Though the Ultimate Fighting Championship is high and above most competitors today, there was a time where several promotions had the kind of gusto that would challenge the MMA entity.
Several fighters like Nick Diaz and Fedor Emelianenko, among others, have made big names for themselves without the help of the UFC, venturing overseas and here in the continental U.S. where they have further built their legacies thanks to the platforms of these now-defunct organizations.