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10 Best Fighters Who Have Never Fought In The UFC

The UFC octagon has long been billed as the ultimate proving ground for mixed martial arts (MMA) fighters, and as such has played host to the great of the sport for over 20 years. However, it would be wrong to suggest that all the best fighters in the world have fought in the UFC at

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The UFC octagon has long been billed as the ultimate proving ground for mixed martial arts (MMA) fighters, and as such has played host to the great of the sport for over 20 years.

However, it would be wrong to suggest that all the best fighters in the world have fought in the UFC at some point in their careers, as there have been some notable stand-outs that have never fought on the sport’s biggest stage.

As you’ll read in the pages that follow, the reasons for this are varied, from financial stumbling blocks and personality clashes at the negotiating table, through to injury woes and personal issues, and occasionally just simply having been inexplicably overlooked.

There’s some serious talent on display here, so prepare to consider what might have been as we countdown of the 10 best fighters who have never fought in the UFC.

10. Paulo Filho

An extremely talented fighter, Filho would surely have fought in the UFC at some stage in his career had he not been sidetracked by a bigger battle with his own inner demons.

The Brazilian’s career began with victories in Heroes, Deep and Pancrase promotions, and that soon led to him signing with PRIDE.

Filho could do no wrong as he continued to extend his unbeaten record with wins over the likes of Ryatuo Sakurai and Murilo ‘Ninja’ Rua, before taking out Ryo Chonan and Kazuo Misaki to reach the final of the PRIDE Middleweight Grand-Prix in 2006, but a bicep injury would then force him out of the tournament.

Filho left PRIDE after that, but continued to impress by winning the WEC’s middleweight title against Joe Doerksen and then successfully defended the belt against Chael Sonnen.

By this stage Filho had compiled a flawless 16-0 campaign and was being hailed by some as the best middleweight in the world, but his career then began to spiral out of control due to depression, drug addiction, money issues and later health problems.

Despite several attempts to get back on track, trouble never seemed far away from Filho, and at one stage he would claim just three wins in 11 fights, ending any hopes of making his way to the UFC and instead becoming the poster child for wasted talent in the sport.

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Bellator Champ Wants A Piece Of UFC’s Elite

Current Bellator MMA lightweight champ Michael Chandler wants to test himself against the UFC’s best 155-pounders. Chandler is currently on a four-fight win streak, since losing three straight to Eddie Alvarez and back-to-back losses to Will Brooks, which includes wins over Patricky Freire and former UFC lightweight champ Benson Henderson. Now that he’s conquered the

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Current Bellator MMA lightweight champ Michael Chandler wants to test himself against the UFC’s best 155-pounders.

Chandler is currently on a four-fight win streak, since losing three straight to Eddie Alvarez and back-to-back losses to Will Brooks, which includes wins over Patricky Freire and former UFC lightweight champ Benson Henderson. Now that he’s conquered the 155-pound division over at Bellator, however, ‘Iron’ sees some ‘amazing’ match-ups for himself over in the UFC if the opportunity ever presented itself (quotes via MMA Junkie):

“I am just practicing patience, enjoying life, figuring out what’s going to happen next,” he said.

“I’m very happy with where my career is,” said Chandler. “I’m very happy with my relationship with Bellator and not just Bellator and Scott Coker and Rich Chou … but my relationship with the guys at Viacom and at Spike TV. To have that kind of support behind me is nothing short of amazing. On the one hand I see a ton of amazing matchups (in the UFC). And on the other hand I see great decisions that I’ve made for myself, my family, my future children. … But I’m very happy with where I’m at.”

As for what match-ups in the UFC interest him in particular, Chandler says he’s ‘always wanted to beat up Anthony Pettis’, as well as the obvious money fight against lightweight champion Conor McGregor. Chandler also said he feels that he and Nate Diaz are polar opposites as far as styles go, and would love a chance to hand No. 1-ranked Khabib Nurmagomedov the first loss of his mixed martial arts (MMA) career:

“I’ve always wanted to beat up Anthony Pettis, just because he’s been a big name,” Chandler said. “Obviously, Conor (McGregor), but that’s the easy answer. … But, yeah, Pettis, (Nate) Diaz. I think Diaz and I are polar opposites in a lot of areas.

