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The world of Mixed Martial Arts has witnessed several great fighters put it all on the line in front of the millions and millions of combat sports fans the world over. In its short history, the sport has already witnessed the creation of several legendary figures and continues to do so as MMA keeps evolving.
Today, we take a special look at a few such great MMA fighters, with the catch being that they never fought in the UFC. These fighters were once at the very top of the Mixed Martial Arts world, however, for a myriad of reasons, they never really competed in the world's premier MMA promotion -- the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
So, without further ado, here are five great MMA fighters who never fought in the UFC...
#5 Fedor Emelianenko
Pride FC icon 'The Last Emperor' Fedor Emelianenko has competed in several Mixed Martial Arts promotions all over the world. In fact, the Russian martial arts savant's repertoire is so very impressive, that the vast majority of combat sports fans, as well as experts, consider him to be one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time.
Emelianenko presently competes for both Rizin FF as well as Bellator MMA and is set to face Ryan Bader in the finals of the Bellator Heavyweight Grand Prix in the weeks to come. The winner of the aforesaid matchup will crown the new Bellator Heavyweight Champion, and although the Russian legend is one of the all-time greats, the wear and tear on his body are causing several experts to pick Bader as the favourite to win this bout.
Nevertheless, win or lose in his match with Bader this year, one thing that has stuck with discussions and debates regarding Emelianenko, is the fact that he never fought in the UFC. Several fight pundits believe that had the Russian MMA wizard competed in the UFC during his prime years, he'd have surely won Heavyweight gold in the organization...
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#4 Paulo Filho
Paulo Filho is regarded by many as one of the most talented individuals to have ever competed in the sport of Mixed Martial Arts. Unfortunately, Filho ran into several issues in his life outside the fighting realm, which in turn adversely affected his career in the sport of MMA.
Filho held the WEC Middleweight Championship and was the last man to do so before the company was bought by UFC's parent company ZUFFA. Filho has never been stopped in a professional MMA competition, praised for his resilience against KO and submissions, with his only losses coming by way of decision.
Moreover, although the man competed in several promotions such as Pride, Dream, Pancrase and WSOF; Filho never fought in the UFC. His MMA career spanned 14 long years, from 2000 until his last fight in 2014. Filho is considered to be one of the many 'what if' cases in MMA -- primarily due to the fact that a talent of his caliber may have very well achieved tremendous success in the UFC on a global scale...
#3 Sergei Kharitonov
Sergei Kharitonov is regarded by many as one of the very best Heavyweights the sport of MMA has ever seen. The man has beaten the likes of Alistair Overeem, Andrei Arlovski, Roy Nelson, and several others. Additionally, the 'Paratrooper' has also achieved a tremendous amount of success in the kickboxing realm.
Kharitonov presently fights for Bellator MMA, M-1 Global as well as Glory Kickboxing. His grappling skills are excellent, however, the Russian veteran has always been known for his fight-ending one-punch KO power. He trained boxing at an early age, and subsequently, began honing his skills in Combat Sambo.
Furthermore, Kharitonov was eventually offered the opportunity to work as MMA legend Fedor Emelianenko's sparring partner, an offer that he gladly accepted, following which, the latter taught him several essential Mixed Martial Arts techniques. Kharitonov is now 38 years of age, and most fans of the 'Paratrooper' still hope that he gets to close out his career by fighting in the UFC...
#2 Shinya Aoki
Shinya Aoki may very well be one of the biggest names in Mixed Martial Arts history to have never competed in the UFC. Aoki has always been regarded by the vast majority of combat sports fans and experts as one of the most skilled fighters to have ever graced the MMA ring/cage.
The Japanese legend presently competes in ONE FC as well as Rizin FF and has held the Dream Lightweight Title and the One Lightweight Championship. He has also held the Shooto Welterweight Title. Moreover, Aoki is a highly regarded grappler as well, earning several honours all across the world, including an ADCC Japan Championship.
Aoki is now 35 years of age, and the probability of him signing with the UFC doesn't really seem too high at the moment. However, it's indeed noteworthy that Aoki's body of work outside the UFC has ensured that his MMA legacy is secure nonetheless...
#1 Igor Vovchanchyn
I'd like to assert here that most old-school fans widely regarded Igor Vovchanchyn as a man who could've taken over the UFC Heavyweight division with ease. Granted that he wasn't the biggest competitor out there, but the man hit like a truck and could grapple with the best of them.
The Ukranian MMA legend's only KO loss came to fellow legend and Croatian icon Mirko 'Cro Cop' Filipovic. Furthermore, despite suffering a few losses by way of submission and decision, Vovchanchyn was considered to be one of the deadliest fighters on the planet, particularly during his prime.
Unfortunately, injuries hampered the career of this highly talented individual, resulting in his retiring from pro MMA competition. His last fight was in 2005, and although he has teased a potential return to fighting, he's often contradicted the rumours by noting that his injury issues won't let him fight as a professional in the MMA realm.
Which of these MMA greats would you have liked to see in the UFC? Sound off in the comments!
