5 UFC fighters who were equally good at other sports

#2 - UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski: Rugby

Alexander Volkanovski

UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski currently fights at 66 kgs. However, he was once a buffed-up rugby player weighing more than 99 kgs. 'The Great' began training in Greco-Roman wrestling at an early age and won a national title by the age of 12.

Alexander Volkanovski was more inclined towards playing rugby and gave up wrestling for it at the age of 14. He played semi-professional rugby in the South Coast Rugby League for the Warilla Gorillas as a front-rower. In 2010, Volkanovski was awarded the Mick Cronin Medal as the league's best player.

He also played a key role in his team's victory in the 2011 season's final against Gerringong, receiving a Man of the Match award for his performance. However, Volkanovski decided to quit rugby at the age of 23 to pursue MMA.

Alexander Volkanovski started his MMA career in 2012 and joined the UFC in 2016. He defeated Max Holloway at UFC 245 to become the featherweight champion. Currently, Volkanovski is acting as a coach along with Brian Ortega for The Ultimate Fighter 29.

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#1 - UFC heavyweight Greg Hardy: American Football

Greg Hardy

Greg Hardy kickstarted his MMA career with Dana White's Contender Series in 2018. After picking up a 3-0 record in the same year, he made his UFC debut in 2019 against Allen Crowder. However, before venturing inside the world of mixed martial arts, 'Prince of War' was an American football athlete.

Greg Hardy liked football and was playing as a defensive end for his team at the University of Mississippi. He was even drafted into the NFL by the Carolina Panthers in the sixth round in 2010. After becoming a free agent in 2015, Hardy was signed by the Dallas Cowboys in 2015 on a one-year contract worth $11.3m.

And with Dallas paying Greg Hardy $11.3 million, makes it incredibly difficult to now acquire Adrian Peterson.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 18, 2015

Greg Hardy has a 7-3 record in MMA and currently competes in the heavyweight division of the UFC. He is scheduled to enter the octagon at UFC 264 against Tai Tuivasa.