Top UFC Fighters Who Transitioned to Other Professions: Success Beyond the Cage

A lot of physical and mental preparation is needed to develop the recipe for Mixed Martial Arts as a sport. Literally, MMA fighters live to master the various disciplines and upkeep their body in top shape to participate in the crème de la crème of this sport—the UFC. Indeed, with the ultimate toll it brings to one’s body, an MMA career often has a very small window. The real challenge for many fighters is the building of a new career after time in the cage. While some have come up short in this regard, others have been able to use their celebrity status in conjunction with skills and work ethic to transcend into other careers. This article takes a look at some of the top UFC fighters who made successful transitions into other careers and showed that their talents extend far beyond the octagon.

1. Ronda Rousey: From UFC champion to WWE star
   Ronda Rousey is undoubtedly one of the most legendary individuals to have stepped into an MMA cage. After becoming the inaugural female athlete ever to be signed by the UFC, she won the inaugural UFC Women’s Bantamweight Championship and defended it a record six times. She took control of other ladies in the Octagon with her incorporation of judo and flair for executing armbar submissions.

However, after losing in consecutive fights to Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes respectively, Rousey made the decision to step away from active MMA competition. She improbably, quite successfully made a career transition into professional wrestling, starting with World Wrestling Entertainment in 2018. She quickly turned into a top star with WWE, earning the Raw Women’s Championship and, in the process, history-maker within the main event of WrestleMania 35—the first-ever women’s match to lead off the company’s biggest annual show.

Ronda Rousey proved to be an easy go, combining her combat sport skills in the UFC with the WWE’s scant reality by using her athletic acumen, charisma, and star power seamlessly to make the huge leap from the UFC to WWE.

Other than wrestling, Rousey has also acted in cinema, having appeared in “The Expendables 3,” “Furious 7,” and “Mile 22.” Her success in WWE and in Hollywood underlines the fact that this woman can succumb to anything.

2. Georges St-Pierre: From Legend in the Octagon to Hollywood Glamour

GSP is extremely popular for being considered one of the greatest MMA fighters in history. He was the UFC Welterweight Champion for nearly seven years; he defended his title nine consecutive times before briefly retiring from active competition in 2013. GSP returned to UFC in 2017 and Jerking continues by jerking up the Middleweight Championship, further glamourising his legacy.

After finally retiring from active MMA competition in 2019, GSP turned his attention to acting. His powerful physique, accomplished background in the martial arts arena, and well-disciplined nature brought St-Pierre out into the acting world of Hollywood. He lent his skills toward playing the villainous Batroc the Leaper in the Marvel Cinematic Universe with “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” in 2014 and recently reprised the role in Disney +’s “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.” RT.
His performances were well received, marking his turn from the Octagon to the silver screen.

Apart from the acting career, St-Pierre has been involved in business through fitness programs, supplements, and martial arts training. He exemplifies the dedication to excellence in all his fields of endeavor, be it sports, entertainment, or business.

3. Conor McGregor: From UFC Champion to Business Mogul

Conor McGregor is arguably the most famed UFC competitor in history. Making a lot of noise with his loud mouth and big left hand, he was the first to glory in UFC history—holding two belts at one time, the Featherweight and Lightweight Championships. His meteoric rise to fame made him a global superstar who transcended the sport of MMA.

While McGregor remains an active UFC fighter, his business endeavors outside the octagon have made the Dublin-born fighter one of the world’s richest athletes. In 2018, McGregor founded a whiskey brand called Proper No Twelve. The brand took off like a rocket, selling way more than expected and earning tons for McGregor. In 2021, he sold a majority interest to Proper No. Twelve for a staggering $600 million, really sealing the deal on the Irish superstar as a businessman.

Other business ventures McGregor has been involved with include a fashion line, “August McGregor,” other sponsorships with various brands, and even boxing—having lost a bout with Floyd Mayweather in one of the highest-earning pay-per-view events ever staged. His ability to leverage celebrity status and business acumen has made him able to create an empire outside of UFC—proof that he is good for so much more than inside an octagon.

4. Bas Rutten: From UFC Heavyweight Champion to TV Host and Entrepreneur

Bas Rutten, the former UFC Heavyweight Champion and one of the modern-day pioneers of MMA, was diagnosed with striking, submission skills, and charisma. Feeling that he did enough to be remembered by other practitioners for generations to come, Rutten announced his retirement from active MMA in 1999. But as it turns out, his post-fighting career has been as successful as that time he spent inside the cage.

He then pursued a career in television and turned out to be an exceptionally famous fight analyst and commentator. Rutten had one of his own shows on AXS TV, “Inside MMA,” where he would go through the sport with excellent analysis and fighter interviews. His extensive knowledge mixed with the bubble of personality made him a fan favorite of MMA.

Aside from his work in television, Rutten has also dabbled in film and television acting in projects such as “Here Comes the Boom” in 2012 with Kevin James and “The King of Queens.” Bas Rutten has also had his own fitness program developed called the “Bas Rutten O2 Trainer,” dealing with the invention of better respiratory functions for any kind of athlete. Because of his drive for entrepreneurship and multifaceted nature, Bas Rutten has been secured for a successful life well beyond that of his fighting days.

5. Cung Le: From UFC Fighter to Martial Arts Movie Star

Cung Le is a former Strikeforce Middleweight Champion and competitor in the UFC. He quickly became a fan favorite in the years of his MMA career with his flashy striking, notably his spinning kicks. Prior to his first steps into an octagon, though, Le had already made waves in martial arts cinema.

With a background in martial arts and his striking ability, Le made a beeline for action movies. He went on to take part in some feature films, including the 2010 “Tekken” as Marshall Law; in 2012, playing the iconic role of Chen Zhen “Dragon Eyes” alongside Jean-Claude Van Damme; among others. The most famous role that Le has played recently is Bronze Lion in the movie “The Man with the Iron Fists,” directed by RZA in 2012.

