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One of the main festivals in world sport will officially begin this Friday (5), in Rio de Janeiro. Athletes from all over the planet arrive in Brazil for the 2016 Olympic Games, which will be the center of attention in the news about the competitions in the coming weeks.
MMA is not part of the modalities that make up the games. However, several UFC fighters have had the opportunity in the past to compete in the Olympics, including those who won several medals.
Therefore, the SUPER FIGHTS remembers some fighters who played in the Olympics before venturing into mixed martial arts fighting. Check it out below!
Ronda was an attack in judo in China
R. Rousey (photo) is one of the MMA athletes who also participated in the Olympics. Photo: Reproduction
Former UFC women's bantamweight champion and one of the biggest stars in the sport today, Ronda Rousey is the best-known example of an MMA fighter who participated in the Olympic Games. Daughter of world judo champion AnnMaria de Mars, the American followed in her mother's footsteps and also had a successful career in the sport, where she competed from the age of 11 to 21.
Ronda's first participation in the Olympics was in 2004, at the Athens games. At 17 years old, the blonde was the youngest judoka in the competition and was eliminated in the early stages. Four years later, at the Beijing Games, the story was different: Rousey went far and won the bronze medal, becoming the first North American to achieve this feat in history.
S. McMann came close to Olympic gold in Greece
S.McMann (photo) competed for the UFC belt. Photo: Josh Hedges/UFC
One of Rousey's victims in the UFC, Sara McMann was another athlete who was successful in her time at the Olympic Games. The American, who started wrestling in college facing male athletes, had a successful career in the sport, which began in the late 1990s.
His potential in wrestling became more evident with the silver medal at the World Championships in New York, in 2003, in addition to winning gold at the Pan-American Games in Santo Domingo, in the same year. In 2004, expectations were even more exciting, as the women's sport would be part of the Olympics program for the first time.
After successfully qualifying for the competition, McMann managed to advance to the finals, immediately securing a medal. In the decision, against the Japanese Kaori Icho, the same one who had defeated her in the previous year's World Cup, the North American took the lead, opening 2-0, but ended up suffering a comeback in the final moments, finishing with silver.
Even so, McMann continued competing in wrestling, winning two bronze medals at world championships (2005 and 2007) and gold at the Pan American Games in Rio in 2007. However, she was unable to advance in the trials and was left out of the Olympic Games of Beijing in 2008.
D. Cormier came close to a medal in Athens
D. Cormier (photo) is the UFC light heavyweight champion. Photo: Disclosure
Prominent in North American college wrestling in the 1990s, Daniel Cormier, current UFC light heavyweight champion, was part of the United States delegation at the Olympic Games on two occasions.
A year after winning gold at the Pan-American Games in Santo Domingo, Cormier participated in the Olympic Games in Athens in 2004, competing in the under-96 kg category. After winning the first two fights, the North American came very close to winning a medal, but ended up losing in the semifinals and also in the bronze medal, finishing in fourth place.
At the Beijing Games, four years later, Cormier was again part of the United States team, including being named captain. However, “DC” had difficulties cutting weight and, with kidney problems, ended up not competing.
Currently, Cormier occupies a prominent position in the UFC's light heavyweight category and is a wrestling coach at the American Kickboxing Academy, where names such as Cain Velazquez e Luke Rockhold.
H. Cejudo made history and won gold at age 21
Olympic champion, H. Cejudo (left) kicks C. Cariaso. Photo: Josh Hedges/UFC
Of all the North American wrestlers who competed in the Olympics before switching to MMA, Henry Cejudo is the most successful case. Former challenger for the UFC flyweight belt, the prodigy athlete was the only one to win a gold medal in the prestigious competition, and he did so only at the age of 21, the youngest person to achieve this feat to date.
Cejudo participated in the Olympics for the first time in 2008, at the Beijing Games, and did not have an easy life. He lost and had to look for a comeback in his first three fights, but managed to reach the final. Facing the Japanese Tomohiro Matsunaga, Cejudo had an easier time and achieved another victory, winning gold.
However, the success did not continue in the attempt to win new gold at the London Games in 2012. Cejudo did not even make it through the trials in the United States and, after that, he retired from wrestling competitions.
D. Henderson attended two games, but had a discreet performance
Veteran Henderson went to two Olympics. Photo: Disclosure/UFC
One of the most legendary names in MMA history also went through the Olympics before making his mixed martial arts debut. With a long track record in university wrestling, being North American champion on three occasions, Dan Henderson He participated in two editions of the Olympic Games, including one in his home country.
Henderson went to the Barcelona games in 1992 and ended up not going very far, finishing in tenth place. Four years later, in Atlanta (USA), “Hendo” was again one of the North American representatives, but came in 12th.
The North American attempted an unprecedented feat by participating in the qualifiers for the Sydney games in 2000, when he had already started his MMA career. After failing to get a spot, “Hendo” decided to turn his focus entirely to mixed martial arts, where he still competes today.
H. Lombard took advantage of the Olympics to change his life
Lombard (pictured) competed at the Sydney Olympics. Photo: Disclosure/UFC
the experience of Hector Lombard at the Olympic Games transcends the sporting sphere and has become a landmark story socially speaking. The Cuban was part of his country's judo team at the Sydney Games in 2000, where he competed in the under-73 kg division.
Eliminated in the early stages of the competition, Lombard did not return to his home country with his teammates. The athlete deserted the delegation and remained in Australia, even becoming a naturalized citizen of the country years later. There, he began his career in MMA, moving to the United States shortly afterwards, joining the American Top Team gym.
Lombard's time at the Olympic Games truly changed the course of the athlete's life, who today practically considers himself more Australian than Cuban. In his last fight, Lombard ended up being knocked out by Henderson, in June.
Y. Romero hit the beam and ended up with silver in Australia
Lombard's compatriot and UFC middleweight division standout, Yoel romero participated in two editions of the Olympic Games in the past decade. A representative of wrestling, the “Soldier of God”, as he is currently known, went to Sydney, in 2000, and Athens, in 2004, and came close to winning the gold medal.
In Australia, Romero won his first four fights without even conceding a point, and faced Russian Adam Saitiev in the final. However, he ended up defeated and won silver. Four years later, in Greece, he got past his first three opponents but fell to the legendary Cael Sanderson in the semi-final. A new defeat in the bronze medal left him in fourth place.
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