The 10 Best Fighters Outside the UFC

MMA has a wider universe than just the UFC. You probably know that, but do you really know it?

Yes, the UFC tends the strings for a massive portion of the sport's athletic talent. But not all of it. They probably would if they could, but all that consumption would mean painful bloating for a company hell bent on a leaner profile.

Bellator, ONE Championship, World Series of Fighting and other shows major and minor, international and local have legitimate fighters on their rosters. Those fighters compete at a high level no matter what banner they're under, and they deserve to be celebrated. 

So, let's do that right now. Let us identify and rank the 10 best fighters (and some honorable mentions besides) not currently confined to the Octagon. We even have video clips for the lesser-known fighters.

Rankings are based on records, accomplishments and level of competition, with emphasis on recent performance. Free agents who haven't signed anywhere yet—e.g. Ryan Bader, Lorenz Larkin—are not included.

Honorable Mentions

Butch Dill-USA TODAY Sports

Nikita Krylov

Listed in no particular order:

• Patricio Freire
• Kyoji Horiguchi
• Patricky Freire
• Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal
• Douglas Lima
• Jake Shields
• Daniel Straus
• Nikita Krylov
• Paul Daley
• Tonya Evinger
• Quinton Jackson
• Angela Lee
• Eduardo Dantas

10. Liam McGeary

Gregory Payan/Associated Press

Record: 12-1
Promotion: Bellator
Division: Light heavyweight

Submissions ace Liam McGeary has plenty of pop in those big fists to go with his propensity for triangle chokes. At 6'6", he also happens to be huge, even by light heavyweight standards. Of his 12 pro wins, 11 have come by stoppage.

So despite losing his belt and dignity last year to Phil Davis, McGeary is still a formidable fighter. Like a lot of European fighters, the 34-year-old Brit could stand to bone up on his wrestling. I know that's a broken record, but hey, it will continue to be said until it's no longer true.

9. Benson Henderson

Gregory Payan/Associated Press

Record: 24-7
Promotion: Bellator
Division: Lightweight

You probably know Benson Henderson best for his work in the UFC, where he held the lightweight title for two years. 

Henderson bolted for Bellator in 2016, when his UFC contract expired. At the time, UFC president Dana White told MMA Junkie that "we made him an offer that would have paid him substantially more ... than he’s getting now if he were to become world champion again, but he chose their deal, which offered more up front."

Fair enough. Under Scott Coker's leadership, Bellator has seemed increasingly willing to dip into their deep pockets (media giant Viacom is their parent company) to pay for free agents. Henderson was one of the first big names to jump ship.

Unfortunately for him, he no longer appears to be in championship form. Since joining Bellator, he has lost a welterweight and lightweight title bout to Andrey Koreshkov and Michael Chandler, respectively. He only defeated Patricio Freire because Freire suffered a freak leg break during the bout.

Henderson will always be a star among hardcore fans, and at age 33, he still has some wins in front of him. That name recognition that he brings to each bout is probably what Bellator paid him for.

8. Michael Chandler

Gabe Ginsberg/Getty Images

Record: 16-3
Promotion: Bellator
Division: Lightweight

Michael Chandler is one of, if not the best "homegrown" fighter Bellator has produced. 

The well-rounded fighter and former University of Missouri All-American wrestler defeated Eddie Alvarez in 2011 to capture Bellator's lightweight strap. He lost the title in 2013 only to regain it last year by defeating Patricky Freire.

The crown jewel on his resume, though, at least from a name-recognition standpoint, was November's title defense against Benson Henderson. As much as I love David Rickels, a million victories over him aren't going to move the needle like one over the UFC's former lightweight champion.

7. Marlon Moraes

Gregory Payan/Associated Press

Record: 18-4-1
Promotion: World Series of Fighting
Division: Bantamweight

It's hard to think of a fighter off the top of one's head who's more fun to watch than Marlon Moraes. Unless you're watching from the other guy's corner.

Moraes chews up his opponents with punishing, bloodletting Muay Thai. The first and only WSOF bantamweight champ, Moraes hasn't lost since 2011, a full year before he joined WSOF.

The Brazilian once got a couple of decisions, then took heat for being unable to finish. He finished four straight after that, a streak that's still going. You can fight this guy if you want. I'm just gonna watch.

6. Mamed Khalidov

Record: 32-4-2
Promotion: KSW
Division: Middleweight

For a long time, Mamed Khalidov might have topped this list. At 36 years old, the Pole may no longer be at the apex of his game, but he's still doing well enough.