Le has continued to juggle his MMA career with acting, but really developed his movie career since his retirement from fighting in 2015. His success in those areas really puts him in a prime location for making a successful transition between forms of entertainment in terms of using his combat skills to make an impact in Hollywood.

6. Ken Shamrock: From UFC Pioneer to Professional Wrestling Icon

Ken Shamrock is the most influential figure in MMA history, known as “The World’s Most Dangerous Man.” He was among the very first individuals who got deeply involved with the UFC in its earliest years of activity, fighting in the very first couple of events and really helping the sport gain awareness. Definitely one of the most famous rivalries in the history of UFC competition was his rivalry against Royce Gracie. More or less, his contribution to mixed martial arts cannot be estimated.

However, Shamrock had a much more lucrative career beyond the MMA circle—it was in professional wrestling. In 1997, he was signed to the then World Wrestling Federation, which became his way into overnight stardom. His legitimacy as a fighter formed the bedrock upon which the “Attitude Era” of professional wrestling thrived.

In his wrestling career, Shamrock has had the WWF Intercontinental Championship and the Tag Team Championship on his record and engaged himself in a slew of frontline feuds with stars of the stature of The Rock, Steve Austin, and Bret Hart. His move from MMA into professional wrestling was like a bridge between the two sports and somehow created an avenue for other fighters in the future to change over similarly.

After leaving professional wrestling, Shamrock continued competing in mixed martial arts, dabbling in acting, and jogging business. He has proven his versatility and the impact he had on both MMA and professional wrestling by being able to be successful in many different forums.

7. Forrest Griffin:From UFC Champion to UFC Executive
   Probably best known for work in the first season of “The Ultimate Fighter,” his fight at the end against Stephan Bonnar really put a face to this new modern era of the UFC. Griffin would go on to become UFC Light Heavyweight Champion in 2008, winning in another extremely memorable fight against Quinton “Rampage” Jackson.

Following his retirement from active MMA competition in 2013, Griffin transitioned into a different role at the UFC. He is now serving as Vice President of Athlete Development, where his role involves assisting athletes in areas such as health, wellbeing, and what to do after fighting. His new role has placed him in a better position to give back to the sport that turned him into a star by making sure that this next generation succeeds both inside and outside the cage.

Griffin’s case is one example of the transition from fighter to executive, in that it acts as proof of the deep understanding and caring for the welfare that each athlete has. All his work continues behind the scenes, working magic on both the UFC and its fighters.

8. Frank Mir: UFC Heavyweight Champion turned Analyst/Broadcaster

Within the UFC, Frank Mir is one of the more successful heavyweight fighters due to his skill in submission and high fight IQ. Mir is a fighter who has secured a two-time reign as the UFC Heavyweight Champion and holds the most submission wins in UFC heavyweight history. But perhaps one of his greatest accomplishments is his legendary rivalry with Brock Lesnar. It was after his fighting career had begun to slow down that Mir made the easy transition into his new role as an MMA analyst and broadcaster. He has called many fight circuits, which include the World Series of Fighting and Bellator. Having a deep understanding of the sport and being able to articulate the analysis of fightsPlaces him highly in the MMA community.

Besides working as an analyst, Mir has also tried his hand at podcasting, speaking on MMA among other topics. It was his impulse to analyze the fights and afterward provide insights on the sport that put him in a living career, aside from the one he was undertaking at the time he was active as a fighter.

9. Josh Barnett: UFC Fighter Turned Catch Wrestling Advocate and Full-time Entertainer

Josh Barnett is the UFC Heavyweight World Champion and easily recognized worldwide as one of the most well-known fighters today, known for his prowess in the field of catch wrestling and charisma. He became one of the youngest fighters ever to win a title under the UFC umbrella and has spent years enjoying a very successful mixed martial arts career.

Other than fighting, Barnett has been one of the loud ambassadors for catch wrestling—a specific style of grappling primarily focused on submissions and control. He does seminars and articles, and even promotes some catch wrestling events to preserve and diffuse the art.

He has also ventured into professional wrestling and acting. He has competed in Japanese professional wrestling promotions and has had film and television appearances. Barnett, in his own right, became a very unique character in MMA and professional wrestling, able to combine his love for combat sports with entertainment.

10. Randy Couture: Hall of Fame into Hollywood Actor

Randy Couture is an inductee of the UFC Hall of Fame and no doubt one of the most respected personalities this sport has ever generated. He went on to hold this UFC championship five times in two different weight classes, and his exploits inside the octagon are simply legendary. A prolific wrestler with a strategy-oriented fighting style, Couture became a fan favorite and turned out to be a role model for many fighters. After retiring from active competition in MMA, Couture moved on to a nice career in Hollywood. He will perhaps best be remembered for his work in the “Expendables” franchise, where he shares stars with luminaries of action cinema like Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Jason Statham.

With this background in combat sports and interposing himself onto screens, it is pretty easy to see how acting became the next step in Couture’s crossROADS. Couture has also been engaged in several other film and television projects, further cementing his place as a successful actor. Moreover, the way he reinvented himself after his fighting career showed he is a versatile person with a drive to succeed in any new challenge.

Conclusion
What the stories of those fighters who transitioned to other professions really show is the versatility, resilience, and adaptability that will let one excel beyond the Octagon. Whether through acting, business, professional wrestling, or other pursuits, these fighters have proven there is much more to their leading skill set than just a career in MMA. Their achievements contribute as an inspiration to current and future fighters alike—that life after the UFC can hold Just as much promise and satisfaction as life inside the cage.