10 MMA Fighters Who Turned To Acting
Quick Links
What comes to mind when you think of an MMA fighter? If the answer is Conor McGregor, then you're not to blame. Although he has never actually been cast in a movie, he has undeniably become the face of Mixed Martial Arts and the sport of kickboxing, especially for the UFC. Most of the martial arts actors dominating the Hollywood action movie genre today have little to no long-term experience inside of a fighting ring. Sure, they may have been committed to learning various styles of martial arts training, but very few have actually made a living from beating people silly and then switching to acting, like Mike Tyson. But this isn't about boxers. Let's take a look at 10 MMA fighters who crossed over into acting.
Randy Couture
Prior to his successful acting career, Randy Couture found a passion for wrestling while in high school in Washington and was so skillful that he won a State Championship during his senior year. He also served in the U.S Army for a period of time, where he wrestled for the U.S Army Freestyle Wrestling team until he was discharged in 1988. With the discipline of the Army and a natural skill in wrestling and boxing, he made his professional mixed martial arts debut in 1997. During his combat-sporting career in the UFC, he has fought and defeated tough opponents such as Vitor Belfort, Maurice Smith, and Chuck Liddell. Upon retirement from the UFC, he has co-starred with actors such as Steven Segal, Tim Allen, Alice Braga, Chiwetel Ejiofor. Some of his biggest roles were alongside Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, and Jet Li in The Expendables and Set Up starring 50 Cent and Bruce Willis.
Gina Carano
Who doesn't admire a woman who can hold her own in any situation? Born in Texas in 1982, Gina Carano displayed athleticism from an early age by playing basketball, volleyball, and netball in high school. She was first introduced to Muay Thai through pro fighter, Kevin Ross, and won her first fight in the first round by knockout. Out of a total of eight fights throughout her professional MMA career, she only suffered one loss. After being pulled from a fight in 2011, she revealed on the Arsenio Hall Show that she was scheduled to fight Ronda Rousey in 2014, but it never materialized. Seemingly flawless in features despite her fighting career, she turned to act and has since appeared in multiple films and TV shows, such as Kickboxer: Retalliation (2018) alongside Jean Claude Van Damme, Mike Tyson, and Alain Moussi; Fast and Furious 6 (2013), Almost Human starring Karl Urban and Michael Ealy, and In the Blood (2016) featuring Danny Trejo and Cam Gigandet.
Quinton "Rampage" Jackson
Another highly competitive, successful, and often controversial fighter is Quinton "Rampage" Jackson. Born in Memphis, Tennessee, Rampage wasn't didn't experience the best childhood and began fighting and selling drugs at an early age. However, it would all work out for his good after he was introduced to the combat sport of wrestling at 17-years old. After learning mixed martial arts, he quickly gained a reputation with 10 wins and only one loss. To date, he has a record of 52 fights, 38 wins, and 14 losses. He has fought for both the UFC and Bellator promotions and has taken on fighters such as Chuck Liddell, Rashad Evans, and Jon Jones. Following his pro-fighting career was a busy movie career, starring in films such as Never Back Down: No Surrender (2016), starring Michael Jai White, and Fire With Fire (2011) with Bruce Willis.
Ronda Rousey
Here is another pretty face you don't want to let fool you! Born in 1987, Ronda Rousey began training judo with her mother at the age of 12 and would go on to win gold and bronze medal in Judo Championships. Realizing she would rather have a fighting career than a mundane job, and began pursuing her MMA career. Rousey fought professionally from 2010 to 2016 and after her first loss to Holly Holm, revealing that she has suicidal thoughts following her defeat. She also appeared on WWE Wrestling as well as in a number of films, including The Expendables 3 (2014), Furious 7 (2015), and Charlie's Angels (2019).
Chuck Liddell
If you've followed the MMA community, specifically UFC, for a long time, then Chuck Liddell's name would've been mentioned quite a bit. Before the younger generation of Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz took over the face of the UFC, Liddell and Tito Ortiz were the poster boys. He wasted no time entering the UFC and fighting, defeating heavy-hitters like Randy Couture, Tito Ortiz, and Wanderlei Silva. He would then retire in 2010, only to return in 2014 for a rematch with Ortiz, who won by knockout. Lidell then announced his final retirement in 2020. Throughout his MMA career, he also made appearances in movies such as How High (2001) starring Redman and Method Man, Cradle 2 the Grave (2003) with DMX and Jet Li, and War Pigs (2015) among many others.
