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The Outsiders: Top 25 Bantamweights Outside the UFC, Bellator, and WSOF

While most of the best talent is under the UFC banner and Bellator and WSOF have seemed scooped up the rest, there is still plenty of talent yet to be signed by the top promotions of the MMA food chain. These are not necessarily 'free agents' or even prospects, they are top 100 ranked fighters who are navigating the nebulous seas of regional and international fight promotion for whatever reason.

The Bantamweight class is certainly one of the least tapped talent resources of any division; young fighters, tough veterans, and several undefeated prospects are still available for the top promotions. Will anyone on this list be signed by a major US promotion in the near future? Your guess is as good as mine, but they should at least be considered if promotions hope to compete for top talent.

Bantamweights (135lb)

RANK NAME RECORD AGE Last Promotion
5 Bibiano Fernandes 17-3-0 34 ONE FC (Asia)
21 Jimmie Rivera 15-1-0 ? Cage Fury FC
26 Luke Sanders 9-0-0 29 RFA
29 Luis Alberto Nogueira 18-3-1 32 Face To Face (Brazil)
40 Brett Johns 10-0-0 22 Titan FC
41 Victor Henry 9-1-0 27 Pancrase (Japan)
44 Kevin Croom 15-6-0 ? Shamrock MMA
47 Soo-Chul Kim 10-5-0 23 Road FC (S. Korea)
51 Kevin Beligon 13-4-0 27 ONE FC (Asia)
52 Mike Wooten 9-0-0 ? BAMMA (UK)
53 Timo-Juhani Hirvikangas 10-2-0 30 Fight Night (Finland)
54 Shintaro Ishiwatari 19-6-4 29 DEEP (Japan)
56 Jonathan Brookins 15-7-0 29 Pancrase (Japan)
57 Dae Hwan Kim 10-1-1 27 ONE FC (Asia)
59 Brian Kelleher 11-7-0 28 CES
61 Toni Tauru 10-1-1 ? Cage Warriors (UK)
63 Francisco de Lima Maciel 10-2-1 27 Team Nogueira (Brazil)
64 Austin Lyons 12-3-0 26 Titan FC
66 Masakatsu Ueda 18-4-2 37 Grandslam (Japan)
67 Jeremiah Labiano 8-2-0 ? Tachi Palace
68 Daiki Hata 17-9-7 32 DEEP (Japan)
69 Demarte Pena 10-0-0 25 EFC (S. Africa)
70 Toshiaki Kitada 18-7-4 34 DEEP (Japan)
71 Fernando Vieira 11-2-0 ? XFC (Brazil)
72 Yoon Jun Lee 8-2-0 ? Road FC (S. Korea)

Big 3 in Comparison

Promotion # Top 100 fighters Champ
UFC 42 TJ Dillashaw
Bellator 10 Joe Warren
WSOF 7 Marlon Moraes

*All Rankings taken from Fight Matrix at time of writing. Promotions without a country listed next to it are considered US based.