Poland's KSW promotion has long had a fighter-friendly reputation. Exhibit A may be Khalidov, a very talented and well-rounded competitor who has beaten a host of UFC alums like Maiquel Falcao, Kendall Grove, Matt Lindland and James Irvin.

The UFC did want Khalidov back in the day, and the two sides negotiated. Ultimately, Khalidov said, according to a report from Karim Zidan of Bloody Elbow, the dollar bills were to blame for him staying in Poland.

"It was interesting to work with the UFC, and after a fight with Rodney Wallace, I officially announced that I wanted to go to them," Khalidov said. "But I will not hide the truth: as a result of negotiations, we could not agree on financial matters. I expected a different approach."

Why would you expect a different approach, Mamed?

5. Phil Davis

Gregory Payan/Associated Press

Record: 17-3 (1)
Promotion: Bellator
Division: Light heavyweight

During his time in the UFC, Phil Davis never fought for a title.

He changed that in short order after his move to Bellator.

In his Bellator debut, Davis, the former national champion wrestler at Penn State, smothered Muhammed Lawal. In his second bout, he defeated McGeary for the strap.

Davis' striking is never going to be very good. Eight years into his pro career, that's probably safe to say. But when you've got the wrestling pedigree and physical tools of Davis, you're going to be just fine. You'll also be a big-name champion and draw for the world's second-leading promotion. Not too shabby.

4. Bibiano Fernandes

Record: 20-3
Promotion: ONE Championship
Division: Bantamweight

Bibiano Fernandes might be the best bantamweight in the world.

As it happens, his contract negotiations just ended. The UFC courted him. Bellator courted him. Fernandes said he nearly signed with Bellator, but ultimately the money was strongest at ONE, the Asia-based promotion. So that's where he stayed, per MMAjunkie Radio. 

Now we'll see if he can keep that 12-fight win streak going. Something tells me he can.

3. Justin Gaethje

Gregory Payan/Associated Press

Record: 17-0
Promotion: World Series of Fighting
Division: Lightweight

Justin Gaethje is the most violent fighter in MMA today this side of an M-1 Global sideshow.

He comes forward and slings leather, doing both in a decidedly unapologetic fashion. He rarely uses his wrestling, honed under a University of Northern Colorado scholarship, as an offensive weapon, though it helps him out defensively. 

Gaethje doesn't back off until one of the two fighters has fallen. Since Gaethje is undefeated as a pro, you can deduce that it's the other guy. He has 14 wins by knockout (to only one by decision, against Melvin Guillard of all people). What's really fancy about that is the manner in which he earns them. Yes, plenty are punches, but one is by slam. Three are by leg kicks. Two of them involved a doctor.

The 28-year-old is mild-mannered away from the cage, but in it, he's a monster. He's also the reigning lightweight champ, which may be contractually constrictive and in turn might explain why he hasn't bolted for the UFC. 

2. Rory MacDonald

John Locher/Associated Press

Record: 18-4
Promotion: Bellator
Division: Welterweight

With apologies to Henderson, Rory MacDonald is both the biggest star and brightest talent to flee across the border into Bellator land.

The MMA phenom, who trains at Montreal's TriStar gym, moved to Bellator last summer. He took with him a sterling record against the very best of his division, including bouts with current champ Tyron Woodley (Rory beat him), Nate Diaz, Demian Maia and, in one of the greatest fights of all time, Robbie Lawler (Rory lost that one).

It took a while for MacDonald to get a fight, but he finally has one, and it's challenging: he'll face British knockout artist Paul Daley, himself a former UFC competitor. 

It won't be easy, but if Rory wanted easy, he wouldn't be a fighter. And he's a fighter through and through. Here's to plenty of Bellator headliners for The Red King.

1. Ben Askren

Suhaimi Abdullah/Getty Images

Record: 15-0 (1)
Promotion: ONE Championship
Division: Welterweight

By now fans are aware of the rift that opened between Ben Askren and the UFC, which, in these cases, really means White.

Askren and White are two prideful, outspoken people. But at the real heart of the matter is White's allergy to fights and fighters that aren't sprinting with drool trails toward a knockout or flying omoplata. 

Askren does not do those kinds of things. He's an Olympic-level wrestler, he takes people down whether they like it or not, and he grinds out their will to live beneath his body.

He's had success in ONE, just like he's had success everywhere, including Bellator, where he was the longtime champ. He's still just 32 years old. If only ONE leaders could find someone willing to fight him.

Scott Harris writes about MMA for Bleacher Report. Scott is available on Twitter.