Famous American Mixed Martial Artists

A professional WWE wrestler, Ronda Rousey was the first UFC Women's Bantamweight Champion and also the first woman to be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame. Earlier, she became the first US woman to win an Olympic medal in judo. Amongst the greatest female MMA fighter, Ronda has also appeared in films like The Expendables 3 and Furious 7.

Jon Jones, the American professional mixed martial artist, is widely regarded as one of the greatest mixed martial artists ever. He holds many Ultimate Fighting Championship records in the light heavyweight division. However, he has been also been involved in several controversies and has been arrested for felony, hit-and-run charges and has tested positive for banned substances.

A multi-faceted personality, Brock Lesnar has had successful careers in the field of wrestling, mixed martial arts, and football. Best known for his wrestling career, Brock is widely considered one of the greatest professional wrestlers ever. Brock, who has had an equally successful MMA career, is the only person in history to hold a WWE world championship and UFC championship.

Nate Diaz is an American mixed martial artist with experience of competing in several promotions, such as Strikeforce, World Extreme Cagefighting, and Pancrase. He is currently signed with the UFC and is tied with Joseph Edward Lauzon Jr. for the second-most bonus awards. In 2007, Nate Diaz took part in the fifth season of the reality TV series Ultimate Fighter.

Rising from a humble background, Stipe Miocic won NAAFS Heavyweight Championship and reached Ultimate Fighting Championship, the biggest MMA platform. His talent made him one of the most successful heavyweight champions in UFC history with numerous awards. Apart from fighting MMA matches,Stipe Miocic works as a firefighter and paramedic and saves lives in Cleveland.

Holly Holm is a mixed martial artist. A former world champion in boxing, Holm currently competes in the UFC and holds the distinction of being the first fighter to hold a UFC title and a world boxing title. Her win against Ronda Rousey at UFC 193 is regarded as one of the biggest upsets in the history of combat sports.

Chael Sonnen is a retired mixed martial artist. He is also a submission grappling promoter and mixed martial arts (MMA) analyst. He began his mixed martial arts career in 1997 and soon became a top contender in both the light heavyweight and middleweight divisions of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He has also made a few film appearances. 

Mixed martial artist, Tito Ortiz, is currently signed to the Combate Americas promotion. In the past, he has worked with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and was the Light Heavyweight Champion for three years. He also owns an MMA training gym and an MMA equipment and clothing line. In 2020, he ventured into politics. 

Dominick Cruz is an American mixed martial artist. Renowned for his quick striking, powerful wrestling base, and unorthodox movement, Cruz is one of the most agile competitors in the history of mixed martial arts. A two-time Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Bantamweight champion, Dominick Cruz is currently one of the most popular competitors at the UFC.

Chuck Liddell is a retired mixed martial artist. He participated in 23 fights in the UFC and is a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. He is widely credited with bringing MMA into mainstream American entertainment. He was featured on the cover of ESPN The Magazine in 2007. He was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2009. 

A former mixed martial artist, Gina Carano went on to become an actress; she uses her martial arts skills to perform stunts in popular action movies. Before becoming an actress, she was quite popular in the MMA scene, being termed the face of women's MMA. In 2008, she was named in a Top 10 Influential Women list.

CM Punk is an American retired professional wrestler and mixed martial artist. CM Punk is one of the first independent wrestlers to have achieved tremendous success in WWE; his success served as a precedent for other independent wrestlers. Over the years, CM Punk has influenced and inspired popular wrestlers like Seth Rollins, Adam Cole, and Rhea Ripley.

Randy Couture is a former U.S. Army sergeant and retired mixed martial artist. He currently works as an actor. He began his career as an army man and later turned to mixed martial arts. In this field, he was a three-time UFC Heavyweight Champion. After quitting UFC, he became an actor and starred in the hit film The Hard Way. 

Kimbo Slice, dubbed The King of the Web Brawlers by Rolling Stone, gained fame for his mutual combat street fights. He dabbled in MMA, boxing, and wrestling, eventually signing with EliteXC and competing in UFC. A little over a year after signing with Bellator MMA, he died of heart failure.

Paige VanZant is an American mixed martial artist, model, and author. Although she spent over 13 years exploring dance forms like hip hop, ballet, and jazz in a dance studio owned by her parents, VanZant took up martial arts during her teenage years and went on to compete in Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A multi-talented personality, VanZant also loves hunting.

Dustin Poirier is an American mixed martial artist who currently fights in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). An absolute angel off the ring, Poirier often auctions his UFC kit to donate money to various charitable causes. In 2018, he founded a non-profit organization called The Good Fight Foundation, along with his wife.

Dan Henderson is a retired mixed martial artist, who last competed as a middleweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He was the Rings: King of Kings 1999 Tournament Champion. He began his mixed martial arts career in 1997. At the time of his retirement in 2016, he was the oldest fighter on the UFC roster. 

Andrei Arlovski, also known as “The Pitbull,” is a Belarusian MMA fighter who is known for his UFC Heavyweight Championship win. He has also appeared in films such as Universal Soldier: Regeneration and been part of shows such as MTV's Bully Beatdown. He has competed for Strikeforce and Affliction, too.

Carlos Condit is an American retired mixed martial artist. A former Interim UFC Welterweight Champion, Condit has also competed in World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) where he was a Welterweight Champion. While competing in the UFC, Condit won five Fight of the Night awards. After retiring from MMA, Condit went on to establish many business ventures, such as a coffee shop. 

Daniel Cormier is a retired professional mixed martial artist and amateur wrestler who is a former  King of the Cage Heavyweight Champion. He began wrestling while still in school and attended Colby Community College, where he continued to wrestle. He then turned professional and also ventured into mixed martial arts. He has also made a few media appearances. 

Shayna Baszler is an American WWE wrestler and former WWE women's tag team champion. Before signing with WWE, Baszler was a mixed martial artist. She served as an important spokesperson in a movement, which was initiated to create an athletic commission for combat sports in South Dakota. A multi-talented personality, Shayna Baszler is also a certified Emergency Medical Technician.

Ken Shamrock is an American professional wrestler and retired mixed martial artist who promotes bare-knuckle boxing. He is widely considered an icon and pioneer of mixed martial arts (MMA), as well as one of the greatest fighters in MMA's history. As a professional wrestler, Ken Shamrock is credited with popularizing a submission hold called the ankle lock.

Uriah Hall is a Jamaican-American professional mixed martial artist who emerged as The Ultimate Fighter 17 Knockout of the Season. He currently fights in the middleweight division for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and has previously been associated with Bellator MMA and Ring of Combat. Besides mixed martial arts, he has made a few media appearances. 

Michelle Waterson is a mixed martial artist. A former Invicta FC Atomweight Champion, Waterson was the world's best women's atomweight fighter between 2013 and 2014. In 2013, she won the Atomweight of the Year award at the Women's MMA Awards. She competes in the UFC where she is ranked in the top 10 in the list of current UFC fighters.

Rafael dos Anjos is a Brazilian-American mixed martial artist. A former UFC Lightweight Champion, dos Anjos is renowned for his aggressive approach, which often takes his opponents by surprise. Characterized by his strong takedown capabilities and physical strength, dos Anjos holds victories over popular martial artists like Robbie Lawler and Benson Henderson.

WEC bantamweight fighter Joseph Benavidez had a 15-year career in combat sports, which included several top bantamweight and flyweight championship wins. Initially a screen printer in Mexico, he began his career with small boxing shows and began wrestling at age 16. He has also battled drug and alcohol abuse.