MMA fighters who were successful in other fields
MMA fighters who were successful in other fields
Several standout MMA fighters didn’t have their first taste sporting or athletic success inside the Octagon.
Instead, a number were drawn towards the UFC or other promotions after succeeding in other combat arenas, where they showed the potential to fight at a high level.
Others moved into different fields after being huge draws in the world of cage fighting.
Considering the physical demands of fighting at the top-level only the best athletes can compete in other sports.
So, let’s take a look at some of the most famous MMA fighters who were successful in other fields.
Anderson Silva
A legend of the sport and one of the true all-time greats he may be, but Anderson Silva has not fought solely in MMA.
The Brazilian is also a professional boxer and has a pretty good track-record inside the ring.
His professional debut came in 1998, just a year after his MMA bow in Brazil and he has recently decided to return to the sport after leaving the UFC just over a year ago.
The 46-year-old, who holds the record for the longest UFC title reign at 2,457 days, stepped back in the ring earlier this year against a former WBC middleweight world champion in Mexican Julio Cesar Chavez.
Silva produced a stunning upset, looking like a seasoned pro in his split decision win, a full 16 years on from his last boxing bout.
He is currently the frontrunner with many bookmakers to be the next opponent for YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul.
Brock Lesnar
Unlike the others on this list, man-mountain Brock Lesnar came to MMA fighting later on his career having already proved himself in other combative arenas.
The former amateur-wrestler and NCAA division 1 heavyweight champion became a star in the ‘sports-entertainment’ world of professional wrestling with the WWE organisation, quickly becoming a top performer and winning multiple World Championships.
After leaving the company in 2004, via a short-lived pursuit to become an NFL player, he eventually became a full-time fighter with the UFC.
Lesnar became UFC Heavyweight Champion in 2008, silencing critics who were doubtful a former pro-wrestler could compete at the top level of the promotion.
Although he retired from UFC for a second time, and seemingly for good, in 2018 after issues with health and doping-violations, the 44-year-old continues to be successful in WWE.
He remains one of the biggest par-per-view draws in the promotion and is also the only person to hold world heavyweight titles in UFC, NCAA, and WWE.
Lesnar seems to always find success in whichever corner of the fighting world he turns his attention to.
Michael Page
In terms of UK fighters who were successful in other combat sports, Michael Page is the standout name.
London-born Page was a world-class kickboxer before he had ever set foot in Bellator MMA.
Coached by his father – Curtis Page Sr – the 34-year-old won ten world championships in kickboxing and was crowned British champion over 25 times.
After leaving his first sport due to lack of exposure, he made his MMA debut with UCMMA in 2012 and won via knockout with a first-round tornado kick.
He has even moved on from MMA since. Between 2017 and 2018, Page stepped into the boxing ring after signing a deal with Hayemaker Ringstar.
He fought at Fight Night 3 against Michal Ciach back in June 2018, winning comprehensively via knockout in the second round.
Conor McGregor
Ireland’s most famous fighting export is still one of UFC’s biggest stars even though talk of his retirement persists.
Perhaps his presence on this list is questionable. It is up for debate whether he was successful when leaving his comfort-zone in the UFC.
In 2017, he made a temporary move to boxing to fight against the legendary Floyd Mayweather Jr. McGregor lost via TKO in the tenth round but did better than many pundits were predicting pre-fight.
He may not have triumphed in the ring, but his move to boxing was certainly a success in financial terms.
The Notorious was guaranteed $30million pre-fight regardless of the outcome and reportedly eventually came out with a payday of around $130million.
Money talks and it that sense, his move to boxing was the most successful of any MMA fighter.
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