Derek Brunson

Derek Brunson spent the better part of a decade as the toughest test in the middleweight division's top ten. A powerful southern wrestler with steadily improving hands, he was the gatekeeper every rising contender had to get past - and many couldn't.

He put together several impressive win streaks and beat hyped names like Darren Till, Kevin Holland, and Edmen Shahbazyan, derailing more than one prospect's title push. But the same streaks always seemed to end against the very best - Adesanya, Whittaker, Cannonier, du Plessis - which cemented his reputation as the man who separated contenders from genuine title threats.

For new fans, Brunson is a great study in what a high-level gatekeeper looks like: explosive, aggressive, and dangerous enough to ruin anyone's hype, even if the elite always found a way past him. His fights, especially early on, were full of fast starts and finishes.