Sherdog’s Top 10: Best Fighters Never to Compete in the UFC

10. Kazuo Misaki

Though not the greatest fighter to come out of Japan, Misaki was always one of the more popular and consistent mixed martial artists in the Far East. The judoka was known for engaging in entertaining battles throughout his career -- his 2010 war with Jorge Santiago was the Sherdog.com “Fight of the Year” -- and took on many of his contemporaries.

Misaki first made a name for himself in Pancrase, where he challenged for the organization’s middleweight crown. His bid fell short against Nate Marquardt, but his skill and style drew attention and led to his being scooped up by Pride Fighting Championships. There, he achieved his greatest triumph. Misaki defeated Phil Baroni and Dan Henderson in the 2006 Pride welterweight grand prix before being eliminated by Paulo Filho in the semifinals. However, when Filho could not continue in the tournament due to injury, Misaki was chosen as his replacement. He went on to earn a split decision over Denis Kang in the final.

Now 39, Misaki compiled a professional record of 25-11-2 that included other notable wins over Joe Riggs, Siyar Bahadurzada and Ed Herman. He retired following his split decision victory against Paul Daley in Strikeforce in 2012.

Number 9 » Paulo Filho