9. Tatsuya Kawajiri
It might come as a surprise to learn that Kawajiri did not post his first victory until his third professional fight. He submitted to a rear-naked choke from Takumi Nakayama in his debut on April 12, 2000 and then fought to a draw with Yohei Suzuki a little less than a year later.

“Crusher” found his form before long, going 15-1-1 over his next 17 appearances. He became a Shooto champion and moved on to Pride Fighting Championships and Dream, where he crossed paths with some of the best lightweights of his era. Kawajiri took on Caol Uno, Vitor Ribeiro, Takanori Gomi, Eddie Alvarez, Gilbert Melendez, Joachim Hansen and Josh Thomson before finally reaching the Ultimate Fighting Championship in 2014.

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