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Ask any budding athlete what their dream is and they will tell you that it is to win Olympic gold for their country. But only a handful of them never lose sight of their goal and persevere towards it with monk-like focus and sacrifice.
Just to don the nation's colours and step on the Olympic field symbolizes an athlete's eliteness. But only a select few possess the elusive mix of qualities that propel them from that stratosphere to the summit.
So what happens after you've made it to the Olympics and etched your name in sporting history? Those for whom medals were just out of reach actually throw themselves back into the seething waves for one more quest for treasure.
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Some become teachers and re-invest their rare knowledge into the next generation of promising sportsters. Others seek out new challenges; unfamiliar ones that stoke the competitive flame that is their life force.
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Here we take look at those icons who, unsatisfied even after reaching the final frontier of sports, crossed over to the world of MMA in search of new conquests.
#10 Mark Coleman
Many amateur wrestlers-turned-mixed martial artists revere Mark Coleman as a pathbreaker. A standout high school and collegiate wrestler, Coleman applied his imposing wrestling skills to MMA and literally coined the term "ground and pound".
"The Godfather of ground and pound" finished seventh overall in Freestyle wrestling at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and created ripples in the nascent MMA landscape by winning his first two tournaments, UFC 10 and 11.
Coleman wasn't done there; he became the first UFC Heavyweight champion in history after tapping out Dan Severn via neck crank at UFC 12. In 1999, Coleman would make the journey to Japan to fight in PRIDE, and a year later won the Open Weight Grand Prix Tournament.
After a loss to Antonio "Big Nog" Nogueira at PRIDE 16, Coleman took a sabbatical to found Team Hammer House, which turned out big names like Phil Baroni and Kevin Randleman. The most memorable part of his return to PRIDE was the brawl with Team Chute Boxe members after his fight with Mauricio "Shogun" Rua at PRIDE 31. In the first round, Shogun landed awkwardly after a takedown from Coleman and dislocated his elbow.
Coleman, who didn't see this, proceeded to ground and pound the incapacitated Brazilian for a few seconds before the observant referee pushed him away. Shogun's corner, which included Wanderlei Silva and Murilo Rua, presuming that the strikes were deliberate, stormed the ring. Phil Baroni, who was in Coleman's corner, rushed to his aid and a fracas ensued. Coleman extended the olive branch after the incident but Chute Boxe turned him away.
Coleman returned to the UFC after a shoddy run in PRIDE and was booked to face then Heavyweight champ Brock Lesnar at UFC 87. He pulled out due to an injury and faced Randy Couture at UFC 109. A submission loss would lead to Coleman being shown the door from his old stomping ground. He retired a few years later.
Apart from MMA, Coleman also wrestled for promotions like NJPW, AJPW and Hustle. He was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame at UFC 82, which made his fight with Randy Couture the only one in the promotion's history to feature two HOFers who were active fighters.
#9 Matt Lindland
Matt Lindland might be the only fighter in history to win an Olympic medal after beginning his professional mixed martial arts career. "The Law" took a break from MMA after debuting in 1997 to focus on Greco-Roman wrestling, a discipline in which he clinched silver at the 2000 Olympics. He followed that up by winning silver at next year's Worlds.
Lindland won his first four fights in the UFC and earned a shot at the Middleweight title against Murilo Bustamante. He was submitted by the founder of the Brazilian Top Team, but got back on track with two wins. His next fight against Falaniko Vitale would produce one of the most bizarre finishes in MMA. While attempting a trip in the first round, Lindland would instead drive his own head into the floor and knock himself out, giving Vitale the win. Lindland redeemed himself by finishing Vitale in the rematch, which happened a few months later.
Outside MMA, Lindland has won championships in professional white water rafting, acted in TV shows and even tasted some political success running for the Oregon House of Representatives. He is currently the head coach at Team Quest, which he founded with Randy Couture and Dan Henderson
#8 Sara McMann
Sara McMann created history at the 2004 Olympics by becoming the first American woman to win a silver medal in Freestyle wrestling. The decorated grappler made her professional MMA debut in 2011 and won her first seven fights, which put her at the front of the queue to face erstwhile reigning queen Ronda Rousey.
