2024 Paris Olympics: 10 UFC Stars That Also Competed In The Olympics, Including Ronda Rousey And Yoel Romero

Representing your country and scoring a medal at the Olympics is the ultimate honor. And there are a surprising amount of current or former UFC stars that built their pre-Octagon resumes by scoring medals for the United States at the Summer Olympics.

From gold medalists like Kayla Harrison and Henry Cejudo to former UFC champions Ronda Rousey and Daniel Cormier, here are 10 of the best UFC fighters to also win Olympic medals.

10. Daniel Cormier

Before he hit the cage, Cormier won the senior U.S. national championship for freestyle wrestling every year from 2003 to 2008. At the 2004 Summer Olympics, he placed fourth overall, falling in the semifinals.

Four years later, Cormier again made the Olympic team. Kidney failure unfortunately kept him from competing. He would go on to become a member of the UFC Hall of Fame after winning both the heavyweight and light heavyweight titles.

“DC” also won the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix and finished with a career record of 22-3 overall.

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9. Kevin Jackson

In 1992, Jackson headed to Barcelona, Spain, and walked away with gold at the Summer Olympics. He was also a two-time world champion in wrestling and later coached the Iowa State University team.

Jackson became just the second Olympic gold medalist to step inside the Octagon when he competed for the UFC in 1997. He would win the UFC light heavyweight tournament before retiring with a record of 4-2.

His 1997 bout with Frank Shamrock at UFC Japan was for the inaugural UFC light heavyweight title while his fight against Jerry Bohlander a year later earned “Fight of the Year” honors.

8. Daniel Kelly

Kelly is the only Judo competitor to be named to the Australian Olympic team four times, competing at the 2012 Summer Olympics for his last event. He also coached the Australian team in 2016 and four years later at the 2020 Summer Olympics.

He placed ninth in the 2000 games, seventh in 2004, 21st in 2008, and 17th in 2012. After making his MMA debut in 2006, Kelly would not return to the cage for six years. He was cast for The Ultimate Fighter Nations series in 2013 and last competed for the UFC in 2018.

Overall, Kelly earned a win over former UFC champion Rashad Evans and went 13-1 to begin his MMA career.

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7. Matt Lindland

Following an incredible amateur wrestling run, Lindland was named to the 2000 U.S. wrestling team to compete at the Sydney Olympics. He finished second overall in Greco-Roman wrestling, grabbing silver for his efforts.

Even after making his UFC debut, Lindland returned to the sport, winning silver at the world championships and a U.S. national title in 2001. He would compete 31 times over his MMA career, going 22-9 including bouts versus Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza, Vitor Belfort, Robbie Lawler, and Fedor Emelianenko.

6. Mark O. Madsen

A multi-time Olympic qualifier representing Denmark, Madsen had his best showing in 2016. He secured silver at the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, advancing to the finals where he lost to Roman Vlasov. The two also met at the 2012 Summer Olympics, where Kelly finished fifth.

In 2019, Madsen would make his UFC debut, winning his fight via TKO over Danillo Belluardo. Following a serious injury, he returned to action a year later and won despite suffering a broken jaw vs. Austin Hubbard.

Kelly last appeared in 2023 for the UFC, losing to Jared Gordon to drop to 12-2 overall. He won his first 12 pro fights, including four with the UFC.

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5. Sara McMann

McMann earned silver at the 2003 World Championships in New York and pushed her way to the spotlight with the U.S. Olympic team in 2004. At the games in Athens, she would earn silver in freestyle wrestling, adding to her well-decorated career.

In 2011, she made her MMA debut, winning her first seven fights including a victory over Shayna Baszler. From there, McMann signed with the UFC in 2013, besting Sheila Gaff to secure a title fight vs. Ronda Rousey.

McMann lost to Rousey and would also take on former UFC champions Miesha Tate, Amanda Nunes, and Julianna Pena before leaving for Bellator in 2023.

4. Yoel Romero

All total, the Cuban-born Romero captured 10 golds, five silvers, and four bronze medals while competing in freestyle wrestling around the globe. That included a runner-up showing at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney.

Romero, who was also a three-time World Cup winner, made his MMA debut in 2009. He would join the UFC in 2013, debuting with a flying knee knockout of Clifford Starks.

After five fight-night bonus performances, including a knockout by flying knee over Chris Weidman, Romero earned a shot at the interim UFC middleweight title. He lost to Robert Whittaker and would fail to capture gold again in 2020 versus middleweight legend Israel Adesanya .

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3. Ronda Rousey

The first female inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame, Rousey first made a splash on the national scene when she earned bronze at the 2008 Summer Olympics. She became the first American female to win an Olympic medal in judo that year.

Rousey, a Pan American Games gold medalist, stepped into the cage in 2011 and quickly rose through the ranks. She became the Strikeforce champion in 2012 and was awarded the UFC title later that year.

During her run, Rousey bested challengers Liz Carmouche, Miesha Tate, Sara McMann, Alexis Davis, Cat Zingano, and Bethe Correia before falling to Holly Holm. She would enter into the world of professional wrestling, signing with the WWE after leaving MMA.

2. Henry Cejudo

Considered by many to be the greatest combat athlete of all time, Cejudo was the youngest American Olympic gold medalist in wrestling at the time when he won it all in 2008 at just 21 years old. He also was a three-time Pan American Championships winner and won two golds at the U.S. National Championships.

He attempted to make the U.S. team again four years later, coming up short in the finals to Nick Simmons. Cejudo retired and transitioned to MMA in 2013. He would sign with the UFC a year later, becoming the third gold medalist in company history.

Cejudo won the UFC bantamweight and flyweight titles, becoming the fourth simultaneous two-division champion. He retired in 2020 only to return three years later.

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1. Kayla Harrison

Not only was Harrison the first American to win an Olympic gold medal in judo when she accomplished the feat in 2012 in London, but she would return four years later in Rio de Janeiro and do it again. Harrison secured two golds at the Pan American Games, two at the Pan American Championships and World Masters, and also was the 2010 gold medalist at the World Championships in Tokyo.

A member of the U.S. Judo Federation Hall of Fame, Harrison made her MMA debut in 2018 with the PFL. She would reel off 15 consecutive wins, including back-to-back lightweight tournament titles.

In 2024, Harrison made her Octagon debut, submitting Holly Holm with a second-round rear-naked choke. She owns a record of 17-1 overall with 13 finishes.

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