MMA: The 10 Best Fighters NOT in the UFC

It's no secret that the UFC is the king of MMA. Like any of the other major sports leagues, the UFC is the ultimate goal for any aspiring athlete in MMA.

It's also a fact that the best fighters in the world compete under the UFC banner and inside the Octagon. But that's not to say there aren't plenty of good fighters who don't call the UFC home.

There's a handful of guys competing in Bellator, Strikeforce, and DREAM among others that have talent but simply haven't found their way to the bright lights of the UFC.

Signing these guys isn't necessarily a top priority for Dana White but these guys should definitely have the UFC's scouting crew paying attention.

Marlon Sandro

Brazilian fighter Marlon Sandro has firmly entrenched himself among the featherweight elite while in the midst of an eight year career.

After being knocked out of the Bellator Summer Series Featherweight tournament, Sandro has bounced back with three-straight wins with two coming by way of submission.

Sandro only has three losses with two of them coming to a couple of the best featherweights in the world, Pat Curran and Hatsu Hioki, with the other coming by way of a controversial "must decide" decision to Michihiro Omigawa.

At this point, Sandro is likely too old for the UFC to seriously consider signing but still could give a lot of UFC featherweights a run for their money.

Fedor Emelianenko

The Russian-born fighter, Fedor Emelianenko, will likely go down as one of if not the greatest heavyweight of all time. He will also be considered for best fighter of all time as well by the time his career is over.

Sure he's not the same Emelianenko as his golden years, but make no mistake about it, he's still dangerous. We've seen a new Emelianenko in his last few bouts since leaving Strikeforce. He's not as wild and seems to be focusing more on technical striking opposed to power.

Emelianenko will always be rumored to be in contract talks with the UFC and that part of his history is well documented. While it's generally accepted that in order to have a great career one must do it in the UFC, Emelianenko will forever be the example of greatness outside the Octagon.

Josh Barnett

Utilizing a heavy wrestling based style, Josh Barnett hasn't lost since 2006. Since then, Barnett has only let one opponent hear the final bell.

Barnett entered the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix as a popular pick to win it all for a lot of people and hasn't disappointed as he's in the finals against Daniel Cormier.

The former UFC Heavyweight Champion has already made it to the bright lights once in his career but PED issues have kept him out of the Octagon since Barnett's title was stripped away from him. But it seems like he and Dana White have buried the hatchet a bit and White is at least open to signing Barnett to an UFC contract.

Ronaldo Souza

The former Strikeforce Middleweight Champion, Ronaldo Souza also is one of the best Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioners in the world.

Souza has used his jiu-jitsu skills to amass a 15-3-0-1 record with wins over notable opponents like Jason Miller, Matt Lindland, Tim Kennedy, and Robbie Lawler.

His latest victory was particularly impressive as Souza displayed improved striking to compliment his amazing ground skills. Souza seems content on staying in Strikeforce at the moment but will no doubt grace the Octagon before his career ends.

Daniel Cormier

A finalist in the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix, Daniel Cormier is likely to get signed to an UFC contract following his next bout against Josh Barnett but can guarantee a fresh contract with a win.

Winning is something Cormier has gotten used to, winning all nine of his professional MMA bouts. The former Olympic wrestler has used his great wrestling talents along with a pretty solid array of striking and power to go from Grand Prix alternate to Grand Prix finalist.

Cormier is a wrestling coach at AKA and works with a lot of top level guys in training. He should be ready by the bright lights of the UFC. Cormier will have to be if he wants to make a title run before getting too old.

Luke Rockhold

The current Strikeforce Middleweight champion, Luke Rockhold tops the list of 185-pounders outside the UFC.

Sporting an impressive 9-1 record, Rockhold has defeated notable fighters like Keith Jardine and Ronaldo Souza in his last two bouts.

There will be slim competition for Rockhold in Strikeforce which could indicate a move to the UFC will be coming very soon for the AKA product.

Gegard Mousasi

A forgotten face after the loss to Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal in 2010, Gegard Mousasi remains one of the best light heavyweights not under an UFC contract.

Since his last loss, Mousasi has gone a combined 4-0-1. The draw was against Keith Jardine; a fight Mousasi dominated on the feet but lost due to an illegal upkick and takedowns by Jardine.

Mousasi intends to try out for the 2012 Olympics as a boxer and will no doubt become an even better striker if he finds success at the Olympic level. To be a major force in the 205-pound division once again Mousasi will need to work on his takedown defense in order to fully utilize his superior striking.

Pat Curran

After winning the Bellator Lightweight tournament, Pat Curran seems to have found a home at 145 pounds. After running through the Featherweight Tournament, Curran took on the reigning champion Joe Warren.

Curran used a devastating knee to begin a fight-ending flurry that made even the strongest at heart turn away. Prior to the Warren bout, Curran obtained another highlight reel finish by finishing Marlon Sandro with a vicious head kick.

Since joining Bellator's ranks, Curran has only lost to former lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez. Curran has been on quite a roll lately but will have to wait to join the UFC's ranks as Bellator's title clause will keep him around for the time being.

Ben Askren

The outspoken Bellator champion is quite the polarizing figure. Some fight fans love Ben Askren's style while others loathe it.

Regardless of your stance, any MMA fan has to realize there's some serious talent with Askren. He's worked on improving his striking but for the most part is a completely one-dimensional fighter that has used his wrestling to muster an undefeated record thus far in his MMA career.

Fighting top level talent will always be a struggle for Askren as long as he remains in Bellator; which could be a long time if he continues to draw the ire of Dana White.

Gilbet Melendez

Gilbert Melendez is arguably the best current fighter not competing inside the Octagon. The Strikeforce Lightweight champion has amassed a 20-2 overall record. He's also avenged both of his losses.

Melendez has remained unbeaten since 2008 while making five successful title defenses. A product of the Cesar Gracie camp, Milendez trains with some of the best in the world such as the Diaz brothers and Jake Shields.

There have been constant rumors about Melendez joining the UFC's ranks since Zuffa bought Strikeforce but Melendez remains under the Strikeforce banner. Since his teammates Shields and Diaz have left for the UFC, Melendez remains the face of Strikeforce.