Kryptonite Within Mixed Martial Arts

Israel Adesanya vs. Alex Pereira

The rivalry between Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira was well-documented leading up to UFC 281 and Pereira once again showed why he is Adesanya’s Kryptonite. Alex Pereira has now gone 3W-0L against Israel Adesanya, proving that he will find and defeat him no matter what company the former middleweight champion fought for. There are rumours swirling around that Adesanya might get a rematch but many fans feel that since Alex Pereira has defeated Izzy three times, that would not make sense. But if it did happen, who do you give the next shot to? Israel Adesanya has proven that even with being the former champ, he has done enough defending against the top contenders and killers like Robert Whittaker, Yoel Romero, Paulo Costa and Jared Cannonier to get one more shot to reclaim the middleweight throne from a man who has been his longtime Kryptonite rival.

Chuck Liddell vs. Tito Ortiz

Chuck Liddell vs. Tito Ortiz is another well-documented rivalry that will stand the test of time. As two former training partners turned rivals, Chuck got the better of Tito in a very exciting era in the UFC’s light heavyweight division. Chuck went 2-0 in both men’s prime. Twelve years later, Tito got his revenge on his Kryptonite fighter, but many felt it was too long overdue as Chuck was not the same Iceman that faced Tito in 2004 and 2006.

Chuck Liddell vs. Rampage Jackson

This next one is a perfect way of showing that even if you are someone else’s Kryptonite nemesis, you can easily have your own kryptonite (with Chuck being the Kryptonite to Tito Ortiz). After years of Chuck on top of the UFC light heavyweight mountain as champion, Rampage finally made his way to the UFC and would remind Chuck of what happened at Pride: Final Conflict 2003 – that he was and forever will be his Achilles Heel with taking the UFC light heavyweight division in one minute and fifty-three seconds at UFC 71.

Rampage Jackson vs. Wanderlei Silva

Rampage was always known as the wrestling powerhouse that could deliver thudding slams that would knock out his opponent. Adding in his fierce punches, Quinton Jackson was built for destruction, leaving it quite difficult to defeat this powerful mixed martial artist. You would have to be an axe murderer to stop Rampage. That is where Wanderlei Silva came in. Wanderlei Silva and Rampage would go to war but it was Silva’s knees that battered Rampage, gaining him the upper hand in the rivalry. Rampage would get his revenge at UFC 92 and at Bellator 206, but with smiting his Kryptonite fighter it just didn’t feel as if Wanderlei was in his prime as his chin was clearly not the same.

Ronda Rousey vs. Miesha Tate

There is no denying that Ronda Rousey and Miesha Tate will never bury the hatchet and become friends. It was a rivalry that saw Miesha Tate submit in two title fights against Ronda, losing her Strikeforce Bantamweight title. Some might say that the personal bad blood is what got Miesha her shot at Ronda’s UFC title at UFC 168, after Cat Zingano pulled out due to a knee injury. No matter the circumstances, the result was the same and Ronda Rousey remained Tate’s Kryptonite.

Honourable Mentions

Chris Weidman was Anderson Silva’s Kryptonite, dethroning the once king of the UFC Middleweights twice.

Jon Jones was Daniel Cormier’s Kryptonite despite Jones having one of his wins against DC overturned, leaving the fight a no-contest.

Anderson Silva’s knees were Rich Franklin’s Kryptonite as Anderson won the middleweight title against Rich in his second fight within the UFC. Franklin would rise back up to contention, winning his shot against tough contenders like Jason MacDonald and Yushin Okami, only to be battered again by Silva’s knees.

What other combination of Kryptonite rivals didn’t make the list that was one of your favourites? Let us know down below in the comments.

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