Olympians in MMA

The UFC recently has been flooded with wrestlers as well as many other athletes who have had other sport backgrounds. This is a list of the world’s greatest amateur athletes who either competed, medaled, or served as an alternate in the Olympics and have later went on and fought in the cage. Although many of these athletes have had success it’s still pretty clear that wrestlers have had more successes than the others.

Henry Cejudo
• 2008 US Olympic Freestyle Wrestling Gold Medalist
• 4X High School State Champion in Arizona

Daniel Cormier
• 2004 & 2008 US Olympic Freestyle Wrestling Team Member
• 5X World Team Member (3rd in the World in 2007)
• 2X Junior College National Champion
• NCAA All-American (2nd) in 2001 for Oklahoma State
• 3X High School State Champion in Louisiana

Randy Couture
• 1988, 1992, and 1996 US Olympic Greco-Roman wrestling team alternate
• Former UFC Heavyweight Champion
• Former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion
• 3X NCAA Division I All-American wrestler
• Career record of 16-8 in the UFC
• 1992 US Olympic Freestyle Wrestling Gold Medalist
• 4X NCAA DI All-American

Mark Schultz
• 1984 US Olympic Freestyle Wrestling Gold Medalist
• 3X NCAA DI National Wrestling Champion
• Former Head Coach for Brigham Young University

Townsend Saunders
• 1996 US Olympic Freestyle Wrestling Silver Medalist
• 2X NCAA Division I Wrestling All-American

Matt Lindland
• 2000 US Olympic Greco-Roman Wrestling Silver Medalist
• Career record of 9-3 in the UFC

Sara McMann
• 2004 US Olympic Freestyle Wrestling Silver Medalist
• Former Lock Haven University wrestling team member

Kenny Monday
• 1988 US Olympic Freestyle Wrestling Gold Medalist
• 1992 US Olympic Freestyle Wrestling Silver Medalist

Ben Askren
• 2008 US Olympic Freestyle Wrestling Team Member

Rulon Gardner
• 2000 US Olympic Greco-Roman Wrestling Gold Medalist
• 2004 US Olympic Greco-Roman Wrestling Bronze Medalist

Yoel Romero
• 2000 Cuban Olympic Freestyle Wrestling Silver Medalist
• 2004 Cuban Olympic Freestyle Wrestling 4th place
• 1999 World Champion
• 2003 PanAm Games Champion
• 5x World Medalist

Stephen Abas
• 2004 US Olympic Freestyle Wrestling Silver Medalist

Ronda Rousey
• 2008 US Olympic Judo bronze medalist
• First woman in US Olympic history to medal in judo

Mark Coleman
• 1992 US Olympic Freestyle Wrestling Team Member
• NCAA Division I National Wrestling Champion
• Career record of 7-4 in the UFC

Dan Henderson

Dan Henderson
• 1992 and 1996 US Olympic Greco-Roman wrestling team member
• Former NCAA Division I wrestler

Dennis Hall
• 1996 US Olympic Greco-Roman Wrestling Silver Medalist

Matt Ghafffari
• 1996 US Olympic Greco-Roman Wrestling Silver Medalist

Hector Lombard
• 2000 Cuban Olympic judo team member

Christophe Leininger
• 1984, 1988, and 1992 US Olympic judo team alternate

Dan Severn
• 1984 US Olympic freestyle wrestling team alternate
• 2x NCAA Division I All-American
• Career record of 101–19–7 in MMA (9-4 in UFC)

Darrel Gholar
• 1988 US Olympic Greco-Roman wrestling team alternate

Trevor Prangley
• 1996 South African Olympic freestyle wrestling team alternate

Mike Van Arsdale
• 1996 and 2000 US Olympic freestyle wrestling team alternate
• NCAA Division I National Champion in wrestling