March 2025

February 2025

Before championship belts were on the line, the world's greatest fighters were locked in their own battles. Isaac Barnett delves into the gritty and inspiring MMA origin stories that forged these warriors into the legends they are today.

BROCK LESNAR – OFF SCRIPT

Brock Edward Lesnar was born on July 12, 1977, in Webster, South Dakota, and raised by his parents, Stephanie and Richard Lesnar. The family owned a dairy farm, and Brock spent his childhood on the farm with his older brothers, Troy and Chad, and his younger sister, Brandi. Lesnar's family was hardworking, and his parents would have him complete farm chores to build up his discipline. When he was nine, he developed a passion for manual labor and lifting anything heavy. He also began stealing copies of the FLEX magazine from his middle school library to fuel his thirst for strength. Around this time, he used this newfound power to compete in amateur wrestling and American football.

"I started amateur wrestling as a really young kid, so I started working out,” said Lesnar. “I didn't know a lot about training with weights, so I started reading (FLEX) and applying what I learned. I made weights out of rocks, 55-gallon drums, whatever. I made my own pull-up bar and weight bench. Before that, I did much of my bench pressing by getting under the bar on the floor."

This dedication quickly translated into athletic success, but rather than take it further, he initially chose the military.

"I was 17 years old, a typical teenager,” he said. “I didn't listen to many people. I was Mr. Know-It-All. I didn't respect myself or authority. Then I entered the Guard. Those f-kers straightened my ass out right away. We worked with explosive charges that were coded red and green. That's what I wanted to do. But after an eye test, which showed that I am red-green color-blind, I was assigned to clerical duty. Can you see my big a** sitting at a computer screen all day? That was not what I had in mind when I signed up. Luckily, I couldn't pass the typing test, and that was the end of my Guard career."

This saw him pursue collegiate wrestling at North Dakota State University (NDSU), where he became a two-time NCAA Division I Heavyweight Wrestling Champion. His farm-built work ethic paid off, and in his biography, Death Clutch: My Story of Determination, Domination, and Survival, he had nothing but praise for his parents. 

"I owe it all to my mom and dad. Who I am. What I am. Where I am. My mom and dad were pretty stiff, but it was the best thing for me. It may seem cold-hearted, but they loved me enough to make me want to earn victories out there."

During his college days, Lesnar was scouted by the WWF (aka WWE) and offered a contract. He made a main roster debut in 2002 and soon became the champion, but later switched to MMA. 

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DRICUS DU PLESSIS – THE HOME-GROWN CHAMP 

Dricus Du Plessis was born on 14th January 1994, in Hatfield, Pretoria, to Japie and Gerda Du Plessis. He grew up alongside his two brothers, Neil and WC, and the three brothers enjoyed a happy childhood rich with sport, which created a healthy competitive environment within the family. Du Plessis began judo with his brothers when he was five, a sport where his brothers became national champions. However, for Du Plessis, it was just a hobby. His family moved, and there was only a wrestling club in his new suburb, so he tried it, but it didn’t grab him. He primarily played rugby at school and dreamed of being a professional until he turned 14, when he became inspired to fight. Speaking to Demetrious Johnson on the Mightycast, Du Plessis spoke about how videos of a legendary fighter awoke something inside of him.

“There was a wrestling club in our new place, and I joined. I did it for two to three years but wasn’t really into it. Then I fell in love with kickboxing. I watch Mirko Cro Cop videos on YouTube, and I thought it was the coolest thing ever. To this day, I think he’s one of the greatest K1 fighters and somebody that got me into this.”

Du Plessis began training in K-1 kickboxing. Two years later, he became the national champion. He continued to build on his immense talent and, at 18, became South Africa's first-ever gold medalist at the WAKO World Championships. He knew he had what it took to become a pro fighter, but because kickboxing offered few financial opportunities.

“I loved fighting, and I wanted to make a career out of it, but in kickboxing, there wasn’t a way to earn a living, even outside of South Africa. The local seed was blooming in the UFC, in MMA in South Africa, we've got a very good local scene, so I started training in MMA at 19, and that’s how it started.”

He had an amateur MMA fight when he was sixteen, but only because the competition he went to didn’t have any available K1 opponents at his weight. Du Plessis had been buying our Fighters Only magazine since he was thirteen, which he has also credited with inspiring his decision to enter MMA, and the rest is championship history. 

KHABIB NURMAGOMEDOV - LEAVING THE NEST

Khabib ‘The Eagle’ Nurmagomedov was born on September 20, 1988, in Dagestan, Russia, a rough and tough territory. He was raised in the village of Sildi before moving to Kirovaul because the town lacked employment opportunities. His legendary father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, converted the ground floor of their two-story home into a gym, where he trained his children in combat and mental disciples. Abdulmanap was more than just a father. He was a renowned athlete and a visionary coach who played an instrumental role in shaping the future of Dagestan’s sports, particularly wrestling and sambo. Nurmagomedov was drilled in these disciplines from an incredibly young age, and his father molded the boy into a formidable competitor in all aspects of his life. When he was nine, Nurmagomedov’s father made him train by wrestling with bear cubs, a now-infamous part of his legendary persona. Although he was incredibly gifted in combat sports, Nurmagomedov’s childhood dream was not to become an MMA champion. His passion was football but Russia has never been a prosperous footballing country, so he never had opportunities to follow his dream. Speaking to SovSport in 2012, Nurmagomedov explained that this realization helped him pursue a combat sports career.

“At 11, I went to the freestyle wrestling section, and at 15, I began to go to judo. At first, I did not understand why I should switch from freestyle wrestling to judo.  I performed unsuccessfully and lost at competitions in this discipline, but my father knew better. He wanted to teach me how to wrestle in a jacket. At 17, I was already engaged in combat sambo under his guidance. It was not easy to readjust, but gradually, I got used to it.” 

He suffered numerous defeats in combat sambo, but that only spurred his relentless work ethic further before he eventually transitioned into MMA. His dominant wrestling and judo skills paved the way to the UFC and MMA stardom, which has left a lasting footprint in today’s UFC landscape.