5 UFC fighters who are Olympic medalists, ranked
UFC fighters are among the greatest martial artists in the world. Across all combat sports, nothing represents the peak of unarmed combat quite like mixed martial arts does. Fighters are expected to be skilled in all facets of combat like striking, grappling and ground-fighting.
While most fighters are generalists, some are truly elite in one specific fighting style. The likes of possible 155 lbs GOAT Khabib Nurmagomedov and all-time great 265'er Daniel Cormier are well-known for being two of the greatest wrestlers MMA has ever seen. Neither of them, however, are Olympic medalists.
Throughout the promotion's history, there have been a few UFC fighters who have managed to capture an Olympic medal in their martial arts of choice. This list looks at five fighters who achieved the feat and ranks them according to which medal they won.
#5. Ronda Rousey, former UFC women's bantamweight
Former UFC women's bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey is a pioneer in women's MMA. She is directly responsible for women being allowed to fight in the UFC in the first place. Furthermore, she spent most of her career as an undefeated sensation, the likes of which MMA has never seen.
Aug13.2008
7 years ago today,
@RondaRousey won a Bronze Medal in Judo,
at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China http://t.co/fpu4mAnYut
However, prior to transitioning into mixed martial arts, 'Rowdy' was a judoka. The former 135'er is a highly credentialted Judo specialist and possesses a sixth-degree black belt ranking. Her greatest accomplishment in the sport came in 2008, when she defeated Annett Böhm at the Olympics in Beijing.
In doing so, she captured an Olympic bronze medal in Judo and also earned the distinction of being the first American woman to win an Olympic medal in the sport.
#4. Sara McMann, former UFC women's bantamweight
There was an enormous amount of hype behind Sara McMann's UFC debut. Back in 2014, there were many parallels between her and all-time great women's MMA fighter Ronda Rousey. The two women were undefeated, with the Team Alpha Male standout having a record of seven wins and no losses at the time.
#ThrowbackThursday @Sara_McMann of the USA pins Lili Meng (CHN) in the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece. McMann went on to become the first @TeamUSA woman to win an Olympic silver medal in @wrestling. #TBT https://t.co/2AAahKjSvb
Meanwhile, 'Rowdy' had a record of eight wins and no losses. Furthermore, they were both specialists in grappling-based martial arts. Rousey was a judoka and McMann was a freestyle wrestler. Lastly, the pair are Olympic medalists and this was the promotion's focus ahead of their scheduled bout at UFC 170.
While Rousey won a bronze medal in Judo at the 2008 Summer Olympics, McMann won a silver medal in freestyle wrestling at the 2004 Summer Olympics, becoming the first American woman to do so. Unfortunately, her credentials weren't enough to prevent a loss against Rousey inside the octagon.
#3. Yoel Romero, former UFC middleweight
There has never been an athletic specimen quite like Yoel Romero in MMA. The Cuban phenom spent most of his career as one of the most feared middleweights in the world, which even former welterweight title challenger Darren Till once joked about.
At the 2000 Summer Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, Yoel Romero won a Silver medal in Freestyle wrestling.
During his freestyle wrestling career, Romero defeated three Olympic Gold medal winners. His biggest MMA win also took place on Australian soil this past weekend. https://t.co/QXefP17zBH
Yet the terror he created in the middleweight division wasn't due to his primary skill-set. Instead, most 185'ers feared his freakish explosiveness and nuclear knockout power. Romero's athleticism meant that in the blink of an eye, he could flatline anyone in the world.
But 'The Soldier of God' is more than just a physical juggernaut. He is also a highly credentialted wrestler who has shown glimpses of his grappling brilliance during his bouts. He is so good that he even captured a silver medal in freestyle wrestling at the Summer Olympics in 2000.
#2. Kevin Jackson, former UFC light heavyweight
Most modern-day MMA fans aren't familiar with Kevin Jackson. He fought no more than four times in the UFC, amassing a record of two wins and two losses back in the late 90s when MMA was in its infancy. He never achieved much in the sport, with his most notable bout being a 16-second loss to Frank Shamrock.
Kevin Jackson won gold at the 1992 Summer Olympic Games in Barcelona.
Five years after winning gold, Jackson competed in the UFC, compiling a record of 2-2. https://t.co/6qAAvzJsHl
The defeat was the first and last time that Jackson competed for a title in the UFC. He later retired with a record of four wins and two losses. While he failed to achieve greatness in mixed martial arts, the 58-year old is a highly credentialted freestyle wrestler with numerous accolades.
He is a four-time NCAA Division I All-American, a three-time World Cup gold medalist, a two-time World Champion, and most importantly—he is an Olympic gold medalist after his triumphant efforts at the Summer Olympics in 1992.
#1. Henry Cejudo, UFC bantamweight
Henry Cejudo is used to making history. Back in 2016, he became the only 125'er to ever defeat all-time great Demetrious Johnson in a flyweight bout inside the octagon. He is also among the rare few who have managed to capture championship gold across multiple divisions.
It was also at the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Bejing, China, where a 21 year old Henry Cejudo became the youngest American to win a gold medal in Wrestling. https://t.co/CJgwHXNr1I
His greatest accomplishment, however, took place in 2008. 'Triple C' is a decorated freestyle wrestler. During his trip to Beijing, China in 2008 for the Summer Olympics, he made history by becoming the youngest American to win a gold medal in freestyle wrestling at 21 years old.
While his record was later broken by Kyle Snyder in 2016, it speaks volumes of the former two-division champion's mettle. Furthermore, he remains the only Olympic medalist who is currently fighting in the promotion.