5 UFC Fights That Were Booked But Never Happened

By: Nikhil Chauhan Image credit: UFC

[{"selector":"#anim-2d0f8d71-01da-4a54-bbb9-b5e00ade8355 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(20.78673979280369%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] UFC has featured some of the greatest match-ups in the history of mixed martial arts. However, there have been some that were booked but eventually ended up getting shelved.

[{"selector":"#anim-3f0b69bc-74e7-430a-91e9-ecb8f01c3755 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(17.455067212772434%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c93ade7a-9c26-487f-aa7d-b9adac16be93","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-671f6bf2-f41a-4831-aa0c-219b2db841b2","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-147.27273%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-8ecf2f5f-bd23-406a-bcd1-3ffcad695804","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":900,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-dbbcbd66-6125-487d-b4a4-71d5f03470a4","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-7feec162-8764-44b6-98da-617d442ade2d","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-118.12297%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Conor McGregor was scheduled to face Rafael dos Anjos for the UFC’s Lightweight Championship at UFC 196. However, RDA opted out of the fight due to injury, giving us McGregor vs Diaz.

[{"selector":"#anim-f9ddf091-d125-4737-a4f3-ad358cf3b5db [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-18.62044261902053%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-7e161148-02a4-4a15-8455-9514d471a7d7","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f94239ce-b9ec-449b-bfef-1f3e4dcd7663","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-119.01639%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e33159a5-5309-46f4-9dad-d23d30995136","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-8e703fd2-38dc-42d2-aef0-adf77c7d3831","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-72.96137%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Khabib Nurmagomedov vs Tony Ferguson was booked four times before Nurmagomedov retired from MMA back at UFC 254. Two of the greatest lightweight fighters of the time could never share the UFC Octagon.

[{"selector":"#anim-a9ddd675-cdef-4e39-82f7-1dd1862bfacb","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-5d2fa6fd-79c6-4e89-bb20-1749f2d5484f","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 69.95222%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-9facceaa-1a57-40b5-a9b3-d51922653300","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f37b4983-c077-497b-9cb2-a7e5e86aa7b6 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(-18.32419919017189%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] Following his loss against Conor McGregor in the rematch, Nate Diaz was scheduled to take on Dustin Poirier back at UFC 230. Poirier pulled out of the fight due to an injury.

[{"selector":"#anim-14292e5a-cfbe-4be1-9a70-da8ca08b2f0f [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(58.79036449402052%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d89067c6-aab6-4e84-a843-ba0db4518571","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d0d2277b-abc0-4f0d-922c-708e961504ab","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-326.05037%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-1a808914-e35e-47a9-9f20-186473b588f4","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e65d869d-6727-4ad9-9e8d-373866670f46","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-119.12751%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Both fighters expressed their interest to fight again in 2022. Despite the back and forth on media, UFC never seemed truly interested. Diaz left UFC after UFC 279.

[{"selector":"#anim-f99f2fc0-3b5f-4b5a-8a7d-311efb22c928","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-3730b5b2-23ec-4ef9-a417-3f0e1032cb64","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 75.32856%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-66579ad8-fc39-45fb-bbc0-1b348e252840","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-9aea3621-9a08-44f1-b809-94ba1ce65c47 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(-17.962060866255463%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] Right before his vicious KO win over Darren Till in London, there were reports that Jorge Masvidal could face Nick Diaz at UFC 235. Diaz did not accept the challenge and claimed that the UFC lowballed him.

[{"selector":"#anim-5383a8de-ec5d-49c3-9587-31fa2a4b18fc [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(-17.672350207122307%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-105fef1a-22a6-4224-b6ed-9d85c4a5a807","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d05ab597-f15d-419b-abac-5a920b2e9405","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-121.3793%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-83f4337c-4e63-425f-bbc3-c9a733de6885","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a0950d96-2d10-4388-865e-07fc4e487779","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-160.35243%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Georges St-Pierre vs Robert Whittaker was never really booked in the first place, but it was expected to happen after GSP signed a two-fight deal with the UFC.

[{"selector":"#anim-69e926c9-a7c4-4c1c-bb10-d55a21f99fa9 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(18.106916195822034%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c7543457-553d-415a-bc54-c6d488ad5310","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-6b083015-702f-4a21-8983-92ca47dd5d6f","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-117.79935%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-7676a810-f3e7-4d09-b6af-5b642cc26f38","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-35664386-25b1-47d2-89d9-3ea3ef662b52","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-146.94323%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] The Canadian fighter defeated Michael Bisping for the middleweight gold and would have fought Robert Whittaker if it wasn’t for his decision to not fulfill the contract. Whittaker was later promoted from interim to undisputed champion after GSP’s exit.

[{"selector":"#anim-a3ea05c8-2a19-4947-8e82-4fec539687d2 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(8.296874910687201%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b43124e2-4835-4628-93fa-0bd2599ed169","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-9d29bb9c-9a08-4da1-9239-73146e57bc5b","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-323.52939%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b65ff3eb-5fb6-405c-9512-6b8e8afea44c","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-60510767-7c48-4178-a63b-efcb40ce7470","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-125.09091%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Which fight do you think would have created the most intrigue from this list of fights that were booked but never happened?

5 UFC Fights That Were Booked But Never Happened

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