Olympians who found MMA
Olympians are the pinnacle of achievement and perseverance. For some, that is not enough. Truly competitive people tend to push the limits of their body's. Below is a list of those few that WON a medal and participated in at least 1 MMA fight. We do have one broadcaster on the list, that has contributed to the growth of Mixed martial Arts. MMAstubs is always looking for passes and tickets for these fighters. Please contact us if you have leads.
GOLD MEDALISTS
2008: Henry Cejudo
GOLD MEDAL, FREESTYLE WRESTLING
Henry Cejudo is an American professional mixed martial artist and freestyle wrestler. He is the former UFC Flyweight Champion and Bantamweight Champion. He is the fourth UFC fighter to hold titles in two different weight classes simultaneously, and the second to defend titles in two different weight divisions.
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2012-16: Kayla Harrission
GOLD MEDAL, JUDO
Kayla Jean Harrison is an American professional mixed martial artist and former Olympic and world champion Judoka, currently signed to the Professional Fighters League. Harrison competed in the 78 kg weight category in judo.
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1988: Ray Mercer
GOLD MEDAL, Boxing
Mercer may have had a disappointing pro boxing career compared to the Olympic champions of Ali's era,, but MMA fans will always love him for his hilarious 2009 knockout of a lumbering Tim Sylvia.
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1984: Jeff Blatnick
GOLD MEDAL, Greco Roman Wrestling
A great broadcaster, Blatnick was also instrumental in devising the UFC's rules and making the sport palatable for state athletic commissions. The rules he created, along with UFC matchmaker Joe Silva and referee John McCarthy, serve as the foundation for the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts used widely today.
1992: Kevin Jackson
GOLD MEDAL, Freestyle Wrestling
Jackson started his career with a bang, winning two fights in the beloved Extreme Fighting promotion. That early success earned him a shot at the UFC middleweight title in Japan, but Frank Shamrock stymied Jackson's title hopes with a quick armbar win.
1992: Hidehiko Yoshida
GOLD MEDAL, JUDO
Yoshida is one of the most popular fighters in MMA history. Long past his prime by the time he started fighting, Yoshida was still able to compete against some of the best fighters in the sport, including Wanderlei Silva.
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1988: Kenny Monday
GOLD/SILVER MEDAL, Freestyle Wrestling
A great takedown artist, Monday showed plenty of potential in the sport of MMA. In his lone bout, he beat up and finished jiu jitsu ace John Lewis. The sport wasn't for him, though, and Monday, already 35 years old at the time of his MMA debut, retired after his lone bout.
1996: Pawel Nastula
GOLD MEDAL, JUDO
Nastula didn't have an easy path when he ventured into the world of MMA. He fought a string of tough fighters, including the great Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and former UFC champion Josh Barnett. Now in his early 40s, Nastula has made a return to MMA, winning two 2011 bouts in his native Poland.
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2000: Makoto Takimoto
GOLD MEDAL, JUDO
​Despite a winning record, you'd have to characterize Takimoto's MMA career as a bit of a disappointment. Since losing to Kiyoshi Tamura in 2005, he's fallen to almost every top opponent he's faced. Only a win over former UFC champion Murillo Bustamante, long past his prime by that time, stands out in a career that can only be described as mediocre.
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2000: Rulon Gardner
GOLD MEDAL, GRECO ROMAN WRESTLING
Yoshida is one of the most popular fighters in MMA history. Long past his prime by the time he started fighting, Yoshida was still able to compete against some of the best fighters in the sport, including Wanderlei Silva.
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2004: István Majoros
GOLD MEDAL, GRECO ROMAN WRESTLING
Majoros was brought in as a name for Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto to beat up in Japan's K-1 promotion. He had no training, no striking background and no chance against Yamamoto, who was also a top amateur wrestler.
2004: Karam Ibrahim Gaber
GOLD MEDAL, GRECO ROMAN WRESTLING
Gaber dominated the competition at the 2004 Games, winning his semifinal match 11-0 and the gold medal by a 12-1 score. He seemed like a wrestler with the potential to dominate the MMA scene but instead ran into trouble in his first bout.
Kazayuki Fujita may not have been Gaber's equal as a wrestler, but the Japanese star had an iron jaw and packed a solid punch. It was the latter that did Gaber in. He was knocked out in just over a minute.
2008: Satoshi Ishii
GOLD MEDAL, JUDO
Ishii was the last great hope for Japanese MMA. Fans needed someone they could embrace after the sport was nearly killed in that country when a mafia scandal rocked both Pride and K-1.
Instead, he lost his first fight, a bout with ancient fellow Olympian Yoshida that he was expected to win. He also lost a high-profile bout to Fedor Emelianenko. It's his wins that have told the real story so far, though. Even when he has his hand raised, it is often in decidedly unspectacular fashion.
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1984: Mark Schultz
GOLD MEDAL, Freestyle Wrestling
Schultz filled in for an injured Dave Benateau on short notice, beating journeyman Gary Goodridge in a memorable fight at UFC 9. Schultz had always been curious about MMA, once engaging Rickson Gracie in a legendary grappling match that lasted more than half an hour.