The 7 (& 1/2) Best MMA Fighters Turned Actors
Mixed martial arts (MMA) has become one of the biggest sports in the world over the past few decades. With all the brutal punishment they take in the ring, not many MMA fighters can keep it up for long. So, what happens after a career of pummeling people comes to an end? Well, a few lucky MMA fighters managed to move from the octagon to the silver screen. Of course, not many of them find success in the movies, but a select few manage to become full-fledged movie stars (or at least C-list actors). Because of that, I decided to honor 7 MMA fighters who actually made a good impression on audiences after leaving the ring. After all, they’re not like those WWE wrestlers who have experience when it comes to entertaining the crowds. Nope, these are athletes tackling a whole new career. Still, their ability to throw a punch and their fight fans helped them light up the big screen.
Oleg Taktarov
Best Movie: Predators
Good thing for Oleg Taktarov Hollywood always has a need for terrifying Russians to play bad guys in movies. However, unlike a lot of the other big-screen Ruskies, Taktarov is actually a pretty dangerous guy. Proficient in Sambo, Judo, Jujutsu, and Boxing, Taktarov joined the UFC in ‘95 and was billed as “The Russian Bear.” He did pretty well his first time out and went on to actually win UFC 6. He ended his MMA career 17-5-2 which is pretty impressive. Taktarov’s Hollywood career has been a little less so, but he has appeared in a couple of pretty big movies over the years, including Predators, National Treasure, and, more recently, Den of Thieves. He’s also racked up such memorable roles as “Russian prison guard No. 2,” “Russian Security,” and “Russian Officer.”
George St.-Pierre
Best Movie: Captain America: The Winter Soldier
George St.-Pierre has one of the more impressive records of the MMA fighters who made it out to Hollywood. A practitioner of Karate, Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu, wrestling, boxing, and something called Gaidojutsu, St-Pierre held welterweight and middleweight titles while in the UCF. He also went toe-to-toe with Captain America in the MCU. However, he’s not the only fighter on this list to play a supervillain. He also got to throw down with one of the best big-screen martial artists of all time, Jean-Claude Van Damme in Kickboxer: Vengeance, which was a dream come true for this brawling Quebecer (Aussi appelé Québécois), since he inspired St.-Pierre to start taking martial arts. Personally, I’d be happy to see Batroc the Leaper appear in the MCU again.
Quinton “Rampage” Jackson
Best Movie: The A-Team
Quinton “Rampage” Jackson was a force of nature during his MMA days. A wrestler by trade, he picked up some striking techniques and went on to dominate his opponents with his incredibly aggressive fighting style. Jackson had an astounding 52 fights in the UFC, which begs the question of how he’s even able to remember lines after so many brawls. He’s popped up in quite a few direct to video movies over the years, playing himself several times. However, his most memorable role was probably in the big-screen adaptation of the hit TV series, The A-Team, in which he played a modern B.A. Baracus. While Mr. T made the role famous back in the day, Jackson proved to be a much more intimidating version of the character.
Ronda Rousey
Best Movie: Furious 7
Ronda Rousey is probably one of the most widely recognized MMA fighters in recent memory. That’s because she’s gone from the octagon to the wrestling ring as well as the big screen. Oh, and she’s also the first American to win an Olympic medal in women’s Judo. Those skills carried over to the UFC where she primarily won using armbars. Her acting career is slowly growing more impressive as well. You might remember her taking on Michelle Rodriguez in Furious 7 or maybe as one of Mark Walhberg’s crew in Mile 22. She also was the co-star of another of the MMA fighters in this article in The Expendables 3. Her biggest success so far is her recurring role on the television series 9-1-1. Personally, I wouldn’t mind seeing her in more action flicks.
Cung Le
Best Movie: Pandorum
Cung Le might not have had the most impressive UFC career, but he’s more than making up for it in Hollywood these days. Trained in Brazillian jiu-jitsu, Taekwondo, wrestling, boxing, and Sanshou (in which he held a fight record of 17–0 and won the Pro Light Heavyweight Sanda World Title), Le put those skills to use in a number of action-packed roles. I’m particularly a fan of his role in Pandorum. However, he’s also appeared in kung-fu fantasy The Man with the Iron Fists, the fight tournament flick Fighting, and more. While he’s retired from MMA, he’s considering getting back into kickboxing. As long as it doesn’t interfere with his film career, I say go for it.
Randy Couture
Best Movie: The Expendables
One of the biggest names out of the UFC is Randy Couture. During his time in the league, Couture was a three-time UFC Heavyweight Champion, two-time UFC Light heavyweight Champion, and an interim UFC Light heavyweight Champion. Needless to say, the guy was a hell of a fighter, even if his record doesn’t really reflect it. After MMA, Couture hit acting just as hard and has appeared in TV shows, movies, and even videogames. However, you probably know him best as Toll Road from the ger-action super series, The Expendables. He isn’t at risk of winning any acting championships, but he’s managed to remain consistently solid when it comes to his performances on the big screen, making him a name I don’t mind seeing on upcoming movie posters.
Gina Carano
Best Movie: Deadpool
When it comes to MMA fighters transitioning to the big screen, none have done it better than Gina Carano. Back in her MMA days, she used Muay Thai and Gaidojutsu to achieve seven wins and only one loss in the UFC. Her breakout role was in Steven Soderbergh’s Haywire where she played a tough as hell mercenary seeking vengeance. Since then, she’s appeared in massive franchises like Fast & Furious and Star Wars. My favorite role of hers was as the villainous Angel Dust in Deadpool, where she laid a beat down on one of the biggest and best mutants to appear on the silver screen. Of all the MMA fighters I’ve mentioned, Carano is the only one I actively hope to see in more films since she’s the perfect combination of beauty and beast.
The Half: Dave Bautista
Best Movie: Avengers: Endgame
Technically, Dave Bautista was acting in movies before he was an MMA fighter, but I figured the guy deserved a shout out given his impressive film career. In 2012, Bautista took part in a Strikeforce: Los Angeles fight against Vince Lucero, a 40 fight veteran. Bautista destroyed him, earning a TKO victory in the first round. He’s one actor who can back up his tough talk.
There have been a lot of other MMA fighters who have taken a shot at movie-stardom over the years, but the ones listed proved to be the best at the transition. Still, I’d like to know who some of your favorite MMA fighters to appear in movies are. Let me know in the comments below, and rest assured that I’ll be updating this list as more MMA fighters trade in their gloves for movie scripts. So, be sure to check back from time to time to see who’s name might appear here.