Four of the Most Educated MMA Fighters
MMA has become widespread in the world since the 90’s of the last century, but the roots of mixed fights go back many centuries. The BC Olympic Games included Pankration, the oldest recorded example of a combat sport. MMA has become quite common among college students. This is absolutely normal, as a career in MMA is associated with high incomes and provides considerable popularity to fighters. Besides, MMA training is great for physical fitness. Regular workouts will help you get in good physical shape, all major muscle groups are utilized in martial arts classes and decent cardio is given. The psychological stress of sparring has an additional effect. However, with all the advantages of studying MMA, you should not drop out of university. We have compiled a list of a few MMA fighters with a higher education diploma.
Featured Upcoming Bouts (Outside of UFC)
| Friday, October 16th 2026: PFL Chicago: Carmouche vs. Bishop 2 | |||
 [#6 W125] Liz Carmouche | [#14 W125] Jena Bishop | ||
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| Last Fight Date: 6/27/2026 [PFL] Last Opponent: [#16 W125] Viviane Araujo Last 5: L W W W W | Last Fight Date: 6/27/2026 [PFL] Last Opponent: [#37 W125] Ariane Lipski da Silva Last 5: W W L W W | ||
| Saturday, November 14th 2026: Professional Fighters League PFL Returns to Dubai: Nemkov vs. Bilostenniy | |||
 [#6 HW] Vadim Nemkov | [#16 HW] Sergey Bilostenniy | ||
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| Last Fight Date: 12/13/2025 [PFL] Last Opponent: [#20 HW] Renan Ferreira Last 5: W W W W W | Last Fight Date: 5/02/2026 [PFL] Last Opponent: [#20 HW] Renan Ferreira Last 5: W W L W W | ||
| Thursday, December 31st 2026: Rizin FF New Years Eve Event | |||
 [#5 FW] Rajabali Shaidullaev |  [#17 FW] Kyoma Akimoto | ||
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| Last Fight Date: 9/10/2026 [Rizin Fighting Federation] Last Opponent: [#7 FW] A.J. McKee Last 5: W W W W W | Last Fight Date: 8/11/2026 [Rizin Fighting Federation] Last Opponent: [#26 FW] Kleber Koike Erbst Last 5: W W W W W | ||
Featured Fighters
| [#644 WW] |  Tamerlan Dulatov | [#1 WW] | Islam Makhachev | |
| [#65 LHW] |  Karlos Vemola | [#25 BW] |  Raoni Barcelos | |
| [NR] |  Roberto Soldic | [#16 BW] | Raul Rosas Jr. | |
| [#175 LHW] |  Frederic Vosgrone | [#3 HW] |  Tom Aspinall | |
| [#8 HW] | Josh Hokit | [#1 LW] | Justin Gaethje |
Top 3 Fights That We Need To See In The UFC This Year
It has been a remarkable year for all sports, but no sport has been able to adapt in the way that the UFC has. Dana White has consistently reiterated that he wants to continue putting on events for fans, despite audiences not able to be present.
Fight Island is one of the most exciting additions to UFC in recent years and has made for must-see sporting action. Fans will once again be treated to another blockbuster event this weekend as Darren Till, and Robert Whittaker go head to head, but what fights are fans all hoping to see at some point this year?
Conor McGregor vs Khabib Nurmagomedov
The obvious fight that all fans want to see at some point in the future is the rematch between Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov. Tensions between the two have refused to go away, and the scene has been set for two years fro a rematch. There were fears earlier this year that fans may never get the rematch that they craved when McGregor revealed that he was retiring from UFC action.
However, it isn’t the first time that the Irishman has pulled this stunt and he will likely be tempted back into the octagon. The fight between the two in 2018 was a thrilling affair, as Khabib ruthlessly beat McGregor by forcing him to tap-out.
The fact that these two fighters really don’t like each other means that it is bound to sell. However, whether the UFC are likely to stage one of their biggest ever fights without fans in attendance looks very unlikely.
After all if Conor and Khabib were in horse racing, they would be equaled to Triple Crown winners and you want to cash on winning horses don’t you?
MMA Stars That Originally Tried Their Hand At Other Sports
There aren’t many other sports that can claim to have as many athletes that have tested out multiple sports more so than the UFC. There have been a number of fighters throughout the history of UFC that have dabbled in other sports before carving out a career in the octagon.
Some of the stars that have moved to the UFC have enjoyed excellent careers in the MMA world, while others haven’t achieved anything. But, which fighters started their sporting careers in other sports before landing in the octagon?
