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The UFC has always built itself up by bringing in the best fighters from around the world, including taking them from competing promotions like PRIDE and StrikeForce.
Right now, the UFC’s biggest competitor is Bellator, so does the promotion have any fighters that the UFC would like to bring to the octagon?
The answer is almost definitely yes, and with that in mind, here are five Bellator fighters who the UFC would love to sign.
#5 Michael Venom Page
The hype around Michael Venom Page certainly isn’t what it was prior to his 2019 loss to Douglas Lima, but that doesn’t mean the UFC wouldn’t be interested in him.
The British striker is still one of the flashiest, most exciting fighters to watch in MMA– particularly when he’s fighting lower-level opponents.
And while the UFC doesn’t tend to throw fighters any easy matches, there’s no doubt that the welterweight division is deep enough to find opponents that Venom would be able to knock out in entertaining fashion.
It’s not like he’s been snacking entirely on bums, either. Page does have wins over the likes of Paul Daley and Shinsho Anzai, and anyone with a 19-1 record can’t be overlooked.
More to the point, Venom has already suggested in interviews that he’d be open to a move to the UFC in the near future – stating that joining the UFC was the reason he got into MMA.
So given his flashy style, natural charisma and strong record, there can be no doubt that Page would be a perfect fit for the UFC.
#4 Patricio Pitbull
Part of the Bellator roster for over a decade now, there’s probably an argument to be made for Patricio Pitbull being the best fighter outside of the UFC right now.
The reigning Bellator lightweight and featherweight champion has wins over Michael Chandler, Daniel Straus and Juan Archuleta. His overall record of 32-4 is also outstanding.
Pitbull has also been calling out UFC fighters for years, and most recently sent out a challenge to former UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway.
Naturally, that fight won’t ever happen while Pitbull remains under contract with Bellator, but if he were to finish that deal and join the UFC, a fight with Holloway– as well as plenty of others– could definitely be made.
And of course, any Bellator champion with a record as good as the Brazilian’s would be an attractive proposition to the UFC- making him one of the Bellator fighters the UFC would most like to welcome to the octagon.
#3 Douglas Lima
Widely recognized as the best welterweight outside the UFC, Douglas Lima has probably been coveted by the UFC for years now, and if you’ve seen him fight you’d understand why.
The Phenom has a brilliant MMA record of 32-8, and has taken out a who’s who of the Bellator welterweight division, including UFC veterans like Rory MacDonald, Lorenz Larkin and Ben Saunders.
But more to the point, he’s also a wildly exciting fighter who can stop opponents with both his hands and his nasty kicks, whether that’s low kicks or head kicks.
Given that UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman has practically cleaned out the promotion’s 170lbs division, Lima would probably be an even more attractive acquisition for UFC President Dana White.
The fact that his brother Dhiego is already fighting for the UFC means that links between the Phenom and the UFC are already there.
Whether they’ll be able to poach him from Bellator in the near future is a question mark, but given the chance, they’re certainly likely to try.
#2 AJ McKee
Around a decade ago, there was some clamor from hardcore MMA fans for the UFC to bring in lightweight Antonio McKee, who’d racked up an impressive record on the smaller circuit.
Despite a reputation for putting on dull fights, McKee was eventually signed– and subsequently lost his lone UFC fight before being released.
To say that his son- Bellator featherweight contender AJ McKee– fights nothing like his father would be an understatement.
Antonio McKee was largely a one-dimensional wrestler, but AJ– who is unbeaten in MMA at 17-0– has dangerous skills in all areas, and has only gone the distance on five occasions.
A more than capable striker who is also a deadly submission fighter, the Mercenary has beaten highly rated fighters like Darrion Caldwell, Pat Curran and Derek Campos. And he’s still just 26 years old.
To say that this fighter would be coveted by the UFC would be an understatement– so expect them to make a push to sign him when his contract comes up in the future.
#1 Vadim Nemkov
The UFC’s light-heavyweight division seems to be on the cusp of major changes, as the old guard– fighters like Shogun Rua and Alexander Gustafsson– are slowly fading away, being replaced by younger talents such as Aleksandar Rakic and Magomed Ankalaev.
But perhaps the division’s top prospect fights outside the UFC right now. His name? Vadim Nemkov.
The Russian native joined Bellator in 2017, and since then he’s been unbeaten.
He’s defeated the likes of Phil Davis, Rafael Carvalho and Liam McGeary and, in 2020, he easily defeated Ryan Bader for the Bellator light heavyweight title, becoming the first man to do so since Bader left the UFC in 2016.
A Sambo expert with dangerous skills in all areas, Nemkov could probably step right into the UFC’s 205lbs division and make some noise instantly.
Fights with the likes of Ankalaev, Rakic, Jamahal Hill and Jiri Prochazka could all make sense, meaning that this Russian should be near the top of the UFC’s shopping list if the chance to sign him ever arises.