“Honestly, Khabib (Nurmagomedov). I think that’s stylistically, or when you think about big fights, a guy who is undefeated, who cannot help himself but taking people down, picking them up, slamming them, and beating them up for as long as he wants to. That’s a guy I’d love to test myself against to show the world where my wrestling is at, to show where my striking is at.”

With Bellator making a rise in the free agency market, scooping up UFC vets left and right, it’s not too far fetched to believe any of these match-ups could happen for Chandler:

“If you also look at the landscape of mixed martial arts now, it’s not just the UFC,” Chandler said. “There are a lot of guys coming up on free agency, who are wanting to come over to Bellator. I think I have the luxury of time, the luxury of being in a great situation with a company that I believe in.”

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Bellator Champ Michael Chandler Discusses Top UFC Names He’d Like to Face

Bellator’s lightweight champion Michael Chandler has victories over two former UFC lightweight champions on his resume and may want more. While fans have often touted the 155-pound champion as a bonafide title-challenger if he joined the UFC, the calibre of his former opponents have unjustly been questioned by some. Former UFC lightweight champions Eddie Alvarez and Benson […]

Patricky Freire Will be ‘Happy’ to Fight Michael Chandler Again

Patricky Freire is coming off a huge win and wouldn’t oppose having a title rematch. “Pitbull” earned a knockout victory over former Strikeforce lightweight champion Josh Thomson 10 nights ago at Bellator 172 inside the SAP Center in San Jose, California. Freire bounced back from his knockout loss at the hands of Michael Chandler back […]

Michael Chandler Goes Off On Josh Thomson, Says He Refused To Fight him

Josh Thomson is stepping back inside the cage this weekend at Bellator 172 in a lightweight bout against Patricky “Pitbull” Freire, which will be a tough task for him. However, it seems that he is more focused on Bellator MMA lightweight champion Michael Chandler. Thomson has confidence rolling into this fight as he told MMA

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Thomson claims he’s in no great hurry to take a title fight if he beats Freire at the event.

“I just feel that, with Chandler, he needs to have a little more self-respect for the title,” Thomson said. “You worked hard for it, you earned it, you are the champion – stop calling people out, dude. Don’t worry, the cream will rise to the top, and I’ll get you when it’s your turn. I’ll fight him when I want to fight him. I know he’s the champion, but whenever I decide I want to fight him, I’ll fight him. He had his opportunity to fight me this fight, on the biggest fight in Bellator history, and he turned it down. So whenever the opportunity comes up again, I’ll see if I can pencil you in.”

For Chandler, the feeling is mutual. He claims that Thomson turned down a title offer for March or April, which would be in the timeframe that he could prepare for the fight as he is currently coming off a 90-day suspension from his previous bout with ex-UFC champ Benson Henderson. Chandler doesn’t think Thomson will show up to fight after an injury scrapped a planned their original meeting at Bellator 154.

“I already gave him the opportunity,” Chandler countered on Thomson’s fight-dodging claim. “I was going to come into his hometown in front of his hometown crowd. I was going to give him that courtesy. Then, he pulled out of the fight, cost me a lot of money, cost me two months with my wife, and cost me a vacation to Costa Rica. So, no, I was not going to fight him in February, and I had a mandatory suspension. I did not turn down the fight. I simply made my demand that I wasn’t cleared, I needed to heal up from injuries sustained (against Henderson), and the last place I’m going to fight if I’m going to fight him is San Jose, because I already gave him the opportunity once.”

Chandler said he’s looking for a different opponent to fight because Thomson “might sign a bout agreement, but he will not actually fight me.”

Bellator 172 takes place on Saturday, February 18, 2017 at the SAP Center in San Jose, California. The main card airs at 9:00 pm EST on Spike TV.

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Josh Thomson to Michael Chandler: ‘You’re The Champion, Stop Calling People Out’

Josh Thomson is fighting Patricky Freire this Saturday night (Feb. 18), but can’t escape questions regarding Michael Chandler. That’s because Chandler, the reigning Bellator lightweight champion, is itching for a fight. Chandler claimed Thomson is “afraid” to fight him and should consider working a regular job. Thomson believes Chandler’s actions represent the 155-pound championship poorly. […]