Greg Hardy
Greg Hardy began his sporting career in the NFL as he was drafted in round six in 2010. During his career playing American Football, he played for the Carolina Panthers and the Dallas Cowboys. Hardy played 75 times in the NFL and was a renowned defensive end. If you are familiar on how NFL odds work, you are probably familiar with his name.
His performances on the picture saw him named in the Pro Bowl in 2013, and he was also selected in the All-SEC first team in 2007. However, in 2016 he revealed that he would be having a change in career as he started in the world of MMA.
Within two years he was signed by the UFC, and he fought against former NFL star Austen Lane in Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series. Hardy won by KO in that fight. Hardy has naturally fitted into the world of MMA and has won six of his eight fights in UFC. The most recent of those came in May as he beat Yorgan De Castro via unanimous decision. Keep Reading
Cormier and Miocic Closely Matched Ahead of Final Encounter
Daniel Cormier and Stipe Miocic have traded wins and the UFC Heavyweight Championship over the last couple of years. At UFC 252 on August 15, they will meet again, and we will find out who is the better man inside the Octagon.
Win, lose or draw, Cormier has said he will retire from MMA following this third bout with Miocic. Whether he will ride off into the sunset as a two-time UFC Heavyweight champ remains to be seen.
DC took less than five minutes to knock Miocic out at UFC 226 in July 2018 and end his two-year reign but had three warnings from the official about eye-gouging. This nasty undercurrent to the fight also reared its ugly head again in the rematch at UFC 241 held in the old Arrowhead Pond in Anaheim, California.
Fight Matrix Program – UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. Till (2020-07-25)
Middleweight (185)
[#3] Robert Whittaker (20-5-0, -113) vs. [#9] Darren Till (18-2-1, -110)
Robert Whittaker is the All-Time #14 ranked Middleweight fighter.
Last 3 Fights: Robert Whittaker (2-1-0)
2019-10-05: L vs. [#1MW/#7P4P] Israel Adesanya (19-0-0) via KO (Punches) in 3:33 of round 2
2018-06-09: W vs. [#4MW] Yoel Romero (13-5-0) via SD (47-48, 48-47, 48-47)
2017-07-08: W vs. [#4MW] Yoel Romero (13-5-0) via UD (48-47, 48-47, 48-47)
Last 3 Fights: Darren Till (1-2-0)
2019-11-02: W vs. [#10MW] Kelvin Gastelum (15-6-0) via SD (29-28, 30-27, 27-30)
2019-03-16: L vs. [#2WW] Jorge Masvidal (35-14-0) via KO (Punches) in 3:05 of round 2
2018-09-08: L vs. [#5WW] Tyron Woodley (19-5-1) via Submission (Brabo Choke) in 4:19 of round 2
| System | Favorite | Rating | Rating Diff | Win % |
| Betting Odds | Robert Whittaker | -113 | 50.31% | |
| Elo K170 | Robert Whittaker | 2208.44 | +174.19 | 68.91% |
| Elo Modified | Robert Whittaker | 2140.09 | +172.61 | 68.04% |
| Glicko-1 | Robert Whittaker | 2199.51 | +190.04 | 74.91% |
| WHR | Robert Whittaker | 1948.59 | +127.07 | 64.12% |
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Robert Whittaker 294, Darren Till 266
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: Darren Till leads 1-0
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Light Heavyweight (205)
[#26] Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (23-9-0, +161) vs. [#27] Mauricio Rua (26-11-1, -195)
Antonio Rogerio Nogueira is the All-Time #18 ranked Light Heavyweight fighter.
Mauricio Rua is the All-Time #6 ranked Light Heavyweight and #35 ranked Absolute fighter.
