A three-time Olympic wrestler showed the power in his fists during a short UFC arrival.
A number of notable names have competed in both the Olympics and the Octagon, but very few have collected both medals and UFC gold. When Kayla Harrison submitted Julianna Pena this past June, she became just the third to achieve the feat, following in the footsteps of Henry Cejudo and Ronda Rousey.
Among the recent names to fall short of a UFC championship was Mark Madsen, a pioneer in Danish combat sports who collected the silver medal in Greco-Roman wrestling at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
Instead of pursuing more Olympic glory with a fourth appearance at the Games in 2020, Madsen transitioned to MMA in 2018. ‘The Olympian’ signed with the UFC, and his debut on home soil went just about as well as it possibly could have…
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Mark Madsen smashed UFC debut opponent three years after winning silver in Olympic wrestling
Madsen’s first foray into the Octagon came on this day, September 28, in 2019, when the UFC staged an event at Royal Arena in Copenhagen, Denmark. Headlining the card was Jared Cannonier’s knockout win over Jack Hermansson.
The biggest attraction for the fans in attendance came in the co-main event, when Denmark’s first Olympic medal-winning wrestler since 1948 competed in MMA’s leading promotion for the very first time.
Madsen needed 72 seconds to win his UFC debut, as he instantly showcased his wrestling talents by dragging Danilo Belluardo to the canvas. From there, the veteran athlete showcased what he could do with his fists, pummeling his Italian opponent en route to a quick TKO stoppage.
That marked an impressive display for a newcomer with limited MMA experience, and Madsen would go on to defeat prominent names like legend Clay Guida and Vinc Pichel inside the Octagon.
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Mark Madsen was confident he could KO Paddy Pimblett before retiring in 2024
Madsen would go on to win his next three fights after decimating Belluardo to boost his perfect professional record to 12-0. At that time, he set his sights on one of the UFC’s most prominent prospects.
The three-time Olympian wanted a piece of another man undefeated in the Octagon, with Madsen confidently predicting he would beat Paddy Pimblett.
“I do believe I will beat Paddy ‘The Baddy’ any day of the week,” Madsen told Vegas Insider. “I will out-wrestle him, I will out-grapple him, and the way he’s keeping his chin high, there’s a good chance of knocking him out as well.
“I like Paddy…but at the same time, I do believe that I am able to beat him any day of the week. That being said, Paddy is 3-0 now in the UFC and I’m 4-0, so I think it would be a great matchup, having Paddy ‘The Baddy’ tested against a real Olympian. Let’s see what he’s got.”
That fight ultimately never came to fruition, with Madsen announcing his retirement from MMA in 2024. Meanwhile, the Scouser has remained unbeaten in the UFC to date, and Pimblett is now targeting Ilia Topuria’s lightweight title.