the expense of other fighters worthy of the spot. Garbrandt, while clearly one of the division’s best, is still only 12 fights deep into his career with plenty of room to grow. Potentially being the odd man out in the division does nothing but waste that growth.

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