Tito Ortiz
Tito Ortiz is one of the most dynamic UFC fighters in the entire sport of the UFC. Considered by some as the next Vin Diesel, Ortiz found his way into the UFC by way of wrestling while in college. While still in college, he made his debut in 1997 and after losing a few matches, went on to defeat big-named fighters like Ken Shamrock, Elvis Sinosic, and Evan Tanner. Outside of the octagon, he pursued acting and has starred in movies such as Valley of Crows: Iraq (2006) opposite Billy Zane and Gary Busey; Cradle 2 The Grave (2003) alongside DMX, Jet Li, and Gabrielle Union, and Traume Center (2019) starring Bruce Willis, Steve Guttenberg, and Lala Kent.
Bob Sapp
Bob Sapp's sheer size is enough to intimidate any opponent. Before entering the fighting ring, he took his massive size to the contact sport of football, where he received a scholarship to the University of Washington. He was also drafted to the Chicago Bears in 1997 and then to the Minnesota Vikings. His time in the NFL was short-lived, however, as he was suspected of steroid use. This would mark the beginning of his wrestling career with World Champion Wrestling (WCW), which was bought by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). He then switched to kickboxing and MMA, fighting for K1 Promotions, Cage Rage, and Strike Force. His acting credentials consist of Elektra (2005) starring Jennifer Garner; Blood and Bone (2009) starring Michael Jai White; Conan The Barbarian (2011) featuring Jason Momoa, and The Longest Yard (2005) starring Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, and rapper Nelly.
Anderson Silva
Anderson Silva is a Brazilan-American MMA fighter who began training in muay thai, taekwondo, and capoeira from an early age. Born into a poverty-stricken family in Sau Paulo, Brazil, he found international fame and success in MMA, particularly with UFC, where he took on contenders such as Chris Leben, Rich Franklin, Daniel Cormier, and most recently, Israel Adesanya. In 2021, Silva announced that he would be continuing his fighting career as a boxer, and fought Julio César Chávez Jr., which he won via split decision. That same year, he also fought Tito Ortiz in a boxing bout and won via knockout. As an actor, he's appeared in Inferno: The Making of The Expendables (2010), Never Surrender (2009) starring Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, and Tapped Out.
Cung Le
Born in South Vietnam in 1972, Cung Le's story of success is one of struggle, pain, and triumph. He left with his mother days before the Fall of Saigon, also known as the Liberation of Saigon, in 1975. A few months later, he would relocate to San Jose, California, where bullying and discrimination inspired him to learn martial arts, beginning with Tae Kown Do, and later took up competitive wrestling. His kickboxing record is flawless, with 17 wins and no losses. After retiring from the MMA in 2015, he transitioned to acting and co-starred in the 2009 martial arts film, Tekken, alongside Luke Goss and Kelly Overton. His other movies include Savage Dog (2017) with Scott Adkins; Fighting (2009) alongside Channing Tatum and Terrence Howard; True Leader (2010); The Man With The Iron Fists (2012) starring Russel Crowe, Lucy Liu, and RZA; and many other successful endeavors as well as TV show appearances.
Kimbo Slice
In memory of the late and great MMA fighter and actor, Kimbo Ferguson, better known as Kimbo Slice. Born in Nassau, the Bahamas in 1974, he moved to Florida as a child and later attended the University of Miami, where he studied criminal justice on an athletic scholarship. He would then work as a bouncer, limousine driver, and bodyguard for Reality Kings (RK Media), a Miami-based adult film production/promotion company before training in mixed martial arts. During his legendary fighting career, he has fought for UFC, Elite XC, and Bellator MMA in addition to a triumphant boxing and wrestling career. The highlights of his acting career include Blood and Bone starring Michael Jai White and The Scorpion King 3: Battle for Redemption (2012) alongside Temuera Morrison, Dave Bautista, and Ron Perlman. Unfortunately, the untimely death of Kimbo Slice occurred in 2016 with heart failure as the cause of death. His legacy as a fighter and actor continues to be remembered by the MMA community.
Sources: espn.com, worldfilmgeek.com, filmjabber.com, themoviedb.org, rogerebert.com
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tbTEq6CcoJWowW%2BvzqZmq6GTnXqxu9aeqZ%2BtnGR%2BcXnMpphmnpmctbWx0axksKCfYsG2vs2em2asn2KupMDIp55o