Dan Kelly
Olympic Result: 9th place, 2000, 7th place, 2004, 20th place, 2008, 17th place, 2012
There are a whole lot of wrestlers on this list, but Judo also holds a position of importance when it comes to Olympians transitioning to MMA. And no one in UFC history has had more Olympic appearances than Australia’s Daniel Kelly.
Kelly repped Australia in 2000, 2004, 2008, and 2012, and later served as coach of the Australian Olympic team, for both the 2016 and 2020 games. In 2006, while still competing in Judo, he launched his MMA career, working his way to the UFC in 2014, two years after his final Olympics appearance as an athlete. Kelly won his first two fights and would go on to earn notable wins over future PFL champ Antonio Carlos Junior and ex-UFC light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans.
Dan Kelly retired in 2018 off a trio of losses, but you really can’t question the man’s talent and dedication, making it to the highest level of two sports.
