Many fighters are willing to give up everything to get into the spotlight, but very few are on the brink of the UFC. Even with all of the controversy surrounding the new Olympic style random drug testing policy and the Reebok sponsorship, the UFC is still the king of the cage.
For most fighters it is not the money or the fame that is their prime motivator, it is that step up in competition. In order to be the best, you have to beat the best. Unfortunately for many fighters outside of the UFC that level of competition cannot be had without the approval of Dana White. Here is our list of five fighters that we believe Dana White needs to give the green light and make the call.
Cris ‘Cyborg’ Justino
- Titles: Strikeforce W-Featherweight Champion & Invicta FC W-Featherweight Champion
- Current Promotion: Invicta FC
- Weight Class: W-Featherweight
- Record: 13-1
What is the hold up here? People have been calling for the Rousey vs Justino fight for years now. This fight would take Women’s MMA to a new level and Cyborg is ready! Is it Cris ‘Cyborg” Justino’s weight that is holding things up? She likes to fight heavier but has said that she feels comfortable at 135. Who knows what the behind-the-scenes dilemma is? MMA fans want this fight and the talk in MMA circles is that this match-up is imminent. This is the Mayweather vs Pacquiao for Women’s MMA. C’mon Dana, make it happen, we are begging you!
Jessica Aguilar
- Titles: WSOF Strawweight Champion
- Current Promotion: WSOF
- Weight Class: W-Strawweight
- Record: 19-4
And what about that other division Dana? What are you going to do with Joanna Jedrzejczyk? She blew through your TUF winner. She is now 9-0 undefeated and unchallenged. She is a star in the making. She already beat your best three fighters at that weight. Take a look at this girl, Jessica Aguilar. She is the challenger that the UFC needs for Jedrzejczyk and she is ready. She is the WSOF champion and is a member of American Top Team. She is one of the few remaining female Strawweights. She is currently on a 10-fight winning streak. Aguilar is one of those unifying championship fighters that would give the sport of WMMA a shot in the arm. Let’s see this happen Dana.
Ben Askren
- Titles: Bellator Welterweight Champion & ONE FC Welterweight Champion
- Current Promotion: ONE FC
- Weight Class: Welterweight
- Record: 14-0
What else does this guy have to do? Ben Askren has been on our top ten list for three years. He has been in MMA purgatory for more than that. Most claim that he has never been tested. He is undefeated but the quality of his winning streak is subjective. There are many question marks; can Ben Askren compete with the likes of Robbie Lawler and Johny Hendricks? Is Askeren too one-dimensional? His grappling is stellar but what happens when he gets matched up with a sprawl and brawl guy like Lawler? So many questions for Askeren who can talk the talk, now we need to see if the vocal 170-pounder can walk the walk. It’s time for him to come out of the depths of purgatory and enter the pearly gates of Dana White’s heavenly UFC.
Patricio Freire
- Titles: Bellator Featherweight Champion
- Current Promotion: Bellator
- Weight Class: Featherweight
- Record: 23-2
The feather weight division is packed full to the brim with talent. Conor McGregor’s rocket ship rise to the top has recently tossed this division into the spotlight. Patricio “Pitbull” Freire took Bellator’s featherweight title after going five rounds against Pat Curran at Bellator 123 last September. Bellator might have a few more meaningful fights for Freire to take while he’s at the top of the division but we think he would be better off testing himself against the best of the best. So c’mon Dana, let’s complicate this division even further and make the call.
Will Brooks
- Titles: Bellator Lightweight Champion
- Current Promotion: Bellator
- Weight Class: Lightweight
- Record: 16-1
Will Brooks might not be ready to make an impact in the UFC yet but if Brooks can learn anything from the previous Bellator champion, he should leave Bellator and make his way to the octagon. Brooks may not have what it takes to compete with the likes of UFC champion, Rafael dos Anjos, but he could develop his skills enough to do so with just a few fights with that step up in competition. He needs to grow as a fighter and the only way to do that is to have Dana White punch his ticket to the big show.