5 UFC fighters with military backgrounds

#4. Jorge 'El Conquistador' Rivera

UFC 104: Machida vs. Shogun

'El Conquistador' joined the US Army in his early 20s and served as a 19K Armored Calvary Scout at Fort Polk, Louisiana. After two years in, he left the military to pursue a career in mixed martial arts.

Following his departure from the Army, Rivera spent the next four years dedicated to training at the gym. Despite starting late as a pro fighter, he easily worked his way up to the UFC within two years.

He was a fierce competitor in the sport for seven years, having fought big names like Chris Leben and rival Michael Bisping before the end of his career. In 2012, Rivera retired on a good note, winning his final MMA match at UFC on FX 1 in his original fashion, i.e, a TKO before the final bell.

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#3. Liz 'Girl-Rilla' Carmouche

The UFC's second counterpart in their first female fight, Liz Carmouche was an aviation electrician for the Marines before starting her MMA career. She spent a total of five years in the military and did three tours in the Middle East.

A year after ending her military contract in 2009, her professional MMA career began in magnificent fashion. Carmouche took the women's MMA scene by storm as she eliminated the competition in devastating fashion. She flaunted six straight victories in one year and only one went to the judges' scorecards. The 16-7 fighter met with some defeats in the following years but has won against some of the UFC's best, including the No.1 and No.2-ranked flyweights Jessica Andrade and Kaitlyn Chookagian respectively.

Carmouche is currently dominating the flyweight division in Bellator. She debuted with the promotion in 2020 after 6 years in the UFC. The 38-year-old veteran fights next at Bellator 278 on April 22.