Let’s stretch the definition of a grudge match beyond its literal and figurative meaning.
Do you remember the first, real, UFC grudge match? I don’t. If we go far back enough, we can scroll through a treasure chest of milquetoast hostilities. The rematch between Royce Gracie and Ken Shamrock II might be better remembered as a grudge match if it didn’t have all the assembled aggression of checking your watch before taking a sip of dark roast.
What about UFC 9? It’s fun to talk about, mainly for its bizarro history. In an ironic twist on the ‘stick to sports’ mantra, the late Senator John McCain decided that the UFC’s brand of Mountain Dew pugilism was a worthwhile digression away from public infrastructure; a threat to democracy.