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

Mike SloanFeb 24, 2016

5. Megumi Fujii

Fujii was once the standard by which all other female fighters were judged. She won her first 22 fights and finished 19 of them, using armbars, heel hooks, chokes and keylocks while tearing through Shooto and Smackgirl. No one came close to beating her.

“Mega Megu” joined Bellator in her late 30s and continued her dominance until Zoila Frausto ended her 22-fight winning streak with a split decision in October 2010. Fuji bounced back with three straight wins, but by the time she reached her retirement bout and a rematch with American Top Team’s Jessica Aguilar on Oct. 5, 2013, she was pushing 40 and well past her prime. Aguilar took a technical decision at Ota City General Gymnasium in Tokyo.

Her late-career stumbles notwithstanding, Fujii will go down was one of the all-time great female fighters in MMA history. She completed her career with a stellar 26-3 record, though none of those 29 fights took place inside the Octagon of the UFC.

Number 4 » Ben Askren