A marketable fighter with an elite skill set is a rare commodity, but one that any promotion is eager to add to their roster. The results are often mixed, but that doesn’t stop promotions from trying their hand in this high stakes game to cash in on a diamond in the rough.
In no particular order, here are seven of the most popular mixed martial artists who also crossed over to the acting or fashion world.
7) Sage Northcutt
Sage Northcutt is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the UFC welterweight division. He began training martial arts at the age of 4 and has won 77 world championships competing in karate. Northcutt was the youngest person ever to be on the cover of Sport Karate Magazine at age 9 and starred in numerous TV commercials— like this Hasbro Wolverine Electronic Claw commercial— as a kid.
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6) Michelle Waterson
Michelle Waterson, otherwise known as ‘The Karate Hottie’, is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the UFC and is the former Invicta FC Atomweight Champion. She began her modeling career in 2004 after graduating high school and became popular after being a contestant on the reality show Fight Girls. Waterson was even featured on MTV’s Bully Beatdown as well as a music video for Head Crusher.
5) Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua
Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist and former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion and 2005 PRIDE Middleweight Grand Prix Champion. He began training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Muay Thai around the age of 6. Before becoming a professional fighter, Rua worked as a model in Brazil for both commercial print and runway.
4) Ronda Rousey
Ronda Rousey is an American mixed martial artist and former UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion and Strikeforce Women’s Bantamweight champion. She has been featured on the cover of countless magazines— most notably, on the cover of ESPN The Magazine’s 2012 issue, Maxim’s September 2013 issue and Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue in 2016. Rousey made her film debut in the 2014 film The Expendables 3, and went on to star in Furious 7 and Entourage in 2015. She recently hosted an episode on the late night variety show Saturday Night Live.
3) Rickson Gracie
Rickson Gracie is a Brazilian 8th degree black and red belt in Gracie Jiu-Jitsu and a retired mixed martial artist with a record of 11-0. He is the son of Helio Gracie, from the prominent Gracie family, and was inducted into the Legends of MMA Hall of Fame in 2014. Rickson has modeled in several fashion shoots and has even starred in a few movie roles.
2) Gina Carano
Gina Carano is a former mixed martial artist turned actress, fitness model and TV personality. She has graced the covers of ESPN The Magazine and Maxim and was ranked 5th on the Top 10 Influential Women list of 2008. Since leaving MMA, Carano has pursued her acting career and has racked up film credits in such movies as Haywire, Fast & Furious 6, In the Blood, and Deadpool— not to mention starring as Crush in the revamped 2008 television series American Gladiators.
1) Paige VanZant
Paige VanZant is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the UFC women’s strawweight division. She started learning MMA in order to defend herself against a group of female bullies at her high school. Paige first made her on-screen appearance in her childhood— appearing in a comical Bissell Steam Mop commercial that she still finds humor in to this day. Paige would later go on to model for both Nike and Columbia Sportswear and is most recently harnessing her childhood dance training while competing on Season 22 of Dancing with the Stars.
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