MMA Fighters who Play Golf

Due to the nature of the two games, MMA and golf will never make a perfect marriage. It didn’t help that the outspoken former UFC fighter Jason “Mayhem” Miller had this thing to say about the organization he used to work for:

“You keep thinking the UFC is real. It’s not. It’s governed by one petty, insecure, chunky golf player.”

Whether or not it made Dana White’s butt shake and what happened after being none of my concern. But I got interested to write this article after seeing Urijah Faber, Mark Munoz, and Chael Sonen play golf on TV. It was for a charity tournament Faber organized. At one point it showed another fighter play with a golf cart cover as the three continue to banter.

Another charity golf tournament that got my attention was the one organized by Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker and it featured the organization’s best fighters. Here are three of my favorites who were part of that tournament, headlining my list of MMA fighters who play golf.

Daniel Cormier

Image Credit: www.mirror.co.uk

When this former Olympic wrestler signed with the UFC, I already knew he was gonna make it big. “DC” is a former Strikeforce Grand Prix heavyweight champion and currently, the UFC ranks him as the no. 2 contender. The chances of him facing teammate and good friend Cain Velasquez may be out of the picture though, as he prefers to step down the light heavyweight division and fight Jon Jones instead. Still a matchup for the ages, no complaints.

Gilbert Melendez

Image Credit: www.therichest.com

A two-time Strikeforce lightweight champion, Gilbert “El Nino” Melendez is another Strikeforce graduate who has been raking success in the UFC. He is, in my opinion an uncrowned champion after decisively beating (again, in my opinion) Benson Henderson in their UFC on Fox encounter, and that’s before Anthony Pettis took the title away from Henderson. Gilbert’s most recent fight with Diego Sanchez proved he isn’t one to get emotionally swayed as he stood toe to toe with Sanchez en route to a unanimous decision victory. Currently, he is ranked no. 3 in the division and is once again at the doorstep of another title shot.

Cain Velasquez

Image Credit: www1.skysports.com

The American Top Team’s top dog is of course the present UFC heavyweight champion. The things he does in the cage against the world’s top heavyweights has been nothing short of spectacular. The trilogy he had with Junior Dos Santos was one of the best the world has ever seen, and on two occasions he gave Dos Santos the biggest beating anyone has ever dealt with someone inside the octagon. Although no formal announcement has been made yet, Fabricio Werdum looms to be the next opponent for Velasquez. Now, as long as Cain keeps the fight standing, I am perfectly sure he will retain his belt.