Francisco Figueiredo

Nobody hands you anything at flyweight. Francisco Figueiredo — "Sniper" to fight fans — has built a 13-5 record the hard way, one fight at a time since leaving Brazil's regional scene.

The game is built on grappling: 2.5 takedowns per 15 minutes, and opponents spend rounds defending instead of fighting. 8 submission wins say what happens when the defense slips. Add the southpaw stance, and the puzzle gets harder still.

He's coming off a loss to Amir Albazi. Careers aren't defined by the fall, though; they're defined by the rebound.

At 36, the window is what it is — which tends to make every remaining fight more honest, and more dangerous.