There’s no question the UFC has a stranglehold on MMA competition. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for others.
Strikeforce is a good starting place. Though they are owned by UFC parent company Zuffa, they are not (yet, anyway) one and the same with the larger promotion.
Bellator and overseas outfits like DREAM and Shooto also have a few tasty fighters lingering in their cupboards.
Here are the 25 best fighters orbiting on the outer reaches of that octagonal center of the MMA galaxy.
For the record, some on the list have fought previously in the UFC, but don’t currently. So, you know, don’t freak out when you see one of those.