5 current UFC fighters who have an inspiring rags-to-riches story

There have been some amazing rags-to-riches stories in the UFC where fighters, who came from almost nothing, managed to achieve huge accolades in the sport of mixed martial arts.

UFC legends like Anderson Silva went through arduous struggles in their early lives and overcame numerous adversities to become the stars that they are today.

Being born in a poor family, Silva's parents were unable to meet his expenses. Thus, 'The Spider' was sent to live with relatives at a tender age. Growing up, Silva did multiple dead-end jobs to pay the bills as he could not ask his family for money anymore.

The Brazilian fighter kept pursuing a career in mixed martial arts on the side and eventually, the hard work started to bear fruit. By stacking up win after win over the years, Silva managed to become the biggest name in the world of MMA at the time.

Similarly, there are many fighters currently competing in the UFC who have overcome difficult circumstances in their lives to become the stars that they are today.

On that note, let's take a look at five current UFC fighters who have amazing rags-to-riches stories:

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#5. Jorge Masvidal (UFC welterweight)

Growing up on the streets of Miami, Jorge Masvidal did not have the best of childhoods. In 1989, Masvidal Sr. was arrested on drug charges and imprisoned for 18 years.

Masvidal's aggression as a child always got him in trouble with other people. In his youth, Masvidal engaged in backyard fights in order to earn money. Videos of his backyard brawls went viral on YouTube.

After having a professional MMA career for almost 16 years, Masvidal shot to fame in 2019 with three spectacular wins in the UFC. 'Gamebred' started his meteoric rise with a knockout win over Darren Till. Next on the hitlist was Ben Askren, who barely lasted five seconds against the Miami native. These two wins led Masvidal towards a spectacular fight with Nate Diaz for the 'BMF' title.

'Gamebred' man-handled Diaz for three rounds before the fight was stopped due to a cut on the Stockton slugger's eye. With these three victories, the 36-year-old became one of the biggest names in combat sports.

#4. Leon Edwards (UFC welterweight)

Leon Edwards is one of the best 170-pound fighters in the UFC today and has the potential to become the welterweight king one day. 'Rocky' recently earned arguably the biggest victory of his career when he defeated UFC legend Nate Diaz via unanimous decision at UFC 263. The Birmingham fighter is now possibly one win away from a shot at UFC gold.

But Edwards' journey up to this point has not been a bed full of roses. 'Rocky' spent the early years of his life surrounded by crime and drugs in Kingston, Jamaica. Having a gang leader for a father also did not help things much:

"In Jamaica, the neighborhood that I was brought up in, it was a gang-infested neighborhood. Shootouts, drugs... It's weird to be normalized to hearing gunshots. But my dad was the gang leader... That's the reason why I came to the UK, to give money to Jamaica and to support the gangs," revealed Leon Edwards.

A move to England did not turn out to be such a good thing either as 'Rocky' got involved with the local gangs of Birmingham. When he was just 14, Edwards received the news of his father being murdered in a nightclub in London.

A few years later, the Jamaican-born fighter discovered MMA and decided to dedicate his life towards it. The MMA lifestyle helped him leave his old life behind in the hope for a better future.

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#3. Charles Oliveira (UFC lightweight)

Charles Oliveira's journey from the favelas of Brazil to the UFC's lightweight throne is nothing short of a miracle. At a young age, Oliveira was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and heart murmurs. The doctors even said that he might not be able to walk again and may need to depend on a wheelchair.

After undergoing treatment for several years, Olveira was cleared from the hospital but was advised not to do any heavy physical activity. But 'do Bronx' was not one to listen as he picked up soccer mere months after getting out of the hospital.

As a kid, 'do Bronx' used to help his mother sell cheese salads to make ends meet. At the age of 12, Oliveira was introduced to Brazilian jiu-jitsu and thus, started his journey to become a mixed martial artist.

This journey led him to the UFC. After spending more than a decade in the promotion, 'Do Bronx' finally got his hands on the coveted lightweight title. His title win came when he defeated Michael Chandler at UFC 262.

#2. Conor McGregor (UFC lightweight)

UFC superstar Conor McGregor's rags-to-riches tale is one of the most remarkable stories in the sport of mixed martial arts. From working as a plumber and collecting welfare cheques in Dublin to scoring the number one spot on Forbes magazine's list of highest paid athletes of 2021, the Irishman has come a long way.

Growing up on the streets of Crumlin, 'The Notorious' took up boxing at the age of 12. A few years later, McGregor shifted his focus to the then lesser-known sport of mixed martial arts. At 18, 'Mystic Mac' also picked up a plumbing apprenticeship but later gave it up to focus on his combat sports career.

After stacking up 12 wins in 14 fights, the Irishman was called up by the UFC. This started an era defined by McGregor's flashy knockouts in the octagon and his unforgettable promos outside of it. After running through the featherweight division, 'The Notorious' came face-to-face with Jose Aldo at UFC 194. 'Mystic Mac' came through on his prediction by knocking out the Brazilian fighter in 13 seconds of the opening round.

Since then, his epic rivalry with Nate Diaz, the historic victory over Eddie Alvarez and the boxing spectacle with Floyd Mayweather have all helped take the Irishman's legacy up a notch.

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#1. Francis Ngannou (UFC heavyweight)

There are hardly any UFC fighters who have had a tougher road to get into the UFC than Francis Ngannou. Born in a small village in Cameroon, 'The Predator' had to start work in a sand mine at the age of just 10 to support his family.

The Cameroonian fighter's time in school was also unpleasant as he struggled to acquire basic things like pens, notebooks, uniform, socks and shoes.

At the age of 17, Ngannou decided to leave Cameroon for better prospects. What followed was a nightmare of a journey that involved living in bushes, eating out of trash cans, sleeping in the streets and fighting off rats to secure leftover food.

2013: 7 years ago we were freed by Spanish homeland security after spending 2 months in jail for illegally entering Europe by sea. This, after attempting for one year from Morocco. I had nothing by then but a dream and a faith of pursuing it.Some people will always (1/3) pic.twitter.com/ogfyDT5ZNw

— Francis Ngannou (@francis_ngannou) June 11, 2020

After spending years crossing borders illegally and even serving jail time, Ngannou finally arrived in France. There he found Didier Carmont, who helped him get into mixed martial arts.

Starting his professional MMA career in 2013, it took the 34-year-old more than seven years to capture UFC gold. He defeated Stipe Miocic at UFC 260 to win the heavyweight title and become the new 'Baddest Man on the Planet'.