It goes without saying that UFC athletes are at the pinnacle of mixed martial arts. Whether that’s due to their natural abilities, their dedication to their craft, or because they already had a substantial background in other disciplines. In some cases, they even come from other sports.
Amanda Nunes and Jessica Andrade—two of the sport’s exceptional female—were both multi-sport athletes. Each has a deep love of soccer, often citing soccer results. Kenny Florian played varsity soccer at Boston College. Ciryl Gane and Jose Aldo come from two soccer-loving nations, France and Brazil respectively, so soccer was in their blood.
But most MMA stars began their careers with a passion with some form of martial arts separate from MMA.
Indeed, it is because of that background in other sports such as wrestling, boxing and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu that has allowed certain figures in the promotion to rise to certain levels of stardom. From highly-touted prospects to champions, the UFC has seen its fair share of multi-sport individuals claim their places near or at the pinnacle of the organization.
Aaron Pico
When it comes to exceptional and talented figures in the featherweight division, Aaron Pico may just be one of the top candidates on the planet. Even before making his professional debut in Bellator back in 2017 at just 20 years old, the California native boasted an extensive combat sports pedigree dating back to childhood.
Beginning his journey as a martial artist at age four as a wrestler, Pico would go on to compile a highly successful run at the national and world level. In high school, he went unblemished in his first 42 matches, going undefeated and winning a California Interscholastic Federation (or CIF) championship. He then put his skills to the test on the international scene, picking up freestyle wrestling and becoming a member of the US Cadet World Team, taking a world title at the Cadet World Championships.
If being a top-notch grappler wasn’t enough, Pico also excelled at striking, becoming a standout at both boxing and pankration. His accolades in the two disciplines include the 2008 National PAL Champ – Tournament Outstanding Boxer Award, the 2009 National Junior Golden Gloves Championship Champ, and the 2010 Golden Cup European Pankration Champ.
Last week, Pico made the announcement that he will be making his UFC debut after serving with Bellator for the entirety of his MMA career. Garnering a well-deserved reputation as an entertaining finisher, Pico leaves the company with a record of 13-4, with the livescore numbers showing seven first-round stoppages. It is unclear at this time when Pico will step in the Octagon, but given his toolkit of advanced fighting skills, the blue chip prospect will undoubtedly be welcomed with open arms by fans the world over.
Henry Cejudo
In the annals of fighting history, one name in particular stands out as possibly the greatest combat sports athlete of all time, Henry Cejudo. From the highest levels of the Olympic Games to the top of the UFC, “Triple C” has seemingly accomplished it all over the course of his time as a competitor.
Growing up, Cejudo idolized his older brother, Angel, who had achieved his own degree of success as a wrestler, capturing four Arizona Interscholastic Association (or AIA) with a clean record of 150-0. Inspired by his sibling, the younger Cejudo started wrestling himself, taking his first titles as a freshman and a sophomore before relocating to Colorado to live at the United States Olympic Training Center.
Surrounded by other stalwart athletes, Cejudo only flourished as his scholastic career continued, scoring two more championships in Colorado during his junior and senior years. By the time his days in high school were over, the prodigy had recorded a bevy of spectacular performances, such as taking home gold at the 2006 and 2007 National Wrestling Championships.
However, it was in 2008 that Cejudo etched his name into the history books after competing at the 2008 Summer Olympics. Defeating a murderer’s row of elite opposition like Namig Sevdimov and Tomohiro Matsunaga, the American won the grandest prize in all of sports, an Olympic gold medal. The victory also made Cejudo the youngest man from his country to receive gold in freestyle wrestling at 21-years old.
Retiring from wrestling in 2012, eventually being inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2018, Cejudo started his mixed martial arts stint in early 2013, winning his first six bouts before joining the UFC in 2014. Although he encountered some adversity in his early days in the promotion, he eventually managed to dethrone the once-thought unbeatable Demetrious Johnson to become flyweight champion. He then followed this up by snagging the vacant bantamweight strap to become a simultaneous UFC title holder, becoming only the seventh fighter to do so.
Mackenzie Dern
In all of women’s mixed martial arts, there is perhaps no one as credentialed in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu than Mackenzie Dern. Currently ranked at number six in the 115-lb class, the Arizona native has established herself as a force in the UFC with her impeccable submission ability, perfected by a lifetime of honing her skills.
Born to seventh-degree coral belt Megaton Dias, Dern practically grew up on the mats wearing a gi. Possessing both American and Brazilian citizenships, she was able to travel freely with her family to both countries, learning from some of the best Jiu-Jitsu practitioners.
Starting her training at just three years old, Dern proved to be something of an exceptional talent. Competing in her first tournaments when she was 14, she was actively grappling in the adult categories, notably attaining world championships in every single belt rank. By the time she was 20, Dern had become something of a legend in the realm of competitive Jiu-Jitsu, becoming the first female to win five titles under the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (or IBJJF) banner in the gi.
Although her run in the UFC has been met with its fair share of ups and downs, Dern stands as one of the top women’s strawweight fighters in the world. Ever since she arrived in the company in 2018, the accredited submission artist has scored spectacular victories against the who’s who of the division like Virna Jandiroba, Loopy Godinez and Amanda Ribas. Having conquered the best that Jiu-Jitsu has to offer, Dern appears poised to take her place as the apex of yet another sport as she steadily climbs the rankings in the UFC.