McMann was stopped by a knee to the body in the first round, which many considered premature. Since then. she has gone 4-3 in the UFC, including a Performance of the Night against top 10 fighter Alexis Davis.
McMann has braved great personal tragedies - her brother was murdered in 1999 and her fiance was killed in a car accident in 2004, which she survived. They served to make her all the more compassionate, evidenced by the fact that she travelled to Sri Lanka to help victims of the 2004 tsunami rebuild their lives. In addition to fighting, McMann is the mother of an eight-year-old daughter.
#7 Hector Lombard
Hector Lombard looks like the kind of guy who would make you turn around and walk the other way if he was coming towards you.
His fighting style and MMA record lend credence to that - he was undefeated in an incredible 24 bouts between 2007-11, with most of his wins being stoppages. The hulking Cuban is an accomplished Judoka, having won several golds in his national championships. This is no small feat, considering that the island nation is a powerhouse in the sport. He was part of the Cuban Judo contingent for the 2000 Olympics.
Lombard began his professional MMA career in Australia and made his North American debut at Bellator 3 in 2009, as part of their inaugural Middleweight tournament. He defeated Jared Hess in a bloody final to win the title, his ferocious style leaving fans screaming for more. He branded his name into fans' memory with his 6-second KO of Jay Silva at Bellator 18, a record that is still untouched.
Lombard was signed by the UFC in 2012, amidst much hype. He lost his UFC debut against Tim Boetsch via split decision but notched up wins against veterans Rousimar Palhares, Jake Shields and Nate Marquardt. He has also been in barnburners against Neil Magny, Josh Burkman and Anthony Smith.
#6 Henry Cejudo
It was obvious from a young age that Henry Cejudo was an anomaly in the sport of wrestling. He proved it by becoming the youngest Freestyle wrestler in history to win a gold medal, aged 21, at the 2008 Olympics. Kyle Snyder claimed that record for himself by winning gold at the 2016 Olympics, aged 20.
Cejudo retired from wrestling in 2012 after falling short in the Olympic trials, only to take on another challenge, MMA. After debuting in 2013, he quickly became the #1 ranked Bantamweight outside the UFC. They snapped him up in 2014 and he bounced between Flyweight and Bantamweight due to weight hiccups. He resolved those issues and won three consecutive fights to earn a shot at Demetrious Johnson's crown.
Unsuccessful, he next faced #1 ranked Joe Benavidez, who he coached against in The Ultimate Fighter: Tournament of Champions. Benavidez's volume over Cejudo's power won him a split decision, though Cejudo was penalized with a point deduction for a low blow in round 1. He TKO'd Wilson Reis in his next fight and won a Performance of the Night bonus. He is scheduled to face Sergio Pettis at UFC 218.
Cejudo was in the news last month when he had to jump out of his 2nd-floor hotel room at 2 AM to escape the Santa Rosa wildfire that claimed 35 lives. Cejudo injured his foot when he landed but was otherwise unharmed.
#5 Arjan Bhullar
Indian MMA went up in a roar when Arjan Bhullar was signed by the UFC earlier this year. He is the first athlete of Indian origin to represent Canada in the Olympics (2012) and to fight in the UFC. He won gold in the 120 kg weight class in Freestyle wrestling in the 2010 Commonwealth Games.
Bhullar made his professional MMA debut in 2014 and won his first six fights, catching the eye of UFC scouts who signed him this May. In his promotional debut against Luis Henrique at UFC 215, Bhullar scored a knockdown and used his wrestling to win a unanimous decision. Then WWE Champion and fellow Indo-Canadian Jinder Mahal was supposed to walk Bhullar out, but the former couldn't leave Florida because of Hurricane Irma.
#4 Dan Henderson
Dan Henderson is a shoo-in for the UFC Hall of Fame and if there ever is an MMA Hall of Fame, he will have a spot reserved there as well. Henderson represented the USA in Freestyle wrestling at the 1992 and 1996 Olympics
"Hendo" made his UFC debut all the way back in 1998, at UFC 17. His MMA career peaked in PRIDE Fighting Championships, where he won the Welterweight and Middleweight belts. He returned to the UFC and unsuccessfully challenged for the promotion's Light Heavyweight and Middleweight belts.
