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UFC fighters are world-class athletes who devote a large chunk of their time to developing the necessary skills to achieve greatness in the world of mixed martial arts.
Some were lifelong wrestlers who perfected their takedowns and clinch-work throughout their years in high school and collegiate competitions, while others participated in traditional martial arts from a young age before pursuing MMA in adulthood.
While fighters typically spend most of their time honing their skills at gyms, their lives aren't entirely consumed by mixed martial arts. Recovery is just as important as training, and in the downtime between fight camps, UFC fighters often engage in various pastimes.
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Some fighters, like Gregor Gillespie, opt to spend their spare time fishing. Others, however, are gamers, with some even using their social media platforms to stream.
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This list cites five UFC fighters who could've become E-sports gamers had mixed martial arts never come up in their lives.
#5. Kevin Holland
Kevin Holland is one of the most entertaining fighters on the UFC roster. A fearless striker with quick, powerful punches, 'The Trailblazer' has had memorable bouts in both the welterweight and middleweight divisions.
With aspirations of ascending through the rankings, Holland has committed to the welterweight division after the size difference between him and the top middleweights became too great to overcome. As entertaining as the welterweight contender is inside the cage, he is just as entertaining outside it.
His interviews typically feature his humorous personality, but he's also known for engaging in heroics in his local community, apprehending criminals and stopping situations from escalating, such as when he helped subdue a gunman this past March.
What many might not know, however, is that Holland is an active gamer. During a home tour he conducted for the Celebrity GamerZ YouTube channel, 'The Trailblazer' showed off his gaming setup and revealed his collection of games, which included EA Sports UFC 4 and NBA 2K20.
#4. Robert Whittaker
Former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker is one of the best fighters in the world. Despite his two losses to current middleweight kingpin Israel Adesanya, 'The Reaper' is a constant threat at the top of the division's rankings, having bested a multitude of top contenders before and after capturing UFC gold.
While Whittaker was enrolled in karate classes during the early years of his youth, he was also an avid gamer, having developed an interest in Final Fantasy Tactics.
His interest in gaming has remained strong. The Australian revealed himself to be a Bethesda fan, citing The Elder Scrolls and Fallout series of video games as being among his favorites.
In fact, Whittaker's love for Bethesda-made games has reached such heights that the former middleweight champion did voice work for a Skyrim character as part of an officially supported mod. The character bears a striking resemblance to Whittaker, sporting a goatee, matching tattoos, and his trademark buzzcut.
#3. Israel Adesanya
'The Last Stylebender' has a flashy personality. While his showmanship inside the octagon has experienced a downturn in recent years, Israel Adesanya remains the UFC middleweight champion.
While he's not outstriking his foes or denying them any chance of engagement through his perfected neutralization strategy, the former kickboxer spends his spare time watching anime, reading manga, and pursuing a number of different hobbies, including gaming.
The Nigerian champion has revealed his preference for PC gaming over console gaming but still partakes in both.
Two years ago, Adesanya tweeted in anticipation of Spider-Man: Miles Morales after footage of the video game on the PlayStation 5 was released. Among the other games Adesanya has expressed an interest in are The Last of Us, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, EA Sports UFC 4 (which he is on the cover of), and Elden Ring, for which he partook in a live-action trailer.
'The Last Stylebender' claims that his years of gaming helped improve his hand-eye coordination, which ultimately benefited him as a fighter.
#2. Sean O'Malley
UFC bantamweight star Sean O'Malley is well-known for his exciting, self-taught striking style in the octagon. While his recent performances against higher-ranked competition have led to question-marks about the potential 'Sugar' possesses as a self-proclaimed future world champion, he remains as popular as ever.
O'Malley's social media presence is remarkable for a fighter who is ranked outside the top ten in his division.
Whether it's Twitter, Instagram, or elsewhere, 'Sugar' is prominent across social media. Perhaps this is why he once claimed to have made thousands of dollars per month through gaming on his Twitch channel, which O'Malley still uses to stream to this day.
Among the games that the rising UFC star has enjoyed throughout the years are Fortnite and Call of Duty. Additionally, Sean O'Malley is a fan of multiple gaming platforms, although he mainly focuses on PC gaming due to his Twitch streaming.
#1. Max Holloway
Former UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway is one of the greatest mixed martial artists of all time. 'Blessed' successfully defended his UFC title three times before relinquishing it to Alexander Volkanovski.
During his career, Holloway has defeated elite competitors such as Brian Ortega, Jose Aldo, Charles Oliveira, Calvin Kattar, and Yair Rodriguez. As brilliant as the Hawaiian has been—and still is—in the octagon, Holloway has other pursuits.
In his spare time, the Hawaiian great is a streamer and gamer. On his Twitch channel, he has played numerous games like APEX Legends, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Grand Theft Auto V.
His gaming content isn't exclusive to Twitch, however, as he posts videos and shorts of his gaming on YouTube. Like Sean O'Malley, Max Holloway is one of the most seasoned gamers of any active UFC fighter, even once joking that if he had a Lamborghini Yacht like Conor McGregor, he'd likely spend his time playing APEX Legends.
