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30. Ryo Chonan
Chonan is clearly no world beater, but he is a tough and recognizable veteran who should at least be given a chance to earn his way into a tournament.
If nothing else, his presence will give the commentary team the opportunity to talk about his win over Anderson Silva, and that can grab the attention of some of the casual MTV2 fans.
29. Pete Sell
Sell tore his groin in 2010 and is coming off of a knockout loss, but he always makes exciting fights and has declared he is making a comeback in 2011.
He may not be a threat, but a win over him could help build the name of a lesser-known middleweight.
28. Jake O'Brien
O'Brien had won two straight since losing to Gegard Mousasi last year, and he is a familiar UFC veteran.
His only losses in the UFC were to Jon Jones Andrei Arlovski, and Cain Velasquez, with two of those coming at heavyweight. Bellator could use some more faces for their new light heavyweight division.
27. Murilo "Ninja" Rua
The brother of UFC light heavyweight champion "Shogun," Murilo had won four straight before losing a decision to Roy Broughton, who came in five and a half pounds over the limit.
Rua is a PRIDE veteran and the former EliteXC middleweight champion. Not to mention, he is on the EA Sports MMA video game.
26. Joey Villasenor
Former PRIDE and Strikeforce vet Joey Villasenor should always be considered a worthy opponent. Last year, he went the distance with current Strikeforce middleweight champion Ronaldo Souza.
Before that, he won four straight over Riki Fukuda, Ryan Jensen, Phil Baroni and Evangelista Santos. He would be a valuable participant for Bellator's next middleweight tournament.
25. Houston Alexander
Alexander has plenty of power and is rarely in a dull fight. Fans still remember him from his UFC days, so he could be a very attractive acquisition for Bellator's new 205-pound division. He has won two straight.
24. Jamie Varner
The former WEC lightweight champion has fallen on tough times, going 0-3-1 in his last four fights. Still, they were all against tough competition and Bellator is all about giving fighters a chance.
Varner still has plenty of name value to add to the next lightweight tournament.
23. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou
Sokoudjou may not be the prospect fans once thought he was, but he is a strong, athletic veteran and always provides fireworks.
He likes to fight often, which works for the tournament format, and is coming off of a win.
22. Akihiro Gono
Gono has fought as many top fighters as anyone in the sport, and holds a 2006 win over Bellator middleweight champ Hector Lombard.
He recently lost his lightweight debut, but the the Japanese veteran is always crafty and should be given a chance to rebuild himself.
21. Joaquim Ferreira
The lone fighter to give UFC heavyweight contender Junior Dos Santos a loss, Ferreira now fights at light heavyweight and has won three straight.
The fact that he has beaten Dos Santos will grab the attention of viewers and he would be a very decent contender at 205.
20. Chris Wilson
Though Wilson only went 1-3 in the UFC, one of those losses was a competitive fight with top contender Jon Fitch, and another was a close split decision against John Howard that many felt could have gone his way.
He also holds notable wins over Pat Healy, Jay Hieron and Rory Markham. Wilson is a cagey pro who would give anyone a fight.
19. Gerald Harris
Much was made about Harris' quick boot from the UFC following only one loss preceded by three wins. Harris may not be what some fans were hoping he was, a contender, but Bellator should capitalize on what name value he still has.
He is young and could still turn out to be a worthy talent. Either way, he was famous for a week when his slam knockout of Dave Branch was featured on ESPN's SportsCenter.
18. Paulo Filho
Filho was scheduled to face Bellator middleweight champion Hector Lombard last year, but alleged visa issues forced him to pull out of the fight.
Most MMA fans are aware of Filho's addiction issues, but if he can clean up his life, he is world-class talent. He is 5-1-1 in his last seven fights.
17. Dan Lauzon
The younger brother of UFC lightweight contender Joe Lauzon, Dan still holds the record for youngest fighter to compete in the UFC for when he fought Spencer Fisher at the age of 18.
Though he was released by the UFC after two straight losses, he has won two straight since that time.
Lauzon made headlines last month after he was stabbed in front of a nightclub, but the the injuries were not life-threatening.
16. Din Thomas
Thomas is a proven veteran and now fights at featherweight.
Though his best days are clearly behind him, he would make a good addition to the 145-pound division, bringing some much-needed name recognition.
Since being released from the UFC, he has won three straight.
15. Hermes Franca
Franca, a former UFC lightweight title challenger, notched a first-round submission win last month and is as experienced as anyone in the division.
He would make a good addition to the lightweight tournament, as he is a very recognizable face and usually puts on good fights.
14. Roan Carneiro
Carneiro went a very disappointing 2-3 in the UFC, but since being released, he has won two straight. At age 32, there is still a little bit of time left for him to put the pieces back together for a good run.
If they didn't want to consider him for the welterweight tournament, he could be a good opponent for Ben Askren in those non-title "superfights" that Bellator likes to put on.
13. Marcus Aurelio
Though Aurelio lost a unanimous decision to Shinya Aoki in December, he was 4-1 in his previous five fights, with the one loss being a close split-decision to Evan Dunham.
Aurelio would make a good non-title fight with champ Eddie Alvarez for next season. If Alvarez could put him away, he could at least claim that he did what his former conqueror Aoki couldn't.
12. Gabriel Gonzaga
Gonzaga may not be the fighter he once was, but Bellator needs all the heavyweight talent they can find. If Eddie Sanchez can make a run in Bellator, then Gonzaga should get a chance.
Gonzaga lost a unanimous decision to rising heavyweight Brendan Schaub in his last fight and was subsequently dropped by the UFC.
He is scheduled to face Parker Porter later this year, but I would not bet money on that event coming together. A bout with the previously mentioned Sanchez would be fun.
