The Best and Worst UFC Interim Title Fights
UFC 236 on Saturday at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta is headlined by not one, but two interim title clashes.
In the main event, Max Holloway moves to 155-pounds to take on Dustin Poirier for the lightweight title, and Kelvin Gastelum and Israel Adesanya meet in the co-main event for the interim middleweight belt.
In the UFC's history, there have been 19 interim title fights. That number goes up by two after the weekend, and the UFC is seemingly using the interim tag more and more. With all those prior fights, it makes one wonder what were the best, and worst, interim title fights.
But what makes an interim title fight good or bad?
It is not simply the quality of the fighters or the fight, but also the title itself. Was it needed? What was the purpose of the UFC's decision to institute the belt, and what happened after the fight?
All of those factors play a role in determining the quality of the contest. If it is just used as a marketing ploy to try to trick consumers into buying a title fight, it certainly hampers the aura of the bout.
What follows is a look back at three of the best and three of the worst interim title bouts throughout the UFC's history, featuring meetings that either shined above the rest or left fans scratching their heads.
Worst: Colby Covington vs. Rafael dos Anjos
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UFC 225 (June 9, 2018): Colby Covington def. Rafael dos Anjos by unanimous decision (49-46, 48-47, 48-47)
It is difficult to make a case for the welterweight interim title fight between Colby Covington and Rafael dos Anjos to be anything other than a complete waste of time.
The champion at the time, Tyron Woodley, had last defended the title against Demian Maia at UFC 214. He would then be sidelined by an injury, but he was expected back in the cage in 2018. Thus, even making the fight between Covington and Dos Anjos for the belt was an odd decision.
It was an empty title from the start. Additionally, the fight itself was lackluster.
Covington is a talented fighter, but he's not someone who will light the world on fire with excitement. Neither is Dos Anjos, for that matter. The fight was nothing special. Covington controlled the action for the most part and cruised to a unanimous-decision victory.
What makes it even worse is that Covington was stripped of the belt less than a month later, making it entirely pointless. Woodley returned in the fall to defend the undisputed belt, and Covington's false reign was over.
It was a questionable decision from the jump only compounded by the decision-making weeks later to strip him of the phoney belt. The fact this will go down in the record books as a title fight is borderline comical.
Best: Robert Whittaker vs. Yoel Romero
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UFC 213 (July 8, 2017): Robert Whittaker def. Yoel Romero by unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 48-47)
Michael Bisping was the reigning champion, but when a potential fight with Georges St-Pierre presented itself, that was Bisping's focus.
When that fight fell apart prior to UFC 213, Bisping bowed out of the date as well. It was debatable if the interim title was needed because Bisping wasn't out injured, but the quality of Robert Whittaker vs. Yoel Romero shined past the interim tag to land as one of the best title tilts of its kind ever.
It was a battle of wills; Romero's supreme athletic ability against the grit of Whittaker.
Romero damaged Whittaker's left knee with a kick that likely would have signaled an end to most fights. But Romero was not able to capitalize on a hobbled Whittaker. Instead, Whittaker fought back in one of the most incredible displays of heart to outpoint Romero.
Bisping entered the Octagon to chastise Whittaker and set up a potential fight. It never happened.
Whittaker's knee injury kept him on the sideline, and Bisping got his fight with GSP. GSP took the belt and decided to vacate it without ever defending it. Whittaker would become the lone champion and therefore the undisputed champion.
The 25-minute war was exceptional, and it was somehow topped by their eventual rematch at UFC 225—another battle that left Whittaker worse for wear.
Worst: Tony Ferguson vs. Kevin Lee
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UFC 216 (October 7, 2017): Tony Ferguson def. Kevin Lee via submission (triangle choke) at 4:02 of the third round
Conor McGregor had become the two-division champ at UFC 205 in November of 2016, but he never returned to defend either belt.
The UFC had balked at officially stripping McGregor, but it decided a new title fight was needed. Unfortunately, the bout for the lightweight belt was neither memorable nor fruitful.
