MMA
How Many Amateur MMA Fights Does it Take Before Turning Pro?
The journey from amateur to professional MMA varies for each fighter, with most participating in 5 to 10 amateur fights before going pro. Amateur fighters typically do not get paid, instead competing for experience and exposure. However, a few champions have reached the peak of the sport without an extensive amateur background. Notable examples include Ronda Rousey, who transitioned from Judo, and Conor McGregor, who had a minimal amateur MMA record but quickly rose to fame.
Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson//Getty Images
The answer to this really varies simply due to the fighter's skill level and their experience in mixed martial arts training. However, it is common for fighters to have around 5 to 10 amateur bouts before turning professional. Having 5 to 10 amateur bouts allows a fighter to gain valuable experience on the competitive stage which will only help them when they get to the professional scene.
Some of the biggest MMA promotions in the world tend to dismiss fighters who don't have a strong amateur background or have extensive experience on the small and local professional circuit, so, this could be a reason for someone to have a long amateur career before becoming a pro.
It is common for professional MMA fighters to have come from various backgrounds and sports, and have an amateur career there. For example, Stephen Thompson had 37 amateur kickboxing bouts, going undefeated both as an amateur and professionally in kickboxing, before transitioning to pro MMA.
Another example is Khabib Nurmagomedov, “The Eagle” went 29-0 in professional MMA, but before this, he had a long amateur career in wrestling and sambo, winning several national and international championships. This strong grappling background helped him dominate everybody inside the octagon.
Do Amateur MMA Fighters Get Paid?
Nate Diaz and Conor McGregor//Getty
One of the biggest put-offs for people debating whether to become an amateur fighter is the pay. Quite often, amateur fighters do not get paid by the organisers of the bouts. However, they can get paid if they have sponsors.
Mostly, fighters turn to an amateur career to gain experience and fight for trophies and championships, rather than fighting to earn money. On the flip side, if the amateur tournament was a televised event then there could be an opportunity for fighters to get paid.
Amateur MMA tournaments are basically treated as a stepping-stone, and it is often a place to be spotted by scouts, managers or trainers, which could help to give fighters a step up the ladder into the professional game.
Has There Ever Been a UFC Champion Without an Amateur MMA Career?
UFC 306 at Riyadh Season //Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
While most successful professional fighters have some sort of amateur background, this is usually in an individual martial art such as kickboxing, wrestling, Judo, but often not in MMA.
One of the best examples of a fighter that had a highly decorated amateur career but not in MMA is Ronda Rousey. Rousey, one of the best female fighters in UFC history, had a very good amateur career in Judo where she won an Olympic bronze medal before transitioning to professional MMA. Rousey quickly became the first-ever female champion in the UFC as she dominated her opponents with her supreme judo throws and brutal armbar submissions.
Another UFC fighter that had an excellent professional career, winning the light-heavyweight title and the heavyweight belt, was Daniel Cormier. While “DC” had no amateur MMA experience, he had an extensive wrestling career, winning collegiate awards, and his wrestling background was an easy transition into pro MMA.
Even the most famous mixed martial artist in history, Conor McGregor, had almost zero amateur MMA background before rising to fame and achieving double champ status, winning the featherweight and lightweight titles. McGregor had a rapid rise in the UFC despite no amateur pedigree, although he did have plenty of experience on smaller professional shows such as Cage Warriors.
While these are special fighters and special circumstances, it does show that you can indeed rise to the top of mixed martial arts without having an amateur background in the sport. However, having experience in a form of kickboxing or grappling would help you gain momentum early in your professional career.`
Jake Staniland is a sports writer who excels in covering a wide range of sports: football, combat sports and the NFL - All three subjects are his lifelong passions.
Jake is a boyhood Sheffield United fan, which is often a curse that he thanks his family for. His favourite Blades player ever is Billy Sharp