Taekwondo Blackbelts in the UFC?

You may be wondering, how does taekwondo translate into real life fights?

Taekwondo is a highly physically demanding martial art. By this, we mean that you need immense physical power, flexibility, and stamina to be able to perform it at higher levels. We wanted to look further into how it translates and found that some of the most famous UFC fighters actually have a background in the art of Taekwondo.

Here’s a list of some of the top UFC fighters that started out in Taekwondo.

Bas Rutten. Rutten is a true MMA legend and one of the early pioneers of the sport. Rutten began learning the Korean martial art form, Taekwondo, at 14. After completely dedicating himself to the sport, Bas would receive a 2nd-degree black belt.

Akop Stepanyan. Akop began his combat sport training with Taekwondo where he earned his blackbelt and was the 2002 Russian National Champion.

Nina Ansaroff. Nunes started taking classes in Taekwondo at the age of 6 and would later earn a 3rd degree black belt in Taekwondo.

Curious how these skills translate outside the dojang? Our Adult Taekwondo program in Cedar Mill builds the same striking, discipline, and confidence you see in the ring. Book a free trial class today.

Daron Cruickshank. Both of his parents are 4th-degree black belts in Taekwondo and have their own schools. Daron became a 2nd-degree black belt in Taekwondo, and was also competing as an NCAA Division III wrestler.

Edson Barboza. Barboza brings to the table a variety of brutal Taekwondo and Muay Thai kicking techniques and has never changed his fighting styles, remaining loyal to his elite standup skills.

Valentina Shevchenko. Valentina began Taekwondo at age 5, under the influence of her older sister and her mother, who both participated in the sport. At age 12 she branched into Muay Thai kickboxing.

Rose Namajunas. Rose started practicing taekwondo at the age of 5 and earned her poom belt (junior black belt) at age 9. As the former UFC straw-weight champion, you can still see Taekwondo’s clear influence on the way she fights.

Yair Rodriguez. Yair started his combat sports journey at age 5 with taekwondo, and is a taekwondo black belt and one of the purest representations of the style in modern MMA.

Anderson Silva. As a teen, Silva began training in taekwondo, capoeira, and muay thai. With a 5th dan black belt, he is perhaps the highest-ranking taekwondo practitioner on this list.

Anthony Pettis. Pettis started training in taekwondo and boxing at the age of 5, and by 18 already had a 3rd degree black belt in taekwondo.

As an honorable mention, Stephen Thompson bases his method on a US kickboxing style that borrows heavily from Korean kicks.

Although these fighters started at a young age, Taekwondo circles around intelligence and the right attitude. For this reason, you’re never too old to begin with Taekwondo. With dedication and determination, you can make the cut even after 60, let alone 30 or 40 years of age.

Be sure to stop in and visit with us about how to start your taekwondo journey at W1.