5 UFC fighters who should run their own promotion

Last Friday, former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov saw the United States debut of his growing promotion, Eagle FC. 'The Eagle' joins a growing list of fighters who have gotten involved in MMA promotions behind the scenes.

Last year, Jorge Masvidal launched his own bare-knuckle MMA promotion. He's also involved with iKON fighting championship and explains it was a business move that made sense to someone like him who knows the fight game as well as anyone.

Starting up a new promotion can also be an opportunity to bring the sport to a new audience and tap into a new market. This is the route Kamaru Usman took and is heavily involved in new MMA promotion 54, which recently held their first event in Lagos, Nigeria.

Fighters may choose to start up their own MMA promotions for a variety of reasons but not just anyone can make this step. The fighters in question must be popular enough to bring some eyes to their promotion and have to find a way to make it stand out from the wealth of other organizations that already exist.

Here are five UFC fighters who should run their own promotion:

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#5. Donald Cerrone - UFC lightweight / welterweight contender

Donald Cerrone holds a record of 36-16 (2 NC)

While Donald 'Cowboy' Cerrone has struggled to pick up wins as of late, he remains as popular as ever and a true icon of the sport. His popularity, combined with the famous 'BMF' ranch he owns, could make him a great candidate to start up his own MMA promotion.

Cerrone regularly brings in top local fighters to his ranch to help him prepare for upcoming fights. This will likely give him a strong knowledge of the top fighters in the area which would be a great starting point to create a roster.

The factor that could really make a 'Cowboy' promotion unique is the ranch itself. Hosting fights from his remote ranch in New Mexico would provide a fun, different atmosphere that would allow the promotion to stand out.

Given his great relationship with the UFC, there seems to be no reason why we can't see a fight night on the 'BMF' ranch arrive on the UFC Fight Pass one day.

#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.

#2. Conor McGregor - former UFC double-champion

Conor McGregor holds a record of 22-6

Conor McGregor is the biggest star the UFC and the MMA world in general has ever seen. His movements around the world are tracked by both MMA and mainstream media alike. Should he start up his own promotion, you could be certain it would receive plenty of attention.

Given 'The Notorious' is known for his Irish roots, it would likely make sense that his promotion would take place in Ireland. Should the promotion have success, he could likely expand further into the United Kingdom and attempt to rival the already-popular Cage Warriors.

With the success McGregor has had, fighters would surely be keen to align themselves with him, as they could become a big name very quickly. With McGregor approaching the end of his contract, there's also a possibility he could be available to fight in the promotion himself one day.

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#1. Francis Ngannou - UFC heavyweight champion

Francis Ngannou holds a record of 17-3

It is well documented that Francis Ngannou has no more fights left on his current UFC contract. That gives him a wealth of options and perhaps one of them could be starting up his own promotion.

If Ngannou does not re-sign with the UFC, he will be able to command a more flexible schedule whether that be in boxing or another MMA promotion. That might free him up to find and potentially compete in his own MMA promotion. The most likely location for such a promotion would be in Africa.

Kamaru Usman has already taken some similar steps, but Ngannou's could be less Nigeria-specific and tour all parts of the continent. Additionally, in the scenario where he is no longer under contract, 'The Predator' might be able to be far more involved than Usman is, as he would not have to deal with UFC commitments.

Ngannou overseeing and competing in his own events could finally provide Africa with the big MMA promotion it deserves.