Tony Ferguson vs. Kevin Lee was not a terrible fight, but it was far from the best we've ever seen. Kevin Lee, seemingly with a staph infection, gassed, and Ferguson got the submission.
Ferguson was set to defend the belt against Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 223, but less than a week before the fight was supposed to occur, Ferguson had to withdraw due to injury. The UFC officially stripped both McGregor and Ferguson prior to UFC 223.
Six months after winning the interim title, Ferguson was right back where he was before UFC 216.
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Best: Randy Couture vs. Chuck Liddell
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UFC 43 (June 6, 2003): Randy Couture def. Chuck Liddell by TKO at 2:39 of the third round
The UFC was much less liberal with the interim tag in their earlier days, but one time it was called upon was in 2003.
Tito Ortiz was the champion and had last defended the belt at UFC 40 in the grudge match with Ken Shamrock.
In the UFC 40 co-main event, Chuck Liddell knocked out Renato "Babalu" Sobral. The UFC had what they wanted—Ortiz and Liddell both winning and keeping their compelling rivalry on course for a huge showdown. But Ortiz was not playing ball.
Former UFC heavyweight champion Randy Couture took up the challenge. Liddell was the hottest fighter on the roster and the favorite, but Couture's legend grew on that June night.
An exceptional game plan put Liddell on the defensive. Couture took it to "The Iceman" and dominated before eventually forcing the referee to step in and save Liddell from additional punishment.
With Liddell out of the picture, Ortiz suddenly reappeared, but he, too, caught a beating from Couture three months later.
This, the first fight of the Couture-Liddell trilogy, is now historic and an important moment for both Couture and the UFC. It helped Couture become the first two-division champion in UFC history. "The Natural" came through with a huge performance and helped elevate the UFC throughout his reign.
Worst: Jon Jones vs. Ovince Saint Preux
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UFC 197 (April 23, 2016): Jon Jones def. Ovince Saint Preux by unanimous decision (50-44, 50-45, 50-45)
After Jon Jones was stripped of the light heavyweight belt, Daniel Cormier won the title and defended it on October 3, 2015.
UFC 197 was expected to be Jones and Cormier's second fight, but DC had to pull out. The UFC kept going with Jones in the main event, and that should have been good enough. Instead, they pulled out the interim tag and promoted Ovince Saint Preux to the main event three weeks before the bout.
And perhaps it still would not have been one of the worst interim title fights if Jones demolished OSP as expected. Instead, it was a five-round bout that did not hit many highs. Jones looked to be knocking off some cage rust and won after a decision. It was not overly impressive or fun.
As interim champion, Jones was slated for a unification bout with Cormier at UFC 200, but he failed a pre-fight drug test and was stripped. Jones returned at UFC 214, beat Cormier and then had that belt stripped because of a positive drug test.
The Jon Jones tale between 2015 and 2017 is a curious one. In the end, he was gifted an interim title fight and squandered it after a lackluster showing before taking and squandering the undisputed title as well.
Best: Conor McGregor vs. Chad Mendes
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UFC 189 (July 11, 2015): Conor McGregor def. Chad Mendes by TKO at 4:57 of the second round
UFC 189 was supposed to be the UFC's biggest event to date, with the rivalry between Conor McGregor and Jose Aldo coming to a head.
An injury to Aldo forced him off the card, and with little time to find a replacement, the UFC called upon Chad Mendes to take the fight.
McGregor was taken down and controlled in the first five minutes, but he rebounded to batter the body of Mendes in the second. Mendes showed the effects, and McGregor was then able to find his range and put him away.
Was the interim tag absolutely needed? No. But it was a rare occasion where the UFC was able to effectively use the interim tag as a marketing tool.
Not only would it put gold around the waist of their biggest growing star at the time, McGregor, but it would set up a unification fight between Aldo and whoever came out the other end. McGregor's interim title win set the stage for UFC 194 in December.
It was a rare time where a title that wasn't needed actually helped. McGregor officially became a champion, and with his ability to sell the fight came an even bigger clash with Aldo months later.
It worked out stupendously for the UFC in the end and became one of their best interim title fights ever.
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