Every four years, the global community gathers together in celebration of athletic competition in its purest form. In their 120-year history, the Olympics have provided the sports world -- people of all races, creeds and faiths -- with countless memories in which to revel.

Mixed martial arts remains an outsider at the Olympics, and considering the tight window in which the competition takes place, that seems unlikely to change anytime soon -- if ever. MMA may be too attritive an activity to be contained in a 16-day box. Injuries are inevitable, cuts and broken bones commonplace. While that reality can be harsh, it cannot stop the imagination of avid combat sports fans from wandering and wondering. What if MMA was an Olympic sport?

With the 2016 Summer Olympics scheduled for Aug. 5-21 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sherdog.com staff and contributors sat down to put together hypothetical MMA Olympic teams for the following countries: United States, Canada, Japan, Brazil, Russia, Great Britain, Mexico, Poland, Australia and Sweden. This 10-part series mapped out the yellow brick road to Rio de Janeiro for the men and women who call the cage home, Zika virus be damned.

The complete list:

• United States by Brian Knapp
• Canada by Jordan Breen
• Japan by Jordan Breen
• Brazil by Brian Knapp
• Russia by Brian Knapp
• Great Britain by Tristen Critchfield
• Mexico by Brian Knapp
• Poland by Brian Knapp
• Australia by Brian Knapp
• Sweden by Brian Knapp