Long gone are the days when someone had to be bigger than George Foreman or own a scowl like Mike Tyson to strike fear in everyone, everywhere. Royce Gracie's unassuming, pajama-clad domination in the early UFC days started a trend of deceiving bad dudes. They may not look like "Kid Dynamite," but they sure know how to dish out some explosives. Martial arts nerds have been around since Bruce Lee posters were available at local record shops, and now, an elite few have graduated from watching fighting on VHS to kicking ass in high definition.

Brian Bowles

This 135-pound Georgia native has a haircut most give up by age 13. A quiet Southern boy, Bowles also worked as a sales representative for Pepsi Cola. There’s nothing more American -- and in this case, nerdy -- than soda pop.

With only three years of mixed martial arts training, though, Bowles is 7-0 overall and undefeated in four WEC appearances, where he has finished four world-ranked opponents. He may only be 5-foot-7, but he moonlights as a bouncer back in Georgia. He was also a police officer in his home state. In the cage or in the streets, crossing Bowles is a true health hazard. Don’t let this WEC bantamweight title contender’s straight-and-narrow looks fool you, and don’t let him guillotine you either.