Last 3 Fights: Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (1-2-0)
2019-05-11: L vs. [#15LHW] Ryan Spann (18-5-0) via KO (Punches) in 2:07 of round 1
2018-09-22: W vs. [#35LHW] Sam Alvey (33-14-0) via TKO (Punches) in 1:00 of round 2
2016-11-19: L vs. [#6HW+] Ryan Bader (27-5-0) via TKO (Punches) in 3:51 of round 3
Last 3 Fights: Mauricio Rua (1-1-1)
2019-11-16: D vs. [#44LHW] Paul Craig (12-4-1) via Draw (Split) in 5:00 of round 3
2018-12-01: W vs. [*] Tyson Pedro (7-3-0) via TKO (Punches) in 0:43 of round 3
2018-07-22: L vs. [#11LHW] Anthony Smith (33-15-0) via KO (Elbow) in 1:29 of round 1
| System | Favorite | Rating | Rating Diff | Win % |
| Betting Odds | Mauricio Rua | -195 | 63.30% | |
| Elo K170 | Mauricio Rua | 1774.06 | +40.02 | 54.56% |
| Elo Modified | Mauricio Rua | 1779.73 | +48.13 | 55.25% |
| Glicko-1 | Mauricio Rua | 1823.14 | +69.72 | 59.90% |
| WHR | Mauricio Rua | 1676.87 | +20.09 | 52.29% |
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Antonio Rogerio Nogueira 441, Mauricio Rua 252
Previous Match-up Record: Mauricio Rua leads 2-0-0
Wins Against Common Opposition: Antonio Rogerio Nogueira leads 5-3
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Heavyweight (265)
[#14] Fabricio Werdum (23-9-1, +245) vs. [#17LHW] Alexander Gustafsson (18-6-0, -312)
Fabricio Werdum is the All-Time #5 ranked Heavyweight and #23 ranked Absolute fighter.
Last 3 Fights: Fabricio Werdum (1-2-0)
2020-05-09: L vs. [#12HW+] Alexey Oleynik (61-13-1) via SD (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
2018-03-17: L vs. [#10HW+] Alexander Volkov (31-8-0) via KO (Punches) in 1:38 of round 4
2017-11-18: W vs. [#20HW+] Marcin Tybura (19-6-0) via UD (50-45, 50-45, 49-46)
Last 3 Fights: Alexander Gustafsson (1-2-0)
2019-06-01: L vs. [#11LHW] Anthony Smith (33-15-0) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 2:38 of round 4
2018-12-29: L vs. [#1LHW/#9DD/#1P4P] Jon Jones (26-1-0) via KO (Punches) in 2:02 of round 3
2017-05-28: W vs. [#6LHW] Glover Teixeira (31-7-0) via KO (Punches) in 1:07 of round 5
| System | Favorite | Rating | Rating Diff | Win % |
| Betting Odds | Alexander Gustafsson | -312 | 72.31% | |
| Elo K170 | Alexander Gustafsson | 1929.75 | +128.87 | 64.31% |
| Elo Modified | Alexander Gustafsson | 1955.04 | +41.48 | 54.53% |
| Glicko-1 | Alexander Gustafsson | 2014.34 | +9.70 | 51.40% |
| WHR | Alexander Gustafsson | 1866.31 | +39.08 | 54.45% |
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Fabricio Werdum 77, Alexander Gustafsson 420
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
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Keep Reading
Fight Matrix Program – UFC Fight Night: Figueiredo vs. Benavidez (2020-07-18)
Flyweight Championship (125)
[#1/#10DD] Deiveson Figueiredo (18-1-0, -212) vs. [#2] Joseph Benavidez (28-6-0, +172)
Deiveson Figueiredo is the All-Time #9 ranked Flyweight fighter.
Joseph Benavidez is the All-Time #6 ranked Flyweight fighter.
Last 3 Fights: Deiveson Figueiredo (3-0-0)
2020-02-29: W vs. [#2FLY] Joseph Benavidez (28-6-0) via TKO (Punches) in 1:54 of round 2
2019-10-12: W vs. [#25FLY] Tim Elliott (16-11-1) via Submission (Guillotine Choke) in 3:08 of round 1
2019-07-27: W vs. [#5FLY] Alexandre Pantoja (22-4-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Last 3 Fights: Joseph Benavidez (2-1-0)
2020-02-29: L vs. [#1FLY/#10DD] Deiveson Figueiredo (18-1-0) via TKO (Punches) in 1:54 of round 2
2019-06-29: W vs. [#7FLY] Jussier Formiga (23-8-0) via TKO (Head Kick and Punches) in 4:47 of round 2
2019-01-19: W vs. [*] Dustin Ortiz (19-8-0) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
| System | Favorite | Rating | Rating Diff | Win % |
| Betting Odds | Deiveson Figueiredo | -212 | 64.89% | |
| Elo K170 | Deiveson Figueiredo | 2060.54 | +106.61 | 61.94% |
| Elo Modified | Deiveson Figueiredo | 2023.02 | +92.80 | 60.02% |
| Glicko-1 | Deiveson Figueiredo | 2104.12 | +127.63 | 67.58% |
| WHR | Deiveson Figueiredo | 1914.11 | +57.38 | 56.52% |
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Deiveson Figueiredo 140, Joseph Benavidez 140
Previous Match-up Record: Deiveson Figueiredo leads 1-0-0
Wins Against Common Opposition: Joseph Benavidez leads 4-2
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Middleweight (185)
[#9] Kelvin Gastelum (15-5-0, -121) vs. [#10] Jack Hermansson (20-5-0, -103)
Kelvin Gastelum is the All-Time #29 ranked Middleweight fighter.
