Kayla Harrison, Henry Cejudo and more: Olympic gold medalists who fought in the UFC
Combat sports and the Olympic games have always gone hand-in-hand, so it's hardly a surprise that a number of Olympians have seen success in the UFC.
Interestingly, though, only four Olympic gold medalists have ever stepped foot into the UFC's octagon, with varying degrees of success.
So, with the latest entry to this list debuting in the octagon this past weekend, it's worth looking at where she might fit in the overall pantheon.
Here is a look at the four Olympic gold medalists who have fought in the UFC.
#4. Kayla Harrison - UFC bantamweight contender
The latest Olympic gold medalist to debut in the UFC is Kayla Harrison. Based on how well she performed in her octagon debut against Holly Holm this weekend, it also seems like only a matter of time before she claims gold there, too.
A judoka from age six, Harrison's potential quickly became clear when she claimed a gold medal in the -78kg category in the 2010 World Championships, becoming the first American to do so since 1999.
From there, Harrison won gold at the 2012 Olympics in London and then managed to retain her title in Rio de Janeiro four years later.
Just months later, the gold medalist announced a move into MMA. However, rather than follow former training partner Ronda Rousey - by now a UFC legend - into the octagon, she signed with the PFL instead.
The reasoning for this was simple: the PFL had a women's lightweight division, although it was thin on talent.
Unsurprisingly, Harrison could dominate everyone she faced from her MMA debut in 2018 until 2023, losing just one fight to Larissa Pacheco in the process and building a 16-1 record.
Based on her weight, it never seemed likely that we'd see her in the octagon, meaning it was a major surprise when Dana White announced her signing earlier this year.
After making 135 pounds in a seemingly healthy way before wrecking Holm this weekend, though, it looks like she may become the promotion's new big female star. If she can do this, she'll follow in Rousey's footsteps again.
#3. Mark Schultz - former UFC heavyweight contender
The first Olympic gold medalist to debut in the UFC was Mark Schultz, who claimed gold way back in 1984 at 82kg in freestyle wrestling in the Los Angeles Games.
Already a wrestler of huge renown, Schultz wasn't the only member of his family to claim a gold medal in Los Angeles, as his older brother Dave also achieved the same feat in the 74kg division.
However, despite winning multiple world titles in the years that followed, he failed to retain his Olympic title in 1988 when he decided to throw his match. The reasoning for this was a fall-out with John du Pont, who was at the time his employer and a major sponsor of the USA wrestling team.
In a dark twist, du Pont would later go on to shoot and murder Dave Schultz in a tragic incident.
By the time Schultz stepped into the octagon at UFC 9 to face off with veteran Gary Goodridge, 12 years had passed since his Olympic victory.
While he never intended on making a full career of MMA, he had already had some experience on the Brazilian jiu-jitsu mat, facing the legendary Rickson Gracie three years beforehand.
Replacing Dave Beneteau on late notice, Schultz duly defeated Goodridge, smothering him with his wrestling and using elbows to open a cut that eventually stopped the fight.
After this bout, Schultz never returned to MMA, leaving his brief time in the octagon as a footnote in UFC history.
#2. Kevin Jackson - former UFC middleweight tournament winner
The first Olympic gold medalist to claim a title in the octagon was Kevin Jackson. Although he did not claim one of the titles that are recognized today, he won the middleweight tournament at UFC 14, defeating two fighters to gain victory.
Like Mark Schultz, Jackson won his Olympic gold in freestyle wrestling, coming out on top in the 82kg division at the 1992 games in Barcelona.
After winning gold medals in the World Championships, Pan-Am Games, and World Cup, Jackson transitioned into MMA in 1997.
He submitted longtime veteran John Lober in his first-ever fight, then moved to the UFC and beat Todd Butler and Tony Fryklund to claim his tournament win.
However, Jackson never fully rounded out his skills, preferring to stick to using his wrestling and little else, and it quickly caught up with him.
He was submitted in just 16 seconds by Frank Shamrock in their bout for the newly-created middleweight title, succumbing to an armbar despite landing an early takedown.
A similar loss to Jerry Bohlander quickly followed, and the Olympic gold medalist fought just once more before leaving the sport of MMA in 1998.
#1. Henry Cejudo - former UFC flyweight and bantamweight champion
The most successful Olympic gold medalist in UFC history is Henry Cejudo, who is one of just four fighters to hold two titles in separate weight classes in the promotion simultaneously.
Cejudo claimed his Olympic gold in Beijing in 2008, winning the 55kg division in freestyle wrestling. Just 21 years old at the time, 'Triple C' became the youngest American Olympic gold medalist in wrestling history.
It took Cejudo five years to transition into MMA following his Olympic victory, and it didn't take him too long to find success there.
'Triple C' built a 6-0 record before signing with the UFC in late 2014. While his career there got off to a false start when he had to pull out of his debut due to weight-cutting issues, he quickly picked up to speed with four straight wins.
That was enough to net him a flyweight title shot, and while he lost to Demetrious Johnson at his first try, his second, two years later, saw him become the first man to ever beat 'Mighty Mouse' at 125 pounds.
Cejudo later defended his title against bantamweight champ TJ Dillashaw, then claimed the title Dillashaw vacated by stopping Marlon Moraes.
That win made 'Triple C' a simultaneous double champ, with many observers also labeling him one of the greatest combat sports athletes of all time thanks to his prior Olympic success, too.
Cejudo's reigns as champ didn't last too long as he decided to briefly retire in 2020 before returning last year, but there's no arguing with his credentials.
He is up there with the all-time greats of the UFC and is definitely the most successful Olympic gold medalist in octagon history.