It is often said in combat sports that for a fighter to reach their full potential, they need an equal rival to push them to new heights.

For as much as fans appreciate the mutual respect of martial arts, a good rivalry and grudge match is often when MMA, and sport as a whole, feels at its most electric.

The biggest star in the history of the sport has had his fair share of rivals and even when he’s not competing, Conor McGregor is regularly found scrutinizing others.

‘The Notorious’ had some setbacks in his career but just like McGregor’s shock loss to Nate Diaz that recently turned nine years old, they only made his profile grow because of the story surrounding it.

Ronda Rousey, who broke UFC records left and right, also became a huge mainstream star thanks to her success inside the Octagon and the heated feuds that made her fights into unmissable events.

Conor McGregor and Ronda Rousey set to feature in VICE Sports’ THE GRUDGE

In a new documentary series from VICE Sports titled ‘THE GRUDGE’, some of the most iconic rivalries and controversial feuds in sport will get a retrospective retelling.

Across 12 half-hour episodes that will be narrated by former NFL star Will Compton, multiple major sports will be covered including football, basketball and MMA with each episode focusing on a different rivalry.

In one episode, the tension that built to the biggest fight in UFC history will be examined as VICE looks back on Conor McGregor vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Let alone the post-fight chaos after their UFC 229 bout, we have never seen two stars who are complete opposites have such a storied and personal feud with tensions boiling over at multiple points.

As will be the case across multiple episodes in the series, this rivalry remains intact with McGregor and Nurmagomedov never putting their past behind them.

Ronda Rousey will also feature in one episode when THE GRUDGE looks at the rivalry that put women’s MMA on the map.

In 2012, ‘Rowdy’ continued to make waves in the female side of the sport when she submitted Miesha Tate to win the Strikeforce bantamweight title.

Thanks to her growing star power, Rousey would defend the title just once before the division was brought into the UFC where in 2013, she faced off with Tate in a rematch.

The champ once again secured the armbar submission for the win but without this rivalry, who knows where the women’s side of the sport would be today.

Another episode in the series is set to document the long-running history between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao which eventually led to their historic 2015 bout.

THE GRUDGE is set to air weekly on Wednesdays with the first episode, focusing on the clashing egos of Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant, airing on March 26 via VICE TV.

VICE TV is also currently airing ‘Dark Side Of The Cage’, a series that dives deeper into controversial topics from MMA history with a recent spotlight on the former UFC welterweight champion Matt Hughes.