For much of the past five years, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) has drawn criticism for passing on talented mixed martial arts (MMA) free agents such as Paul Hughes, instead choosing to sign less-expensive Contender Series prospects.
That approach has started to shift.
Over the past two years, UFC has strengthened its roster with elite outside talent, including Reinier de Ridder, Kai Asakura and, most recently, Salahdine Parnasse.
For what it’s worth, UFC eventually signed four of the five fighters
I recommended last year.
Not bad!
Another loaded group is now waiting by the phone, so here are five fighters UFC should seize the opportunity to sign before the end of 2026.
One caveat: I’m not listing the obvious choice, Usman Nurmagomedov, because he is probably already signed.
Jason Jackson (20-6)
I genuinely have no idea why former Bellator Welterweight champion Jason Jackson is not already on UFC’s roster.
“The Ass-Kicking Machine” recently announced that he is a free agent, is waiting for UFC’s call and wants to compete inside the Octagon. Of everyone on this list, Jackson is by far the most accomplished and could easily be ranked inside the Welterweight Top 10 tomorrow.
Jackson went 8-2 under the Bellator banner, earning notable victories over Benson Henderson, Douglas Lima, and Neiman Gracie.
He capped off his run by knocking out Yaroslav Amosov to capture Bellator’s Welterweight title, becoming the first — and still only — fighter to defeat the Ukrainian standout (watch highlights).
Jackson is coming off a blistering 22-second knockout of former Ultimate Fighter contestant Jeff Creighton at MVP MMA 1 (watch highlights).
At 35 years old, UFC should not waste any more of his prime.
Make the call.
Dilano Taylor (14-5)
One of Jackson’s main teammates and training partners, Dilano Taylor, should also receive an opportunity.
Taylor’s PFL run wasn’t perfect, but look at the names who defeated him: Magomed Magomedkerimov, Magomed Umalatov and former PFL champion Sadibou Sy. There is absolutely no shame in losing to that level of competition.
“The Postman” also owns a first-round knockout of former UFC title challenger and Bellator champion Rory MacDonald, sending the Canadian legend into retirement (watch highlights).
Since returning to the regional circuit, Taylor has won four consecutive fights, finishing three of those opponents in the first round. He most recently defeated Dante Schiro via unanimous decision in a bizarre fight that featured Schiro repeatedly pulling guard.
Taylor is 6-foot-3, powerful, dangerous on the ground and has faced quality competition throughout his entire career. Most importantly, he is still only 29 years old.
This one feels like a no-brainer.
Roberto Soldic (21-4, 1 NC)
Outside of Usman Nurmagomedov, Roberto Soldic might be the most obvious free agent UFC should pursue.
The 31-year-old Croatian knockout artist recently entered free agency after his ONE Championship contract expired, ending an incredibly frustrating run with the promotion.
“Robocop” competed in MMA only three times during his four-year stint with ONE, going 1-1 with one No Contest. His promotional debut against Murad Ramazanov ended because of an accidental low blow, and he was then upset by Zebaztian Kadestam before rebounding with a violent first-round knockout of Dagi Arslanaliev.
Soldic later stayed active by knocking out former two-division boxing champion Tomasz Adamek in a Sept. 2025 boxing match.
Before joining ONE, Soldic was an absolute terror in KSW, winning eight of nine fights while capturing the promotion’s Welterweight and Middleweight titles.
His lone KSW loss came against future UFC champion Dricus Du Plessis, who knocked him out in their first meeting. Soldic responded six months later by knocking out Du Plessis to reclaim the Welterweight championship.
He also owns knockout victories over Mamed Khalidov, Patrik Kincl and Borys Mankowski.
Soldic has finished 19 of his 21 professional MMA victories, including a ridiculous 18 knockouts. He possesses devastating southpaw power, vicious body attacks and enough physical strength to compete at either Welterweight or Middleweight.
UFC missed out on Soldic when he chose ONE Championship in 2022.
It shouldn’t let him escape a second time.
Asaf Chopurov (11-0)
There is a legitimate argument that undefeated UAE Warriors Bantamweight champion Asaf Chopurov is the best 135-pound prospect outside UFC — and that is saying something because the division is loaded with talent worldwide.
Chopurov is 11-0 as a professional, with 10 of those victories coming by finish. He owns five knockouts, five submissions and has already successfully defended his UAE Warriors title three times.
Oh, and he went an absurd 34-1 during his amateur career.
The 24-year-old is coming off a first-round destruction of former ONE Championship title challenger Reece McLaren, knocking him unconscious with a counter right hand in just 63 seconds (watch highlights).
Chopurov is a suffocating wrestler with slick grappling, excellent back control and sneaky knockout power for a Bantamweight. He has also never faced an opponent with a losing professional record.
For what it’s worth, Chopurov recently decided to compete under the Russian flag after representing Azerbaijan throughout his professional career.
Whatever flag he carries, he belongs in UFC.
Shane Burgos
The first — and only — former UFC fighter on this list is Shane Burgos.
And if you don’t know who Burgos is, are you really an MMA fan?
Burgos infamously left UFC after 11 fights to test free agency. UFC CEO Dana White later admitted that allowing him to leave was a “big mistake” behind the scenes, but by then, “Hurricane” had already signed with PFL.
Competitively, Burgos’ 1-2 PFL run was a disaster. Financially, however, he made life-changing money for his family and has repeatedly said he has zero regrets about leaving UFC.
After taking nearly three years away to rest his body and recover from burnout, the 35-year-old is ready to make one final run.
If UFC is smart, it will bring Burgos home and let him finish his career where it started. He went 8-3 inside the Octagon and consistently delivered absolute wars against high-level competition (like this).
Some fighters are simply built for UFC, and Burgos is one of them.
Kenny Cross (17-5)
Several fighters were considered for the final spot, including Mansour Barnaoui, Grant Neal and Sidney Outlaw, but I’m going back to the well with Kenny Cross.
Yes, Cross most recently got styled on by Salahdine Parnasse at MVP MMA 1, but Parnasse is going to do that to plenty of UFC Lightweights.
Cross was dealt a brutal hand during his appearance on Season 4 of Contender Series. “The Boss” was originally scheduled to headline the season premiere, but opponent Kevin Syler tested positive for COVID-19, forcing the matchup to be postponed by two weeks.
That meant Cross had to make weight twice in 14 days.
Cross ultimately defeated Syler via unanimous decision but faded badly in the third round, leaving Dana White unimpressed and without a contract.
Bellator eventually scooped him up, but Cross lost his promotional debut to Killys Mota. He then returned to the regional circuit, where he won four consecutive fights and looked sensational before running into Parnasse.
Cross has finished 13 of his 17 professional victories, is well-rounded, embraces violence and possesses the kind of loud, over-the-top personality UFC claims it wants from its fighters.
Is he a can’t-miss future champion? Probably not.
But UFC has plenty of room for inexperienced Contender Series projects, so it can certainly find a spot for a proven must-watch fighter who knows how to promote himself.
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