5 UFC fighters who should run their own promotion

#4. Nate Diaz - UFC welterweight contender

Nate Diaz holds a record of 20-13

Nate Diaz is one of the most popular fighters on the entire UFC roster. His every move is already monitored closely by MMA fans so should he start his own promotion, you can be sure plenty of people will tune in.

The Diaz name is also synonymous with Stockton and Northern California in general. Having a strong presence like that in an area would likely allow him to dominate the market and scoop up much of the top local talent to compete in the promotion.

With Nate Diaz down to the last fight of his current UFC contract, his future may be with a new promotion before long. Should he start up and compete in his own promotion, it would draw a substantial number of viewers and could be very successful.

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#3. Israel Adesanya - UFC middlweight champion

Israel Adesanya holds a record of 21-1

There are a number of reasons why Israel Adesanya is in a great position to run his own promotion. His popularity is a given but he also has the potential to tap into a large range of the MMA world that may not currently have much access to the sport.

His gym, City Kickboxing, is based out of New Zealand but also features a number of top stars from Australia, like Alexander Volkanovski. With not too many well-known promotions from that part of the world and with the wealth of connections that gym has, an Adesanya-run promotion could have real success in that market.

On top of that, Adesanya is very proud of his Nigerian heritage and so could also put on shows in Africa. Regular shows in Oceania alongside the occasional event in Africa could make this hypothetical promotion a real success.