It used to be that when a fighter left the UFC, that competitor was instantly branded a failure by much of the mixed martial arts fan base.
But that’s not so much the case anymore as we head into 2019.
No one disputes that the UFC is still the biggest dog in the hunt, but the steady trickle of world-class talent away from the company during the WME/Endeavor era has opened up the sport across several promotions in a way that hasn’t been seen in years. Bellator has everyone from Gegard Mousasi to Lyoto Machida to Phil Davis; ONE Championship has snapped up talents like Eddie Alvarez and Demetrious Johnson; PFL has an interesting mix of young up-and-comers and veterans with something left to give.