Top 10 lightweights: Unsigned Talent

I am writing a series about the top 10 fighters in each of the major five divisions not currently signed to a UFC, Strikeforce, or Bellator contract. Though there may be better prospects than the fighters listed we are strictly going with who is in our top 100 World MMA rankings. We will do a Top 10 Prospects section later this year.

We’ll start in the lightweight division.

1. Francisco Drinaldo (9-1)

Francisco”Massaranduba”Drinaldo tops our list. He is currently the interim lightweight champion in Brazil’s Jungle Fight promotion. He carries a record of nine wins with one loss via submission. That unfortunate loss was to Yuri Alcantara, which ultimately led to a UFC contract for Alcantara. Drinaldo is fairly well-rounded, but relies more on his kickboxing and powerful striking. Drinaldo is part of the Constrictor Team where he trains alongside Paulo Thiago and Rani Yahya. His next fight will be against Jungle Fight champion Adriano Martins where he will look to unify the lightweight titles and hopefully earn a UFC contact with a win.

2. Fabricio Camoes (12-5-1)

Another Brazilian makes our list, but his name should not be as obscure as Drinaldo’s. Fabricio “Morango” Camoes fought two times for the UFC, going 0-1-1, losing his last fight to Kurt Pellegrino, which ultimately led to his release. Since being cut though,Camoes has run off two straight victories over former UFC veterans, including his most recent win over Efain Escudero. Camoes is a black belt in Jiu-Jitsu and currently trains out of San Diego, California.

3. Jamie Varner (17-5-1)

Jamie Varner’s release from the WEC was expected after four straight fights without a win. A trip to the independents might be just what Varner needed though as he is only 26 years old and is still a marketable name. Varner won his first fight since his release and will face Jeremy Carper on June 11. If Varner continues to win it won’t be long before the UFC calls.

4. Antonio Mckee (25-4-2)

Antonio “Mandingo” McKee fought for the UFC in 2011, but he was unceremoniously released after a split decision loss to fellow wrestler Jacob Volkmann. Prior to that loss McKee had won 11 straight fights on the independent scene. McKee’s release was a surprise considering his previous win streak, and only getting one fight in the octagon. McKee is 41 years old and the window may be closing quickly on his career.
Update: McKee will face Jorge Britto on July 23rd.

5. Jadamba Narantugalag (4-2)

Jadamba Narantugalag’s name may not be known by many, but he has quickly made a name for himself in the fading Sengoku promotion. Narantungalag is Mongolian, but fights out of Tokyo, Japan. He is a black belt in Judo, but is now more known for his kickboxing where he has even competed on the K-1 circuit. Though he start off his MMA career at 0-2 he has run off four straight wins, including his last two fights against Kazunori Yokota and Akihiro Gono. His contract status with Sengoku is unknown at this time.

6. Efrain Escudero (16-3)

Outside of Travis Lutter, Efrain Escudero is the first TUF winner to be released by the UFC. Escudero’s lack of commitment was apparent with him not making weight in his final fight against Charles Oliveira. Escudero went on to lose that fight and was released shortly thereafter. Since being cut, he had won three straight fights until losing a decision to Fabricio Camoes.

7. Josh Neer (29-10-1)

Josh Neer has fought 40 times in his mixed martial arts career, yet he is still under 30 years old(28). Neer has had multiple runs in the UFC and most recently fought for Bellator where he lost to their lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez. Neer has two big fights coming up this summer, the first of which is against Jesse Juarez, followed by John Alessio. Both those fights will be fought at 170, which will mean Neer will be at a disadvantage in the strength department. After finding mixed results at 155 though, Neer is willing to test the waters again at welterweight.

8. Satoru Kitaoka (28-10-9)

Satoru Kitaoka was rumored to have signed with the UFC a few months ago, but those rumors proved to be fruitless. He would be undersized against most lightweights currently fighting in the UFC, so a move to featherweight would likely be the only way we will ever see Kitaoka fight in the octagon. His resume is impressive as any fighter currently fighting in a major organization, as he holds wins over Carlos Condit, Paul Daley, Kurt Pellegrino, Takanori Gomi, and Kazunori Yokota. Kitaoka currently fights in Pancrase and Deep in his native Japan.

9. Katsunori Kikuno (15-3-2)

Katsunori Kikuno might be Japan’s best prospect fighting above 155. Though he lost to J.Z. Cavalcante and Eddie Alvarez, he showed a lot of positives. Kikuno’s contract status is currently with the Dream and Deep promotions in Japan. With Strikeforce being absorbed by Zuffa, talks of partnering with Dream are likely soon to end, which means we might not see Kikuno in the UFC anytime soon unless Dream folds.

10. Akihiro Gono (32-16-7)

The final name on our list is the battle-tested veteran Akihiro Gono. Gono is 36 years old, and has lost four of his last seven fights, but a recent move to lightweight may breathe new life into his career. He lost his debut at 155 to Narantungalag, but is still one of the top fighters in Japan. He was released from the UFC following losses to Jon Fitch and Dan Hardy. Both those fights were close fights, which shows that Gono can still compete at a high level. It should also be noted that Gono defeated Gegard Mousasi and Hector Lombard in Pride.

I hope you enjoyed reading about the Top 10 lightweight fighters fighting on the independent scene. Stay tuned for the next round where we will take a look at the Top 10 welterweights.