It’s fair to say things haven’t exactly gone according to plan for Will Brooks over the last few years. The American Top Team product (20-5 MMA) exploded into the MMA consciousness while with Bellator, where he shocked Michael Chandler via split decision to win the lightweight title in 2014, then finished him in the rematch to cement his spot at the top of the division. Two more title defenses saw Brooks’ stock go sky high and left him eyeing a move to the UFC, where he was hopeful of becoming a serious contender. But the best-laid plans can go awry and, after arriving in the UFC in 2016 with a fair degree of fanfare, Brooks endured a torrid time with the world’s top promotion. His time with the UFC eventually ended after a hat-trick of successive submission losses – kicked off by defeat to an unrepentantly overweight Alex “Cowboy” Oliveira – and Brooks headed for pastures new with the PFL