Henry Cejudo, Ronda Rousey e Kayla harrison won medals in the Olympics (Photo: Montage/SUPER FIGHTS)
This Friday (26), the Paris Olympic Games officially begin. Taking advantage of the Olympic atmosphere, the SUPER FIGHTS prepared a list of ten athletes who won medals in the Olympics before shining in the UFC octagon. Check the list in chronological order:
1- Mark Schultz (Olympic wrestling)
Mark Schultz was gold medalist in Los Angeles (Photo: Reproduction)
Mark Schultz was the first Olympic medalist to step into the Ultimate Octagon. Gold medalist in Olympic fighting at the Los Angeles Games in 1984, the North American had only one professional MMA fight, when he knocked out Gary Goodridge at UFC 9 in 1996.
2- Kevin Jackson (Olympic wrestling)
Kevin Jackson at the Olympics (Photo: Reproduction)
The second Olympic medalist to play in Ultimate also came from the North American Olympic wrestling team. Gold at the Barcelona Games in 1992, Kevin Jackson began the transition to MMA five years later, in 1997, the same year he debuted in the UFC, winning the light heavyweight tournament at UFC 14.
Months later, Kevin Jackson came to compete for the division's inaugural belt, but ended up submitted by Frank Shamrock at UFC Japan.
3- Matt Lindland (Olympic wrestling)
Matt Lindland won silver in Sydney (Photo: Montage/SUPER FIGHTS)
Unlike Schultz and Jackson, Matt Lindland was already an MMA athlete when he competed in the Sydney Games in 2000, winning the silver medal in the Olympic fight. In the same year, 'The Law' arrived at the UFC, where he competed for almost five years and even fought for the middleweight belt, but was defeated by Murilo Bustamante.
4- Ronda Rousey (Judo)
R. Rousey (photo) is one of the MMA athletes who also participated in the Olympics. Photo: Reproduction
Ronda Rousey She was a bronze medalist in judo at the Beijing Olympics in 2008, before making the transition to MMA and becoming Strikeforce and UFC bantamweight champion and one of the biggest names in the history of the sport.
5- Yoel Romero (Olympic wrestling)
Yoel romero won silver at the Sydney Olympics (Photo: Twitter)
13 years before debuting in the UFC octagon, Yoel romero he was a silver medalist in Olympic wrestling at the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000. In Ultimate, the Cuban fought for the middleweight belt on two occasions, but ended up defeated by Robert whittaker e Israel adesanya.
6- Sara McMann (Olympic wrestling)
Sara McMann He is an Olympic medalist (Photo: Montage/SUPER FIGHTS)
Contemporary of Ronda Rousey in women's MMA, Sara McMann won a silver medal in Olympic wrestling at the Athens Games in 2004, nine years before debuting in the UFC octagon, where she was one of the rivals defeated by 'Rowdy' in a bantamweight (61,2 kg) belt fight.
7- Henry Cejudo (Olympic wrestling)
H. Cejudo poses with his two belts and Olympic medal. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram
Olympic champion in Olympic wrestling in Beijing, in 2008, Henry Cejudo not only played in the UFC but also became champion of two divisions in the organization: flyweight and bantamweight.
8 – Mark O. Madsen (Olympic wrestling)
Mark O. Madsen won bronze at the Olympics (Photo: Tapology)
Silver medalist in Greco-Roman wrestling at the Rio de Janeiro Games in 2016, the Danish Mark O. Madsen He debuted in the UFC in 2019 and competed in the organization until November 2023, when he announced his retirement.
9- Robelis Despaigne (Taekwondo)
Robelis Despaigne with the Olympic medal (Photo: AFP)
The only representative of taekwondo on the list, Robelis Despaigne He was a bronze medalist at the London Games in 2013. The Cuban debuted in Ultimate in March this year and has one victory and one defeat in the Octagon.
10 -Kayla Harrison (Judo)
Kayla harrison has two gold medals at the Olympics (Photo: Montage)
Closing the list, the most recent UFC acquisition with history at the Olympics is Kayla harrison. Two-time Olympic champion at the London 2012 and Rio-2016 Games, the North American was also two-time PFL champion before being hired by Ultimate, where she debuted with a victory over Holly holm No. UFC 300.
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