The fight game is not unlike the music industry in a weird way.  In both industries it’s all too easy for good talent to go unrecognized.  Sure, fighters get the advantage of proving themselves with their fists, but some just never seem to get the breaks (or the contracts) they deserve.

That leaves a lot of good fighters toiling in Townes Van Zandt-like obscurity while the Fergie’s of the MMA world soak up the cash and adulation.  It just isn’t right.

What follows is a list of the top ten fighters who deserve of a little more recognition and fan appreciation, though I’m sure they wouldn’t mind the money that goes with it, either.

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10. “Kid” Yamamoto (Click on the fighter's name to go to their page on the Sherdog Fight Finder)

Who?  Exactly.  If you’re an American MMA fan, odds are this is the first you’ve ever heard of him. I can’t help but think about what he could do in the WEC’s featherweight division every time I see those Urijah Faber ads on the subway.  Anything to take my mind off the tepid pools of urine.

9. Chris Horodecki

I love to hear people point out that this undefeated nineteen-year-old hasn’t beaten top-tier fighters yet.  As if what these naysayers were doing at his age (I’m guessing trying to score beer and make-out with high school girls) was cooler than beating up grown men for a living.

8. Denis Kang

Before his final Pride bout – a highly suspect decision loss to Kazuo Misaki – he went over three years and almost twenty fights without a loss.  Word is he may prefer to keep fighting in Korea, where he gets more love and less competition.  It’s understandable, though regrettable.

7. Nick Diaz 

In the past I may have disparaged some of Diaz’s, um, extra-curricular activities, but the fact remains he’s a damn good fighter.  He beat Takanori Gomi with more marijuana in his system than blood.  Most people can’t even beat Tekken 5 after a couple of bong hits. Give him a break.

6. Gilbert Melendez

He’s undefeated against some of the best lightweights in Japan, a place where good lightweights seem to grow on trees.  Put him in against Kenny Florian and let’s see what he can really do.  I have a feeling he might surprise some people.

5. Josh Barnett

He beat Randy Couture, Aleks Emelianenko, and a bunch of other people, and yet he’s not immediately signed to bolster the UFC’s struggling heavyweight division…why?  I sincerely hope Dana White isn’t letting a personal grudge get in the way of good business here.  Barnett deserves an invitation to the dance.

4. Ben Rothwell 

Critics say he hasn’t faced tough enough competition to justify a top ten spot.  While somewhat unfair to Rothwell, I can almost see their point.  Even so, Rothwell has power, athleticism, determination, and a good head on his shoulders – basically everything it takes to be a champion at the highest level.  It’s just a matter of time and opportunity.

3. Robbie Lawler

For reasons I can’t quite fathom, Lawler is almost always overlooked as a force in the middleweight division.  I guess it’s not enough to be a battle-tested veteran of the sport while still in your twenties, or to be a title-holder in a non-UFC organization. That’s a shame.  But you know who’s really happy about Lawler staying out of the UFC?  Anderson Silva.

2. Matt Lindland

I’m not going to try and tell you Lindland is the most exciting fighter or the most marketable or even the most cordial.  That would be dishonest.  He is an ugly, mean wrestler from Oregon who will take you down and beat you until you want to quit or vomit, maybe both.  There’s a good reason the UFC never game him that promised title shot: they were afraid he’d win, and honestly, Rich Franklin sells more Xyience.

1. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua

Dana White says nobody knows who he is, and that’s why he wasn’t in a hurry to get Rua the title shot that “Rampage” Jackson (who Rua beat the hell out of) got a fast track to. Right. Talk to me after he demolishes Forrest Griffin – another guy nobody had ever heard of before a certain reality TV show – and let’s see if that explanation is still plausible.