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Some of the best MMA fighters in the world compete outside of the UFC. However, the UFC is aiming to remain the top promotion in the sport and are constantly looking to sign stars that can draw even more eyes to their product.
World class stars compete outside the UFC for a number of reasons. Young fighters, for example, are often able to earn better pay checks in other organizations whilst gaining a ton of experience inside the cage.
Outside of the UFC, the top MMA organizations today include the likes of Bellator, PFL and ONE Championship, with fighters still able to garner plenty of attention in each of these respective companies. It is therefore unsurprising that each of the names on this list have proven themselves in one of these organizations.
Here are five fighters that the UFC must consider signing in 2022:
#5. Brendan Loughnane - PFL
The UFC had their shot at signing Brendan Loughnane in 2019 when he competed, and won, on Dana White's Contender Series. Loughnane has come on leaps and bounds since then and could be on the UFC's radar in 2022.
Dana White justified not signing Loughnane after his contender series performance by suggesting the Brit was not aggressive enough in the latter stages of that bout. Since then Loughnane has gone 4-1 in the PFL, including an impressive first-round knockout of Sheymon Moraes.
Loughnane has now proven himself to be a world-class featherweight with his only loss coming via a split decision. He is also a popular fighter in the UK which ought to appeal to the UFC as the company becomes increasingly globalized.
Brendan Loughnane has shown he is a UFC-caliber competitor and it would be great to see him finally get an opportunity with MMA's biggest promotion after he was somewhat harshly denied one not so long ago.
#4. Joey Davis - Bellator
Joey 'Black Ice' Davis may not yet be a household name to most UFC fans, but his resume suggests that may soon change. Davis is one of the most decorated collegiate wrestlers in history, having won four consecutive national championships without losing a single match.
Davis' impressive wrestling credentials have translated into a strong start to his professional MMA career, going a perfect 8-0 and facing strong competition with each of his fights taking place in Bellator. He is now the No.9 ranked fighter in their welterweight division and has taken out five of his opponents within the first round.
Davis has enormous potential and, at just 27 years old, could become a major player in the UFC's welterweight division for years to come. The UFC would be smart to snap up this top prospect should they get the opportunity in 2022.
#3. Michael Page - Bellator
Michael 'Venom' Page, also known as MVP, has been one of the most popular fighters outside of the UFC for some time now. His highlight reel offense has produced an abundance of viral clips since he started his professional career in 2012.
Page has been one of the faces of Bellator for years and is arguably in the midst of the best run of his career. He currently sits at No.9 in Bellator's pound-for-pound rankings and is the number one contender at 170 lbs.
Page, like Davis, would be a massive boost to the UFC's welterweight division and could even be a contender to one day make a run at Kamaru Usman and his championship gold.
#2. Kayla Harrison - Free Agent
Long before she was appearing on the front row of UFC events, Kayla Harrison was winning olmypic gold medals in judo. Since then, she has won two seasons of PFL's women's lightweight tournament, cashing in two $1million checks in the process.
Harrison's record stands at 12-0 with all but one of her fights taking place in the PFL. The one fight that was not will also be noteworthy to the UFC as she proved she was able to be just as dominant at featherweight in her TKO in Invicta last year.
That performance showed Harrison could be a huge addition to the UFC's paper-thin women's featherweight division. If the UFC are serious about building up this weight class, they simply must sign Harrison in 2022, if not before.
UFC president Dana White has also opened up on possibly signing Harrison and setting up a fight against Amanda Nunes.
#1. A.J. McKee - Bellator
Fight fans who know a single name outside of the UFC will almost certainly know who A.J. McKee is. The 26-year-old pound-for-pound king of Bellator has looked unstoppable and already boasts an astonishing record of 18-0.
The son of MMA pioneer Antonio McKee, 'The Mercenary' put the world on notice in July when he choked out Patricio Pitbull in under two minutes. That win triggered a championship clause in his contract, meaning he will have a minimum of three more fights with Bellator.
Given McKee has been consistently active thus far in his professional career (his debut was in 2015), there's no reason to think he would not be able to crank out three title defenses before the end of 2022. If that happens and the UFC make the right offer, A.J. McKee could be headlining pay-per-views for years to come.
