10 Most Heated Rivalries In UFC History

Hating each other's guts and setting PPV records.

by Andrew Pollard
Tito Ortiz Ken Shamrock Ufc
LAURA RAUCH/AP/Press Association Images

While so often the world of fighting and combat sports is based around respect and a competitive edge, sometimes there's no better sight than seeing two fighters who have nothing but pure and unadulterated hatred for one another.

Whether it's merely faux hatred for the purpose of raising intrigue and selling a fight, or a case of genuinely detesting another person to the point of it being far more than just another fight, heated rivalries sell PPVs and get people through the gate.

It's been said over the years that controversy creates cash, and seeing somebody mock an entire country or discuss their plans to actually kill an opponent is most definitely controversial - yet these instances have also brought in some mega PPV hauls and ticket sales.

For the UFC, the very nature of the fight game means that great rivalries are so often a key component of having a successful company on a variety of different fronts. And that's why so many of the UFC's boom periods and surges in popularity have coincided with some truly legendary rivalries.

With that in mind then, here are ten of the most heated and vitriolic rivalries in the history of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

10. Frank Mir Vs. Brock Lesnar

Frank Mir was trash-talking Brock Lesnar way before the multiple-time WWE Champion even stepped in the Octagon, as Mir wasted no opportunity to take shots at Lesnar once the hulking Beast signed with UFC.

The pair would go on to have two UFC fights - with one win apiece - but this rivalry was one brimming with hatred and some shocking comments.

For Mir's part, he didn't hold back as he lambasted Lesnar, the pro wrestling business, and even Brock's family. Oh, and Frank said how he wanted to break Lesnar's neck and see him die in the Octagon. Nice!

When the pair first met at UFC 81 in Brock Lesnar's UFC debut, Mir made his opponent tap in under two minutes. Fast forward to UFC 100 and recently-crowned UFC Heavyweight Champion Lesnar retained his title with a second round TKO stoppage win over Mir - which Brock followed up by getting in the bloodied Mir's face.

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Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main day job, his role as the lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, Adrienne Barbeau, Rob Zombie, Katharine Isabelle, Leigh Whannell, Bruce Campbell, and Tony Todd, to Kevin Smith, Ron Perlman, Elijah Wood, Giancarlo Esposito, Simon Pegg, Charlie Cox, the Russo Brothers, and Brian Blessed, to Kevin Conroy, Paul Dini, Tara Strong, Will Friedle, Burt Ward, Andrea Romano, Frank Miller, and Rob Liefeld, to Bret Hart, Sting, Mick Foley, Ricky Starks, Jamie Hayer, Britt Baker, Eric Bischoff, and William Regal, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, Brian Flynn, Denis Smith, Gary Bennett, Karl Connolly, and Bryan Robson - and that's just the tip of an ever-expanding iceberg. Where his beloved Wrexham AFC is concerned, Andrew is co-host of the Fearless in Devotion podcast, which won the Club Podcast of the Year gong at the 2024 FSA Awards.