3 UFC fighters who could have been Olympic champions

UFC history is packed with former Olympic athletes and champions who found varying degrees of success in the Octagon. An individual's ability to reach the Olympics is a testament to their dedication, fortitude, and athletic prowess. These attributes are paramount for any aspiring mixed martial artist, especially one looking to reach the UFC's pinnacle. However, many great UFC fighters never had the opportunity to compete in the Olympics, despite the fact they may have found themselves wearing a medal had they participated.

Mark Schultz (1-0) was the first Olympic gold medalist wrestler to fight for the UFC. He had one match for the promotion in 1996, stopping Gary Goodridge (23-22-1) at UFC 9. MMA was still a fringe sport, but Schultz's involvement inspired more Olympic athletes to pursue it after representing their countries.

Olympic wrestling champions like Henry Cejudo (16-4), and judo stars like Ronda Rousey (12-2), and Kayla Harrison (17-1) all made stellar careers for themselves once shifting their attention to MMA.

While many former Olympians have succeded in MMA, it isn't hard to imagine how well some of the greatest MMA fighters would have done had they devoted their energies toward competing in the Olympic games. The abilities necessary for competing in MMA translate to nearly any other athletic discipline. Reaching UFC gold takes as much grit as reaching Olympic gold.

Let's look at three UFC fighters who could have been Olympic champions.

3. Conor McGregor - Boxing

Conor McGregor is a rare athlete and personality capable of manifesting any of his desires into reality. He worked out of poverty to make himself a millionaire fighter, businessman, and occasional actor. His obsession with being the best carried him to heights doubters couldn't even stare up at. It isn't difficult to imagine his resolve bringing him to Olympic boxing glory as well.

McGregor has some of the best hands in UFC history. His precision carried him to memorable knockouts over heated rivals. McGregor's big left was always considered his nuclear weapon, capable of flatlining even the most durable foe upon impact.

Six of McGregor's first seven UFC victories all came via knockout. His crowning moment was a 13-second knockout over Jose Aldo at UFC 194 for the featherweight title. McGregor only needed fast and accurate boxing to dispose of his foe and cement his legendary status.

McGregor's boxing skill can't be boiled down to just offense. Slick movement and defense were defining elements of his UFC 205 victory over Eddie Alvarez (30-8)(2) for the lightweight title. Arguably, no one in UFC history boxed better than prime McGregor.

He leveraged his skill and star power toward taking on one of the greatest boxers of all time and former Olympic bronze medalist, Floyd Mayweather Jr. (50-0) in 2017. Despite coming up short, McGregor proved his ability to do anything he wanted to put himself in a position for. McGregor boxed admirably for 10 rounds with one of the best. It's fun pondering how much further McGregor could have taken things with boxing had Olympic gold been his focus.

2. Jon Jones - Wrestling

Jon Jones is one of the greatest all-around athletes in Octagon history. The former light heavyweight and the current undisputed heavyweight champion has dispatched the greatest fighters of the last three generations including Mauricio Rua (27-14-1), Alexander Gustafsson (18-8), and Cyril Gane (12-2). He was the youngest UFC champion in history, capturing the title at 23 with his victory over Rua at UFC 128.

Before Jones was widely considered the best MMA fighter of all time, he tore through high school and college wrestling mats. His wrestling career culminated with a national Greco-Roman championship in 2006 while representing Iowa Central Community College. Unfortunately for wrestling fans, Jones left the sport soon after to pursue professional MMA.

There's no telling how much further Jones could have taken his wrestling career had he decided to put off MMA. His prodigious natural talent is unlike anything yet seen in the Octagon. It makes sense Jones is this gifted, he comes from a family of successful athletes. His brothers Arthur and Chandler each had strong professional football careers in the NFL.

Jones is the rare MMA fighter capable of out-striking the great kickboxers and out-grappling the best wrestlers. His combination of natural gifts and ability to perform make it easy to imagine Olympic success should Jones have chosen that path.

1. Khabib Nurmagomedov - Judo

Khabib Nurmagomedov (29-0) is one of the most dominating and intimidating forces in MMA history. Nurmagomedov fused his wrestling, sambo, and judo expertise to become the ultimate grappler. He kept opponents from finding any bit of success against him in the Octagon.

Nurmagomedov started grappling at a young age. He wrestled and trained in judo earning a black belt in the latter. Judo techniques incorporating leverage, throws, trips, and balance all played pivotal roles in Nurmagomedov's game. His ability to time and transition wrestling takedowns so well is only strengthened by adhering to judo principles.

Outside of MMA, Nurmagomedov was a two-time combat sambo world champion. Similarly to judo, combat sambo is contested with a gi jacket on, facilitating grips and throws utilizing the piece of clothing. Had Nurmagomedov decided to give judo competition a serious shot, it's easy to imagine how well his skills would have transferred over.

In a round table discussion with MMA stars like Cejudo and Harrison, Nurmagomedov talked about his love for judo and desire to compete in that sport rather than wrestling. He said, "Judo is like different, If I have a chance to take like judo Olympic medal or freestyle...of course judo." He went on to discuss his father, the late Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov's passion for judo, and how despite the fact freestyle wrestling is popular in his native Dagestan, judo is on a different level.

Though Nurmagomedov focused on MMA once his combat sambo career ended, his lifetime of grappling probably could have made him a strong Olympic hopeful and possible champion. None of what Nurmagomedov accomplished over his legendary career was easy. His will and skillset were partially forged on the judo mats.