If you were to ask Bob Arum, he’d probably tell you that MMA fighters are about as sharp as a marble. While one could speculate that a percentage of low-level MMA fighters are nothing more than washed-up jocks with appetites for violence, many mixed martial artists are actually well-adjusted, bright individuals.
In fact, a handful of the most popular men and women in the sport are legitimately smart and have the credentials to prove it.
Here are 5 MMA fighters who are probably smarter than you.
5) Joe Lauzon
Joe Lauzon is a beloved member of the UG and one of the most entertaining fighters in the history of the UFC. He’s also a lover of video games and a former IT administrator who majored in computer science from Wentworth Institute of Technology. As if he couldn’t get any cooler, J-Lau also smashes slices of pizza to help fight cancer.
4) Terry Martin
Terry Martin joined a gang when he was 10, was injured in a drive-by shooting at 15. When you find out he has a master’s degree in clinical psychology, you realize he’s had a very interesting life.
3) Shane Carwin
Shane Carwin has fists that are larger than most infant’s heads, and he’s quite fond of using them to knock grown men unconscious. Another UG celebrity, Carwin holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and works as an engineer for Total Directional.
2) Rhadi Ferguson
He’s the cousin of Kimbo Slice, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, professional MMA fighter, life coach, consultant, author, and holds a Ph.D. in education from Capella University. It’s safe to say that Rhadi Ferguson (3-0) is a well-rounded man.
1) Rosi Sexton
When you read up on Rosi Sexton’s (13-5) biography, you begin to realize how little you have actually accomplished in your adult life.
I’ll just leave this list here: jiu-jitsu black belt, Taekwondo black belt, BS in osteopathy, MS in mathematical logic from Cambridge University, Ph.D. in theoretical computer science from the University of Manchester, sports therapist, writer, piano player, cello player, and the first female British fighter to compete in the UFC.
In other news, this writer once placed 2nd in an 8th-grade spelling bee. My life is P-A-T-H-E-T-I-C.
Ray Higginbotham is a professional writer and avid fan of MMA. For more content like this, check out his Facebook page and follow him on Twitter @_MMARAY.
