Over the years several world class athletes have made the transition to MMA from other combat sports with mixed success. As we get ready to welcome 2018, here is a look at some of the big names who are going to try their luck in the octagon next year.
#4 Jake Hager
Ever heard that name before? No? That's probably because pro-wrestling fans are more familiar with his in-ring alias “Jack Swagger”. Hager is known for his stint with WWE where he wrestled for over a decade. The Florida native has high level experience in competitive wrestling having represented the junior U.S team in the heavy weight division. Recently he signed a multi-fight deal with Bellator MMA and will make his MMA debut in 2018 at Bellator's inaugural heavyweight tournament.
#3 Amanda Serrano
Puerto Rican sensation Amanda Serrano has been contemplating a switch to mixed martial arts for a while now.The speculation finally ended last week when she announced that she had signed with Latin American mma promotion Combate Americas. Serrano (33-1-1, w/ 25 K.Os) is currently a five-division champion and one of the most dominant women in the sport today. Interestingly, the bantamweight division is managed by former UFC champion Miesha Tate. It would be interesting to see if she can emulate the success of another boxing standout, Holly Holm who has emerged as a major star in the UFC.
#2 Garry Tonon
Grappling legend Garry Tonon is one of the most respected names in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in the United States. The 26 year old Renzo Gracie trained blackbelt is a multiple time World and Pan-American champion with victories over elite grapplers like Vinny Magalhaes, Marcin Held and Beneil Dariush. Tonon made an appearance for Asian promotion ONE FC this year where he secured a victory over Shinya Aoki in a grappling super fight. He has now signed his first pro MMA contract with the organization and is expected to debut in the latter half of next year.
#1 Kayla Harrison
Many might not have heard of this American judoka, but Kayla Harrison is arguably the most decorated female athlete to fight in MMA. Harrison,a sixth degree black belt, won back to back Olympic gold medals at London and Rio to become the most successful American in the sport’s history. Harrison signed with the Professional Fighting League (formerly known as World Series of Fighting) in 2016 and will be making her debut in February next year.
