Sherdog’s Top 10: Fighters Outside the UFC

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5. Justin Gaethje
Record: 14-0
Organization: World Series of Fighting

Along with Marlon Moraes, Gaethje is one of the success stories for the World Series of Fighting. Now the promotion’s lightweight champion, Gaethje has fought for WSOF seven times, rising to prominence with a win over name veteran Gesias Cavalcante at WSOF 2 and brutalizing both Brian Cobb and Dan Lauzon before winning the title. He has defended his belt twice -- not counting the non-title affair against Melvin Guillard where the UFC veteran came in overweight -- as he finished Nick Newell and Luis Palomino in style.

The essence of Gaethje’s style is violence. A former NCAA All-American wrestler at the University of Northern Colorado, the former wrestler has emphasized his striking in his MMA career -- and to great effect. He packs shocking power in everything he throws, from overhands and uppercuts to elbows and low kicks, and he can finish fights with one shot at any time. That willingness to bang it out has made Gaethje one of the most entertaining fighters in the game, and the combination of his wrestling and his developing striking repertoire might eventually allow him to break into the elite at 155 pounds.

Having just signed a new contract with WSOF -- it is likely that the promotion exercised a champion’s clause -- Gaethje will likely be a part of the organization for the foreseeable future, so any matchups with high-profile lightweights will have to wait.

Number 4 » She is easily the best women’s featherweight on the face of the planet and has been for quite some time. She has not lost since her professional debut back in 2005, and only one opponent has even managed to survive to the final bell. The other 12 wins of her career have all come by way of devastating knockout, courtesy of the kind of power that is nearly impossible to find among fighters of either gender.