Cory Sandhagen

Cory 'The Sandman' Sandhagen is widely considered one of the best bantamweights in the world, a long, creative striker whose varied kicks, sharp combinations and flashy finishes - like his flying-knee knockout of Frankie Edgar - have made him a perennial top contender. He's beaten a deep list of names, including Marlon Vera, Song Yadong and Deiveson Figueiredo.

What he hasn't done is win the belt: Sandhagen has come up just short in title and interim-title fights against the division's very best, including Petr Yan and Merab Dvalishvili. That's left him as the rare elite gatekeeper, a fighter respected as much for his technical artistry as for his willingness to share the cage with anyone.