Misha Cirkunov

Nobody hands you anything at light heavyweight. Misha Cirkunov has built a 15-9 record the hard way, one fight at a time since leaving Canada's regional scene.

The game is built on grappling: 4.2 takedowns per 15 minutes, and opponents spend rounds defending instead of fighting. 9 submission wins say what happens when the defense slips. Add a 77" reach, and the puzzle gets harder still.

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

At 39, the window is what it is — which tends to make every remaining fight more honest, and more dangerous.