Last 3 Fights: Kelvin Gastelum (1-2-0)
2019-11-02: L vs. [#8MW] Darren Till (18-2-1) via SD (29-28, 30-27, 27-30)
2019-04-13: L vs. [#1MW/#7P4P] Israel Adesanya (19-0-0) via UD (48-46, 48-46, 48-46)
2018-05-12: W vs. [#8LHW] Ronaldo Souza (26-8-0) via SD (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
Last 3 Fights: Jack Hermansson (2-1-0)
2019-09-28: L vs. [#7MW] Jared Cannonier (13-4-0) via TKO (Punches) in 0:27 of round 2
2019-04-27: W vs. [#8LHW] Ronaldo Souza (26-8-0) via UD (49-45, 48-47, 48-47)
2019-03-30: W vs. [#27MW] David Branch (22-7-0) via Submission (Guillotine Choke) in 0:49 of round 1
| System | Favorite | Rating | Rating Diff | Win % |
| Betting Odds | Kelvin Gastelum | -121 | 51.90% | |
| Elo K170 | Jack Hermansson | 1949.96 | +9.13 | 51.04% |
| Elo Modified | Kelvin Gastelum | 1973.09 | +12.37 | 51.35% |
| Glicko-1 | Kelvin Gastelum | 2058.33 | +29.60 | 54.25% |
| WHR | Kelvin Gastelum | 1876.39 | +4.64 | 50.53% |
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Kelvin Gastelum 259, Jack Hermansson 294
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: Even: Both have 1 win(s) against common opposition.
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Lightweight (155)
[#74] Marc Diakiese (14-3-0, -165) vs. [#121] Rafael Fiziev (7-1-0, +137)
Last 3 Fights: Marc Diakiese (2-1-0)
2019-09-28: W vs. [#34LW] Lando Vannata (11-4-2) via UD (30-27, 30-26, 30-27)
2019-03-16: W vs. [*] Joseph Duffy (16-4-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
2018-07-22: L vs. [#90LW] Nasrat Haqparast (11-3-0) via UD (30-27, 30-26, 30-27)
Last 3 Fights: Rafael Fiziev (2-1-0)
2019-10-26: W vs. [#152LW] Alex White (14-6-0) via UD (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
2019-04-20: L vs. [#107LW] Magomed Mustafaev (14-4-0) via TKO (Spinning Back Kick and Punches) in 1:26 of round 1
2018-12-21: W vs. [*] Nurzhan Tutkaev (5-5-0) via KO (Body Kick) in 0:51 of round 2
| System | Favorite | Rating | Rating Diff | Win % |
| Betting Odds | Marc Diakiese | -165 | 59.60% | |
| Elo K170 | Marc Diakiese | 1596.14 | +90.87 | 60.23% |
| Elo Modified | Marc Diakiese | 1638.81 | +87.55 | 59.47% |
| Glicko-1 | Marc Diakiese | 1679.60 | +125.19 | 67.28% |
| WHR | Marc Diakiese | 1677.02 | +138.10 | 65.27% |
Days Since Last Pro Fight: Marc Diakiese 294, Rafael Fiziev 266
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
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Keep Reading
Miocic vs Cormier III: Why It’s All on the Line in Heavyweight Scrap for the Ages
There’s an old maxim that “good things come in threes”, which anyone who has sat through the third part of the Back to the Future, Rocky and The Godfather trilogies will have solid ground to disagree with. But just occasionally triple headers can deliver the goods, and the hope is that Stipe Miocic and Daniel Cormier’s third encounter adds to that pantheon.
The Heavyweight Championship will be on the line when the two are scheduled to meet at UFC 252 on August 15 in the UFC’s APEX production facility in Las Vegas, but there’s much more than just gold and bragging rights at stake here.
This one is for all the marbles. 1-1, both knockouts but great fights, I can’t wait to fight this dude again!! Now it’s time to work as hard as I ever trained. #weareaka #zinkinsportsmanagement #2xheavyweightchamp 2xlightheavyweightchamp pic.twitter.com/BvyhectS4X
— Daniel Cormier (@dc_mma) June 9, 2020