A recent trend in mixed martial arts is pro athletes making the jump to mixed martial arts and using their athletic ability to their advantage in the cage. Some of these pro athletes are making names for themselves in mixed martial arts and becoming quite successful in the sport but others are fading away just as quick as they came. These athletes use their techniques from their previous sport and use it to help themselves achieve success in mixed martial arts. This is very exciting to watch these athletes make this transition and it also benefits the organizations that land these good marketing tools.
Some athletes who made the shift to mixed martial arts and are making big names for themselves include UFC Heavyweight Champion and former WWE Superstar and NFL lineman, Brock Lesnar, Strikeforce Heavyweight and NFL Hall of Famer, Herschel Walker, King of the Cage vet and former Washington Redskin, Michael Westbrook, Strikeforce Heavyweight and former WWE Superstar, Bobby Lashley, and former Miami Dolphin and current UFC fighter, Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson. Brock Lesnar played for the Minnesota Vikings and was the front man of the WWE for a short amount of time before he tried mixed martial arts. Many critics and fans doubted that he would find success and said he should have stuck to fake wrestling. Lesnar definitely proved these haters wrong and is currently the UFC Heavyweight Champion and holds notable victories over UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture and former World Champion Frank Mir. NFL Legend Hershel Walker is the most recent athlete to make the turn to mixed martial arts and won his debut in an exciting fight at Strikeforce Miami against Greg Nagy. Walker trains at one of the top gyms in the nation, American Kickboxing Academy, alongside Mike Swick, Daniel Cormier, Cung Le, Cain Velasquez, Phil Davis, Josh Koscheck, Jon Fitch, Dave Camarillo, Bobby Southworth and many other notable names in the MMA world. Dana White recently said he doesn’t want Walker in the UFC but I think Walker is comfortable with Scott Coker and Strikeforce. Former star NFL wide receiver and KOTC veteran, Michael Westbrook, is a world class Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practioner. He made his KOTC debut against former Michigan Running Back, Jarrod Bunch, and defeated him at the end of the first round by rear naked choke. Westbrook has a 1-1 MMA record with 1 NC. He has made multiple appearances on popular MTV show, Bully Beatdown, alongside MMA crazy man Jason “Mayhem” Miller. Former WWE Superstar, Bobby Lashley, has been untouchable ever since he started mixed martial arts. Lashley is an impressive 5-0 with notable victories over Wes Sims, Jason Guida, and former pro wrestler and former NFL offensive lineman, Bob Sapp. Lashley is here to stay and Strikeforce is lucky to have this Heavyweight prospect. Kevin Ferguson aka Kimbo Slice, might be one of the most recognizable faces in the sport due to his YouTube popularity and his long black beard. Slice spent some time with the Miami Dolphins after playing for the Miami Hurricanes in college. Slice has a 4-1 pro MMA record and holds notable victories over Tank Abbott and Houston Alexander. Slice appeared on The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights and BET’s The Iron Ring and fought with Elite XC before he signed with the UFC. Kimbo’s next fight is at UFC 113 which he is going toe to toe against fellow TUF 10 cast mate, Matt Mitrione. This will be a very exciting fight to watch these two Heavyweight prospects brawl to secure their UFC spot. These fighters all have made big names for themselves in this exciting sport and let’s hope more athletes like these are on their way because these fighters bring a lot to the table and keep their fans entertained throughout their fights.
Some other athletes turned fighters that also found success include NFL vet, Bobby Jones, former 1st round draft pick, Marcus Jones, former NFL and AFL player, Brandan Schaub, former NFL player Matt Mitrione, and former CFL running back, Marvin “The Beastman” Eastman. Bobby Jones played a few seasons with the New York Giants. He has found success with organizations such as UMMAXX, NAAFS, and was signed with Elite XC. He also tried out for The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights but didn’t make it into the house. Former Tampa Bay Buccaneer, Marcus Jones, has a 4-2 pro MMA record and appeared on TUF 10. Jones was one of the most popular fighters of the season and was many people’s favorite to win. Sadly his stay in the UFC was shorter than Eric Crouch’s stint in the NFL. Brendan Shaub, TUF Cast Member and former Utah Blaze and Buffalo Bill lineman, has a 4-1 record and found alot of success on TUF. He lost to Roy Nelson in the finals but still received a UFC contract and is going toe to toe against Chase Gormley at UFC on Versus: Vera vs. Jones. Matt Mitrione, played for the Giants, Niners, and Vikings, has an undefeated pro record and is stepping into the octagon against fellow TUF 10 cast mate and NFL vet Kimbo Slice at UFC 113 in Canada. Former CFL superstar, Marvin Eastman, fought with organizations such as the UFC and KOTC. He holds a notable victory over UFC Light Heavyweight Quinton “Rampage” Jackson in his KOTC debut. These fighters bring a whole new element to the cage and so far it has paid off in their mixed martial arts careers.
Some athletes turned fighters who should have stuck to their old sport or just retired include former Kansas City Chief, Johnnie Morton, Tennessee Titan, Wes Shrivers, former Michigan Running Back and New York Giant, Jarrod Bunch, and former homerun king, Jose Canseco. Johnnie Morton has a rough 0-1 record and lost his first match by a brutal TKO coming in the very first round. After his debut, Morton tested positive for performance enhancing drugs and left the sport soon after. Former MLB superstar, Jose Canseco, made his MMA debut against Hong Man Choi at Dream 9. He lost in the first round via submission due to strikes. Canseco has now spoken out that he wants to fight Strikeforce fighter, Herschel Walker. Former Titan and TUF vet, Wes Shrivers was booted early off The Ultimate Fighter after losing his first match and he never returned to cage since. Jarrod Bunch, a former star football player, lost at KOTC Payback against Michael Westbrook and retired from his MMA career shortly after. For these fighters the effort was not worth it and they should have just stuck to their first choice.
This trend is going to become very popular in the near future. Athletes are able to bring their skills from their previous sport and find success in MMA. Even athletes use MMA as their off season tool to stay on top of their game. These athletes include former Heisman trophy winner and current Cardinal QB, Matt Leinart, NFL All Pro linebacker and former Defensive Rookie of the Year, Patrick Willis, and even current Cleveland Cavaliers center and former league MVP, Shaquille O’Neal. Chad Ochocinco, of the Cincinnati Bengals, challenged UFC Middleweight Champ, Anderson Silva to a fight for charity. Gerald Harris, UFC middleweight, played semi pro football before making it to the UFC. Stipe Miocic, an undefeated fighter in the NAAFS, was drafted in the MLB before training MMA. And even Mirko Cro Cop played Wide Receiver for a Croatian football team. In these rare cases, the fighters actually turned to athletes and tried out other sports but clearly they are more suit for mixed martial arts. Keep an eye on this trend before it blows up and the sport of mixed martial arts will become more diverse than ever before. And who wouldn’t want to see guys like Ron Artest, Ray Lewis, or Albert Haynesworth step in the cage and bust some heads.
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1Q. How did you get started in mixed martial arts?
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