'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
#4. Former UFC welterweight Thiago Alves
UFC veteran Thiago Alves has found new life in recent years as a bare knuckle warrior. The American Top Team striking coach has been tearing it up in the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship’s middleweight scene. He currently rules the roost as champion.
Alves battled it out 27 times in the octagon before his January 2020 release from the UFC. Despite his hit and miss record (23-15), Alves is a well-respected stalwart of the fight game.
A former Performance of the Night and Knockout of the Night winner, Alves’ name value is considerably higher now than it was at the time of his release. With BKFC’s budding popularity, Alves has a shot at drastically increasing his star power the longer he holds onto the middleweight gold.
The 37 year-old clearly has several years left in him. Perhaps a crack at a comeback run in the UFC is not out of the question in the next 2-3 years for MMA’s second most famous ‘Pitbull’.
#3. Former UFC lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez
‘The Underground King’ still has a lot left in the tank and a lot of intriguing match-ups in the UFC. Despite some disappointing results in recent years, Eddie Alvarez remains one of the finest and most accomplished lightweights in MMA history.
If Dustin Poirier defeats Charles Oliveira later this year, a resumption of Alvarez’s feud with ‘The Diamond’ could be money. He could also possibly get the chance to avenge the sound defeat he suffered at the hands of Conor McGregor at UFC 205.
In 2022, McGregor will be looking for a fresh opponent unless he can net a Poirier IV war right off the bat. McGregor vs Alvarez II could be the perfect UFC comeback fight for both men.
For any of this to have a shot at occurring in the near future, Alvarez will have to opt out of his current ONE Championship deal. Given his deflating run there so far, he might want to stick it out to improve his record regardless. In turn, he would become a more appertizing prospect for Dana White once again.
