8 Dark Horses to Wear UFC Gold

Underdogs are easy to root for in any sport.

So when it comes to fighting, fans sometimes gravitate toward an unexpected challenger for the title, otherwise known as a dark horse.

For instance, Frankie Edgar is the perfect definition of a dark horse, or at least he used to be. His popularity skyrocketed when he upset BJ Penn twice and rallied twice against Gray Maynard.

Edgar was a 5-to-1 underdog against Penn and became the champion. So who will be the UFC's next dark horse? These are the best candidates in each weight class.

Tim Elliot

No one expects Tim Elliot to rise to championship status.

As a matter of fact, few knew who his name was before he fought John Dodson at the UFC on Fox 3 event, and what ensued was a competitive bout.

Dodson is thought to be a future challenger, if not future champion, so the fact that Elliot was able to frustrate Dodson and make the bout entertaining is telling of itself.

Elliot is an unorthodox fighter with an MMA record of 8-3. As he gets more fights in the UFC and works on his overall game, he could become a future challenger. Keep your eyes on this guy.

Mike Easton

Mike Easton trains with Dominick Cruz, which makes him an automatic dark horse for the title.

Easton has an MMA record of 13-1, and he's riding high following his decision victory against top contender Ivan Menjivar.

But because he trains with Cruz, he couldn't possibly challenge him for the title could he? Well, according Easton, he doesn't mind fighting Cruz.

Easton told MMA Fighting's Ariel Helwani in a post fight interview at UFC 148 that he and Dom will "slug it out." Considering that Easton is both familiar with Cruz and has the skills to make that fight exciting, he poses a threat to his teammate's gold.

Jimy Hettes

Those that didn't know who Jimy Hettes was before UFC 141 learned that he's a force to be reckoned with.

With his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and judo skills, Hettes ran through Nam Phan, and gave Phan the biggest beat-down he's ever received inside the Octagon.

Hettes' standup could be considered as his weakness, but it's good enough to get the clinch and lure his opponent into a grappling bout. Hettes normally wins those.

As Hettes gains more experience and refines his tools, he'll eventually find himself across the Octagon from UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo.

Anthony Pettis

Will Anthony Pettis ever get a shot at UFC gold?

Time and time again, Pettis finds himself among the top of the division, but he's yet to receive a shot at the UFC Lightweight Championship.

After suffering a setback decision loss to Clay Guida, Pettis defeated Jeremy Stephens and knocked out Joe Lauzon to reassert himself amongst the top challengers.

One of these days Pettis will get that coveted shot, and if Benson Henderson is still the champion by then, Pettis will already hold a victory over the champion.

Rory MacDonald

Rory MacDonald is the next Georges St-Pierre.

Like GSP, MacDonald is a future champion, and the biggest thing holding him back is the fact that his mentor and friend, GSP, is the one holding the belt.

MacDonald won't fight St-Pierre, but if GSP was to somehow lose to Carlos Condit, Nick Diaz or Johny Hendricks, MacDonald could get his shot.

The guy is the complete package and has no holes in his game, which makes him destined to become champion.

Alan Belcher

Alan Belcher has been through the ringer.

Belcher was knocking on the door of a title shot in 2010 after he went on a two-fight win streak, but he was sidelined with a career-threatening detached retina.

After coming back and looking good as ever, Belcher is now on a four-fight win streak, including a dominant first-round victory against Rousimar Palhares, and he is in the mix to challenge for Anderson Silva's middleweight gold.

The only problem is the middleweight division decided to get stacked overnight, and Belcher may have to wait a while before he gets his shot. However, when the day comes that Belcher fights for the championship, he could very well be the one to end Silva's dominant reign.

Lyoto Machida

Say what you want, but Lyoto Machida poses problems for Jon Jones.

Jones looks unbeatable in the light heavyweight division, and he's run through opponent after opponent, including Machida. But Machida had a lot of success in the first round of their UFC 140 clash.

Though Rashad Evans found his mark occasionally against Jones, it was Machida who connected with more shots. It wasn't until Jones took the fight to the ground and cut Machida, that he really started to get confident.

Should these two ever meet again, Machida has a great chance to upset the champion. Don't sleep on "The Dragon."

Travis Browne

For a guy that's undefeated in the heavyweight division, Travis Browne sure has flown under the radar.

Displaying a solid overall game, Brown has managed to go 4-0-1 in the UFC, and he holds impressive wins against Stefan Struve and Chad Griggs.

Furthermore, he's an unorthodox striker. Willing to stand and trade with power shots, Brown isn't afraid to make a fight dirty, and he might have to do that against a champion like Junior dos Santos.

At this point in this career, he might not be ready to take out the heavyweight champion, but after he gains more experience inside the Octagon, Brown could develop into a legitimate threat for JDS' gold.