10 Fighters Who Could Fill out the UFC Featherweight Division

If one were to argue which weight division was the thinnest and in need of bolstering, I would argue that featherweight was that division. 

Currently, the division is dominated by champion Jose Aldo. Other than him, there are only a few top guys in the division who are clearly contenders. This is where the addition of more featherweight stars needs to happen.

Here are 10 featherweights that the UFC should sign to fill out the division. These are the men who could potentially be contenders and push the division out of the bottom.

Pat Curran

Record: 17-4

Pat Curran is currently the featherweight champion of Bellator. To get the belt, Curran had to run through some stiff competition in tournaments in both the lightweight and featherweight division.

Since losing his bid for the lightweight title, Curran has been on the warpath. He owns a decision win over Ronnie Mann, a Peruvian necktie over Luis Palomino and brutal knockouts over Marlon Sandro and Joe Warren.

Curran is arguably a top-three featherweight. One of these days, Curran will need to jump to the UFC and challenge the top dogs.

Tatsuya Kawajiri

Record: 31-7-2

Tatsuya Kawajiri is currently under a joint contract with Dream and One FC, but it would be better suited for the top featherweight to run with the bulls occupying the UFC.

Kawajiri has only fought at featherweight for three fights, but he has dominated all of them. He owns submissions in that time over Joachim Hansen (arm triangle choke), Kazuyuki Miyata (arm triangle choke) and Donald Sanchez (triangle choke).

He was once considered a top lightweight in the world, but his venture down a weight class has shown that he could be a top guy at 145 pounds.

Hiroyuki Takaya

Record: 17-9-1

Another Japanese fighter who provides some depth to the division is Hiroyuki Takaya—a knockout artist with an exciting brand of fighting.

He has ran through a who's who of featherweights in the past two years. He has knocked out Chase Beebe and Joachim Hansen, while earning decision wins over Bibiano Fernandes, Kazuyuki Miyata and Takeshi Inoue.

His only loss since 2010 is a split-decision loss to UFC vet Robbie Peralta, which was fought in Strikeforce. 

Patricio Freire

Record: 17-1

Like Curran, Patricio Freire is also under contract with Bellator. Freire is next up to challenge Curran for his title, but both men need to move to the UFC.

Freire is well-rounded, having trained with the Nogueiras for some years now. Although submissions are his base, he has been knocking out opponents left and right. 

Marlon Sandro

Record: 22-4

Marlon Sandro has looked stale as of late, but that doesn't mean he still isn't a top featherweight in the world. 

Sandro is lethal on the feet and top notch with his submissions. His only two losses in Bellator are to eventual tournament winners in Pat Curran and Daniel Straus. 

Sandro matches up well with most of the fighters in the UFC, so his arrival to the UFC can't come soon enough.

Joachim Hansen

Record: 22-11-1

Joachim Hansen has stated that he never wants to work for Dana White, but he really should reconsider this. The Norwegian is a solid submission artist with great hands as well.

He has been up-and-done lately, but his skills cannot be denied. He really needs to get into talks with the UFC, because he doesn't have much time left in his career. 

Takeshi Inoue

Record: 21-6

One interesting thing to note about Takeshi Inoue is that in his 27-fight career, he has never been finished. He has great knockout ability, as he has put away 10 opponents with his hands and feet.

Inoue is another lighter-weight Japanese fighter who needs exposure in the UFC. He has great ability and could make a big splash in the world's largest organization.

Deividas Taurosevicius

Record: 14-5

Deividas Taurosevicius, like Takeshi Inoue, has never been finished in his career. The submission specialist has beaten some top featherweights, while fighting to the wire in his losses.

The Lithuanian has shown he can hang with the best of them, so his return to the big show is imminent. He has stayed busy in the Ring of Combat promotion, where he's currently 2-0. He needs to return to prove he's still great at145.

Ronnie Mann

Record: 21-5-1

Another fighter under contract with Bellator, Ronnie Mann is a very intriguing featherweight prospect who would make a good fit in the UFC.

The submission specialist has solid striking, as exemplified in his most recent outings. In my opinion, Mann is a small featherweight, so a bantamweight move could be warranted. 

Either way, Mann should venture over to the UFC. The Brit has a bright future which could be magnified by the UFC's widespread exposure.

Chris Gruetzemacher

Record: 11-1

Chris Gruetzemacher has proven to be a solid prospect as of late, as the Strikeforce veteran has showcased a solid all-around game.

"Gritz" has not lost since his second fight of his career. That said, his 10-fight win streak has been impressive thus far, which includes recent wins over Roli Delgado and Frank Gomez.

He definitely deserves a look by the UFC, as he has looked solid in his career. He could easily be a diamond in the rough.