MMA Fighters & Their Unusual Hobbies

Have you ever wondered what some of your favorite MMA fighters are doing when they’re not kicking ass in the cage? At the end of the day, mixed martial artists are regular people just like us who enjoy downtime of their own.

Let’s take a look at a number of unexpected hobbies from some of the best fighters that we’ve seen in the sport. Hobbies that range from nerdy to downright life-threatening.

Ben Askren plays Disc Golf

Askren started dabbling in disc golf back when he was in high school and has been absolutely obsessed with it since college. Ben placed second at the 2011 United States Amateur Disc Golf Championship before fully shifting his focus to fighting. Regardless of not competing in a tournament since 2012 due to his MMA run, disc golf has remained a passion for Askren over the years.

Now in his post MMA career, you can catch Askren at Disc Golf charity games, or even playing for fun with some of the best in the sport like Paul McBeth. The Olympic wrestler is said to have quite the arm, throwing these disks at exceptional distances. Ben even has his own backyard disc golf course named “Funky Farms”.

Brandon Moreno collects Legos

It’s no secret that former UFC Flyweight Champion Brandon Moreno shares a deep love for Legos. Over time, Moreno has designed a room in his house dedicated to displaying his vast collection of legos as well as Funko Pop figures. One of his favorite Lego sets is a Batmobile gifted to him by his wife for Christmas, which contains the highest number of pieces from his collection. The company actually sent him a very cool replica of his UFC belt made completely out of legos before his championship fight at UFC 270.

Given his constant advertising of the products, Moreno’s official team reached out to Lego in hopes of a sponsorship deal. But, the company declined due to Moreno’s fanbase being too old.

Cowboy Cerrone is a Cave Diver

Since earning his certification in high school, cave diving has become just another dangerous hobby for Donald Cerrone. The UFC Hall of Famer was quite experienced when it came to plunging into the deep abyss. Cave Diving is an activity in which scuba diving and cave exploration basically meet as one. Cerrone recanted an absolutely hair-raising story on the Joe Rogan Experience. One where he nearly lost his life in a dark underwater cave in Cozumel, Mexico.

Leave it to Cowboy to acquire a hobby perhaps even more dangerous than fighting.

Georges St. Pierre studies Dinosaurs

Georges St. Pierre is certainly an intriguing guy when it comes to some of his hobbies. Perhaps one of the most intriguing things about him is his fascination with prehistoric creatures. Georges has extensive knowledge of dinosaurs… Including a UFC press event in which he listed the Dromaeosaurus and Ankylosauria as his two favorites.

During his 4-year UFC absence, St. Pierre would even meet with paleontologists at sites all around the world. Paleontology is the study of prehistoric life through the examination of fossils. Spending time with these professionals made Georges realize that he was not patient enough to become a paleontologist himself.

Ronda Rousey is addicted to World of Warcraft

Is playing video games unusual? Not quite. But, many don’t expect someone like Ronda Rousey to be maybe the biggest WOW fan in the world. During her shooting of the movie “The Expendables 3” in Bulgaria, Ronda became a massive fan of the video game “World of Warcraft”. She would further develop her skills in the game with the help of longtime player Vin Diesel, as they were on the set of “Furious 7.” Ronda eventually introduced the game to her husband, Travis, and the rest of her children, leading to the entire family playing together.

According to the former UFC champion, the game started “as a casual thing, and now it’s become a lifestyle.” Ronda even celebrated 15 years of World of Warcraft with the voice actor of the character Leeroy Jenkins, Ben Schulz.

Check out two additional MMA Fighters with Unusual Hobbies on YouTube:

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About Post Author

Marcos Antelo

Marcos is the creator of Talkin’ MMA and a Lead Content Creator at The Scrap. He’s a passionate combat sports enthusiast, produces engaging video content, and conducts in-depth interviews for The Scrap’s YouTube channel. As the host of the popular Main Event Preview, Marcos spotlights voices from the camps of UFC main event PPV title fights, offering fans exclusive insights from behind the curtain of the sport’s biggest fighters.

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