Titles might have eluded him, but immortality hadn't - Henderson produced one of the most iconic and violent knockouts in MMA when he H-bombed Michael Bisping into oblivion at UFC 100. To many fans, his fight with Shogun Rua at UFC 139 is the greatest in the sport's history. Both legends rematched at UFC Fight Night 38 in 2014 and gave the fans another Fight of the Night award winner.
At UFC 204, a 46-year-old Henderson was granted a rematch by longtime foe Michael Bisping, but this time the Middleweight Championship was on the line. Henderson came up short in the nailbiting back and forth scrap, which won Fight of the Night and then announced his retirement. He was the oldest fighter on the UFC roster at the time.
#3 Ronda Rousey
Ronda Rousey became an inspiration to thousands even before she made her name as one of MMA's greats. As a child, she suffered a speech impediment because she was born with the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck.
Her father committed suicide when she was 8. "Rowdy" fought through the tribulations and at 17, became the youngest Judoka in the history of the Olympics when she participated in the 2004 Summer Games. Four years later at the Beijing Games, Rousey became the youngest American woman to win an Olympic medal in Judo.
Rousey made her professional MMA debut in 2011 and won all her first eight fights via armbar, including two against Miesha Tate - one to claim the Strikeforce Women's Bantamweight belt and a defence of its UFC equivalent.
Rousey's record for most title defences in women's weight classes still stands today. She also has the most armbar finishes in UFC/Strikeforce/PRIDE/WEC history and the second and third fastest title fight finishes in UFC history.
Rousey won the ESPY for best female athlete consecutively in 2014 and 2015. She married fellow UFC fighter Travis Browne earlier this year, breaking Derrick Lewis' heart in the process.
#2 Yoel Romero
Yoel Romero's comically muscled physique belies freakish athleticism - watching him move is like watching a big cat stalking prey and all it takes is a second for the Cuban to make the kill.
The "Soldier of God" represented Cuba twice in Olympic Freestyle wrestling, winning silver in 2000 and placing 4th overall in 2004. After a sparkling career in the sport, Romero moved to Germany and turned pro as an MMA fighter, winning his first four contests.
He was signed by Strikeforce in 2011 and lost his lone bout under that banner to Rafael Cavalcante. A neck injury would keep him from competing for two years and in that span, the UFC had bought Strikeforce.
Romero stepped into the octagon as a Middleweight and beat all his opponents, some in brutal fashion, earning a shot at the Interim Middleweight Championship. He lost that fight to young Aussie Robert Whittaker at UFC 213, but he still has unfinished business with former champ Michael Bisping. It's safe to say that fans are quivering in anticipation of that fight. t
#1 Daniel Cormier
One of the greatest Freestyle wrestlers to make the transition to MMA, Daniel Cormier was actually offered a scholarship to play football at LSU but chose the former instead.
The decision would prove immensely rewarding. DC won the US senior national championship 5 consecutive times between 2003-08, making it to the 2004 Olympics where he missed the podium by a whisker and finished 4th overall. He was named team captain heading into the 2008 games, but kidney failure due to weight cutting would force him out of the tournament.
Cormier made his professional debut in 2009 and though an undersized Heavyweight, he would drown his larger opponents with his relentless pace and wrestling. He won the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix in 2012, knocking out Antonio Silva after stepping in on five weeks' notice and then body-slamming Josh Barnett in the finals en route to a unanimous decision.
His first two UFC fights were at Heavyweight, where he beat Frank Mir and Roy Nelson by UD, before dropping to Light Heavyweight. A bitter feud with Jon Jones would take birth and conclude at UFC 182, with the champ retaining his crown. A hit-and-run incident would lead to Jones being stripped of the title and Cormier would become champ by beating Anthony Johnson at UFC 187.
The new champ wouldn't cease seeking vindication for his loss and the inevitable rematch was set up at UFC 200. Incredibly, Jones was pulled for a doping violation at the last minute and watched from the sidelines for a year.
Jones would reclaim the title that he wasn't beaten for by stopping Cormier at UFC 214, but his demons weren't done with him and he was stripped of the belt barely a month later. Cormier was reinstated as the Light Heavyweight champ and is an MMA analyst for Fox Sports while he waits for his next challenger.
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