Over the past several years, mixed martial arts has continued to not only grow as a global sport but also thrive in fight scenes closer to home.

With more and more people answering “yes” to the question, “So you want to be a fighter?” regional promotions that did not exist a decade ago are now becoming more numerous and thus more competitive every year.

Let's take a look at the five states with the most regional talent in the United States, as of March 2018.

5. Rhode Island

As one of the more underappreciated states in New England’s lineup, Rhode Island wasn’t necessarily known for being heavily populated with top MMA talent — that is, until the Burchfield regime took over.  

Since 2010, longtime boxing promoter Jimmy Burchfield Sr. and his son, Jimmy Burchfield Jr., have provided a platform for the region’s top martial artists to perform via Classic Entertainment & Sports — also known as CES. Having such a legit, “big feel” promotion in their backyard has both motivated the region’s current fighters and inspired a new wave of talent in New England.

In recent years, the promotion has produced UFC-caliber fighters such as Rob Font, Calvin Kattar, Andre Soukhamthath, Matt Bessette, Mike Rodriguez, Eric Spicely, Charles Rosa, John Howard, Kyle Bochniak, Brian Kelleher, and Kyle Bochniak — just to name a handful.

This year will most likely be no different for the Twin River Casino staple. With champions Nate Andrews, Chris Curtis, Pedro Gonzalez, and Greg Rebello, as well as flyweight prodigy Carlos Candelario, knocking on the UFC’s door, expect big things out of the New England-based promotion.

Notable Promotions: CES MMA

Notable Fighters: Chris Curtis, Manny Walo, Carlos Candelario, Nate Andrews, Pedro Gonzalez, Dinis Paiva, Tim Caron, Rico DiSciullo, Kody Nordby, Richie Santiago, Justin Sumter, Joe Pingitore, Gary Balleto Jr., Greg Rebello

4. Texas

The statement “don’t mess with Texas” has never rung truer than when it comes to today’s world of mixed martial arts. The Lone Star State has produced a tremendous amount of talent, especially with the help of UFC feeder league Legacy Fighting Alliance (LFA).

Fighters Rashad Coulter, Geoff Neal, Charles Byrd, and Steven Peterson have all signed on with the UFC in the past 18 months, and they all have one thing in common — Fortis MMA. The state-of-the-art MMA gym owned by ex-NBA star Deron Williams is on a tear as of late. Practically surfacing out of nowhere, the Dallas-based gym has continually pumped fighters to LFA during its short existence.

LFA, in turn, has made Texas one of its “home bases," frequently hosting events featuring the state’s best talent. The two have had quite the symbiotic relationship, as both the regional scene in Texas and LFA as a promotion have flourished together.

The “talent well” never seems to run dry in Texas, and you shouldn’t expect that to change anytime soon. Numerous fighters across a handful of promotions are on the verge of a UFC contract. 

Notable Promotions: LFA, Fury FC, XKO

Notable Fighters: Ryan Spann, Kevin Holland, Ray Rodriguez, Eli Tamez, Miles Johns, Ramiz Brahimaj, Antonio Jones, Ricky Turcios, Colton Smith, Jose Flores, Aaron Reeves, Damon Jackson, Alonzo Menifield, DJ Fuentes, Julia Jones

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3. Florida

Besides providing a beautiful destination for people from around the world to visit, the Sunshine State has served as a melting pot for the best global talent in MMA as well. 

With powerhouse teams such as American Top Team and Hard Knocks 365 nurturing local and international talent, you know Florida has some serious prospects just waiting for a UFC opportunity.

Local promotion Titan FC is the most well known to fight fans, putting on exciting shows time after time. 

The list of Titan FC alumni to make it big is impressive. The seemingly endless lineup of current UFC fighters propelled to the biggest stage in the sport by Titan FC includes Mirsad Bektic, Drew Dober, James Krause, Alex White, Kurt Holobaugh, Walt Harris, Des Green, Brett Johns, Tim Elliott, Jason Knight, Belal Muhammad, Sabah Homasi, Chase Sherman, Dhiego Lima, Michel Quinones, Matt Frevola, Dan Ige, and Jessica-Rose Clark.

I’m sure you get the point by now — the Florida regional scene is legit.  

Notable Promotions: Titan FC, Island Fights

Notable Fighters: Jose Torres, Luis Gomez, Mike Davis, Jason Soares, Ursos Jurisic, Raush Manfio, Jason Jackson, Juan Puerta, Gustavo Balart, Rico Farrington, Steve Mowry, Billy Quarantillo, Brok Weaver, Julien Williams

2. New Jersey

New Jersey and combat sports have always gone hand-in-hand. Whether it be boxing or mixed martial arts, the Garden State has produced some of fight world’s finest competitors. 

Currently, promotions Cage Fury Fighting Championship (CFFC) and Ring of Combat (ROC) have taken over, and if you haven’t heard of them yet, you certainly will in the coming months.  

The two New Jersey-based promotions have an extremely impressive lineup of champions at the moment, with numerous combatants being featured in FloCombat’s prospect rankings.

The same regional scene that produced Chris Weidman, Paul Felder, Aljamain Sterling, Frankie Edgar, and Shane Burgos (just to name a few) will look to add to an already impressive list this year.  

CFFC’s Ricky Bandejas, Joseph Lowry, Sean Brady, Sean Santella, and Pat Sabatini are some of the best lighter-weight fighters on any regional scene anywhere.  

The sky is the limit for the aforementioned group of competitors, as it is for Ring of Combat’s Russian powerhouse Alexander Keshtov and Contender Series competitor Sidney Outlaw. 

Ring of Combat owner Lou Neglia is a legend in the world of MMA promoters. UFC President Dana White has even frequented Neglia’s events for the filming of the show "Dana White’s Looking for a Fight," calling Neglia a “pioneer” of the regional MMA scene.

Notable Promotions: CFFC, ROC

Notable Fighters: Ricky Bandejas, Joseph Lowry, Pat Sabatini, Sean Brady, Mike Trizano, Alexander Keshtov, Shelton Graves, Darren Mima, Tony Gravely, Sidney Outlaw, Sean Santella, Azamat Muzakanov, Shawn Teed, Claudio Ledesma, Bradley Desir 

1. California

It’s no surprise to anyone that the most populated state in the U.S. would also represent the largest talent pool in regional MMA.

The astonishing depth the California regional scene presents is unparalleled. While some of the states previously mentioned have, say, 15 prospects on the verge of a UFC contract, California easily has three times as many.

Between LFA, Taichi Palace Fights and a whole host of smaller regional promotions, California’s MMA scene isn't going anywhere — anywhere but up, that is. 

It doesn’t hurt California that some of the best MMA gyms in the entire world are located there, either. Team Alpha Male, Alliance MMA, American Kickboxing Academy (AKA), Dan Henderson Fitness Academy, Kings MMA, and Team Oyama all call the Golden State home.

The constant flow of Californian and California-based fighters who enter the UFC and Bellator MMA is often overlooked, but when taking a step back, the state's MMA history is nothing short of sensational.  

From Chuck Liddell to Tito Ortiz to Dan Henderson to Daniel Cormier, California has produced legendary talent from day one — and don't expect that to slow anytime soon.

Notable Promotions: LFA, Taichi PF, CFL, Gladiator Challenge

Notable Fighters: Everett Cummings, Ricky Calatayud, Angel DeAnda, Josh Aveles, Casey Kenney, Andres Quintana, Jamall Emmers, Adrian Diaz, Andy Murad, Tyler Diamond, Gabriel Green, Anthony Hernandez, Kyle Phillips, Jordan Winski, Ricky Palacios

By Nolan King