Michael Chiesa

Michael Chiesa, better known as "Maverick", brings a 20-7 record into every walk to the cage — and in a division as crowded as welterweight, every single win matters.

Wrestling is the skeleton key here — 3.1 takedowns a round on average. Everything opponents want to do standing gets interrupted, smothered, and dragged to the canvas. Add the southpaw stance, and the puzzle gets harder still.

The form line is loud: 4 straight wins, the latest over Niko Price (Submission (Rear Naked Choke) R1). Momentum like that forces the division's hand.

He's 38 now. Fighters at this stage aren't building toward something; they're spending what's left, and that usually makes for the best fights.