11. Denis Kang
Kang is an enigma to me. He has proven his talent numerous times, but so often he just doesn't show up to fights in the right mental state.
Nonetheless, on the right night he is a tough fight for anyone, and he has all the tools to win if he could put them together.
He is a popular veteran in the game, so his name would draw attention. A non-title fight with champion Hector Lombard would be exciting.
10. Keith Jardine
Keith Jardine may not be an elite fighter, but the fans know "The Dean of Mean."
Jardine has won his last two and is still a motivated competitor. He trains with a great camp and has as much big-fight-experience as anyone.
If casual fans saw him in Bellator, they would accept Bellator as a legitimate stage for top talent a bit easier than if they just saw a random face, whether he was winning or losing.
9. Yoshiro Maeda
Since Maeda had that four rd war with Torres in the WEC, Maeda has gone a very mediocre 5-4, but notched wins over Micah Miller and Chase Beebe and has won his last two.
Most recently, he scored a first-round TKO over Masanori Kanehara in December.
Bellator could use a recognizable face in their new bantamweight division, and anyone who saw Maeda in the WEC likely still remembers him.
8. Efrain Escudero
He was competitive in both of his losses to Evan Dunham and Charles Oliveira,and since that time, he has won two straight and is already scheduled to face Fabricio Camoes for Tachi Palace Fights in May.
At 25 and with a strong wrestling background and a quickly improving striking game, Escudero would be a great addition to Bellator's lightweight division.
7. Todd Duffee
Duffee needs the chance to prove himself by working his way up.If he could find his way into Bellator's next heavyweight tournament,he would have that opportunity,and even if he fails,fans will tune in to watch him.
6. Patrick Cote
Patrick Cote is another fighter who is coming off a tough string of losses, but still has plenty of worth, for two reasons in particular.
The first of which is that he fights with an exciting style. Due to having big power in his hands and a granite chin, if Cote can get his opponent to stand with him, you can always count on an entertaining show.
The second is that the fans know who he is. With 11 fights in the UFC, including a main-event bout with Tito Ortiz, and a stint on The Ultimate Fighter, Cote has had plenty of exposure.
A non-title bout with Hector Lombard would make plenty of sense.
5. Glover Teixeira
Glover Teixeira may not be known to most MMA fans, but it is just a matter of time before a major promotion picks him up. If Bellator doesn't get to him, someone else will.
Unlike many of the other fighters I have listed who would bring attention to Bellator, Teixeira could make a name for himself through the promotion. Currently on a nine-fight win streak, he is not a faded UFC name, he is a rising fighter who still has much to prove.
With wins over Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou and Joaquim Ferreria, Teixeira has not lost in six years and could be a force at 205 pounds. And, that is a division Bellator needs to bolster as much as any other.
4. Ricardo Arona
Over the last decade, Arona has notched wins over such notables as Dan Henderson, Jeremy Horn, Kazushi Sakuraba, Wanderlei Silva, and Alistair Overeem.
Arona became a fixture in PRIDE and made it the finals of the 2005 Middleweight Grand Prix, so tournaments are nothing new to the Brazilian standout.
Old school fans have been waiting to see what's next from Arona for some time, as he hasn't fought since late 2009. But, he has constantly stated to the media that his intentions are to sign with the UFC and make a name for himself in America.
Well, that doesn't seem to be happening. You need to put together wins to get into the UFC and they are not going to come begging for your services if you are just idly waiting.
Arona should take the next best option, which would be a spot in Bellator's wide-open light heavyweight division.
Do that, make some money and get some exposure to the newer fans in the States, then see what the future holds.
3. Danillo Villefort
After stopping Mike Campbell in his WEC and welterweight debut, Danillo Villefort was offered a chance to fight in the UFC against Jesse Lennox at UFC 101.
Villeforte lost that fight controversially when the fight was stopped in the third round due to a cut caused by an accidental headbutt. After the loss, he was surprisingly released by the UFC.
Since then, Villeforte has won four straight and returned to middleweight. Just last Friday, he won a unanimous decision over veteran Matt Horwich in the main event of Shark Fights 14.
Before that, he notched another decision win against talented veteran Joey Villasenor, in a fight he took on short notice.
Villeforte would make a perfect addition to Bellator's next middleweight tournament. He is becoming a seasoned veteran now, but is still just 27 years old.
The recent win over Horwich makes this a perfect time to enter Bellator with some momentum.
2. Kazuo Misaki
With most of the fighters signed to crumbling Japanese promotion Sengoku asking for a contract release to pursue opportunities elsewhere, one has to wonder where veteran Kazuo Misaki will eventually end up,you have to assume that an offer will be coming his way from the States, if it has not already.
He would have a very good chance of besting Bellator's middleweight field, and if he could, a fight between him and Bellator middleweight champion Hector Lombard would be an event.
And if he couldn't make it that far, someone would have made a name for himself by besting this Japanese fan favorite.
1. Hatsu Hioki
Ranked No. 2 at featherweight by most respected MMA rankings, the current Shooto lightweight champion and Sengoku featherweight champion's list of victims include Marlon Sandro—who recently signed with Bellator—Mark Hominick—who will be fighting for the UFC featherweight title in April—and Masanori Kanehara.
Hioki has only ventured out of Japan three times and each of those fights took place in Quebec, Canada.
Though most of his career has taken place in Shooto and the soon to be defunct Sengoku, he did have one successful appearance in PRIDE, a unanimous decision win over veteran Jeff Curran in 2006.
If Hioki could find his way through the next featherweight tournament, a fight between Bellator featherweight champion Joe Warren and Hioki would be massive.
If they don't jump on him, the UFC will. That is, if they haven't already.
