Sixteen articles on combat sports: boxing greats from Rocky Marciano and Muhammad Ali to Mike Tyson, Mayweather and Pacquiao, MMA stars Conor McGregor, Khabib and Ronda Rousey, sumo, and wrestling icons André the Giant and John Cena.
Combat sports are among the oldest contests in human history, from ancient Olympic boxing and Greek pankration to sumo's Shinto rituals. This collection follows them into the modern era with the great boxers Rocky Marciano, Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, Oscar De La Hoya, Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao, Vitali Klitschko and Conor Benn; the mixed martial arts stars Conor McGregor, Khabib Nurmagomedov and Ronda Rousey; and the wrestling giants André the Giant and John Cena. Further articles explain boxing, MMA and sumo themselves.
The records speak for themselves. Rocky Marciano retired undefeated at 49-0, Mayweather went one better at 50-0 and became the first boxer to earn $1 billion, Khabib retired with a perfect 29-0 MMA record, and Pacquiao is boxing's only eight-division world champion. Mike Tyson became the youngest heavyweight champion at 20, and Klitschko was never knocked down in 47 professional fights.
Their lives outside the ring are just as remarkable. Ali started boxing after his bicycle was stolen and later negotiated the release of hostages in Iraq, Tyson kept Bengal tigers and threw his first punch to defend his pigeons, Klitschko became mayor of Kyiv, and Pacquiao played professional basketball while he was world champion and later ran for president of the Philippines. André the Giant was driven to school by the playwright Samuel Beckett.
From the shortest world-title fight, just 11 seconds, to John Cena's record of more than 650 granted Make-A-Wish requests, the stories below are full of surprises. Choose a fighter or sport to read fifteen facts.
Every item on this page, with the one fact most people get wrong about it.
| Name | Where you'll meet it | The fact worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| Muhammad Ali | USA, heavyweight champion | He started boxing after someone stole his bicycle. |
| Mike Tyson | USA, heavyweight champion | He became the youngest heavyweight champion at just 20. |
| Floyd Mayweather | USA, 50-0 | He was the first boxer to earn more than $1 billion. |
| Manny Pacquiao | Philippines, 8-division champion | He is boxing's only eight-division world champion. |
| Rocky Marciano | USA, 49-0 | He is the only heavyweight champion to retire undefeated. |
| Oscar De La Hoya | USA, 6-division champion | He won Olympic gold to keep a promise to his dying mother. |
| Vitali Klitschko | Ukraine, heavyweight champion | He was never knocked down in 47 professional fights. |
| Conor Benn | Great Britain, welterweight | His father, Nigel Benn, initially discouraged him from boxing. |
| Boxing | Ancient Olympics to today | The shortest world-title fight lasted just 11 seconds. |
| Conor McGregor | Ireland, UFC champion | He knocked out José Aldo in the fastest UFC title knockout ever. |
| Khabib Nurmagomedov | Russia (Dagestan), UFC champion | He retired with a perfect 29-0 record. |
| Ronda Rousey | USA, UFC and WWE champion | She changed Dana White's mind about women fighting in the UFC. |
| Mixed Martial Arts | Modern sport since 1993 | Early events had almost no rules, weight classes or time limits. |
| Sumo Wrestling | Japan | Referees traditionally carry a dagger for ritual suicide. |
| André the Giant | France, professional wrestling | The playwright Samuel Beckett drove him to school. |
| John Cena | USA, WWE champion | He has granted more than 650 Make-A-Wish requests, a world record. |
Perfect Record
50-0
Floyd Mayweather retired undefeated and became the first boxer to earn more than $1 billion. Floyd Mayweather
Most Weight Divisions
8
Manny Pacquiao is boxing's only world champion in eight weight divisions. Manny Pacquiao
Shortest Title Fight
11 seconds
Gerald McClellan defended his WBC title against Jay Bell in just 11 seconds in 1993. Boxing
Most Wishes Granted
650+
John Cena holds the Guinness record for granting more Make-A-Wish requests than anyone in history. John Cena
USA, heavyweight champion
Muhammad Ali renounced his birth name, sacrificed his prime years to protest the Vietnam War and invented the rope-a-dope against George Foreman. He released a Grammy-nominated album, starred in a Broadway musical and defeated Superman in a 1978 comic. He later travelled to Iraq to secure the release of American hostages.
Read the full article →
USA, heavyweight champion
Mike Tyson's first fight came after a bully killed his pigeon, and he once kept three Bengal tigers. He could not beat his own character in Punch-Out!! and lost 100 pounds on a vegan diet. At 58 he returned to the ring to fight Jake Paul.
Read the full article →
USA, 50-0
"Pretty Boy" Floyd got his nickname from his unmarked face and retired with a perfect 50-0 record. He fought with mouthguards worth up to $25,000, trains at 3 am and fuelled his camps with gummy bears. He even founded a NASCAR team.
Read the full article →
Philippines, 8-division champion
Manny Pacquiao ran away from home as a teenager and worked as a baker before boxing. He played pro basketball while world champion, recorded a Billboard-charting song and served as a senator. He holds the rank of full colonel in the Philippine military.
Read the full article →
USA, 49-0
Rocky Marciano took up boxing to avoid army kitchen duty and had the shortest reach of any heavyweight champion. He trained with a 300-pound bag and shadowboxed underwater, and his punch was measured against armour-piercing ammunition. He hid fortunes in furniture and curtain rods.
Read the full article →
USA, 6-division champion
The Golden Boy comes from three generations of boxers and won world titles in six weight divisions. He earned a Latin Grammy nomination as a singer and built a promotion empire. A statue of him stands outside the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
Read the full article →
Ukraine, heavyweight champion
"Dr. Ironfist" earned a PhD and was a six-time kickboxing world champion before boxing. He promised his mother never to fight his brother Wladimir and has served as mayor of Kyiv since 2014. In 2022 he took up arms to defend the city.
Read the full article →
Great Britain, welterweight
Conor Benn grew up in luxury in Spain and did not plan to box at first. He made an explosive debut at London's O2 Arena and earned the nickname "The Destroyer". His planned fight with Chris Eubank Jr. revived a famous family rivalry.
Read the full article →
Ancient Olympics to today
Ancient Olympic boxing had no weight classes or time limits, and modern rules come from an 1867 code. Heavyweight punches land with more than 1,000 pounds of force, generated mainly from the legs. Chuck Wepner's underdog fight inspired the film Rocky.
Read the full article →
Ireland, UFC champion
Conor McGregor was a plumber's apprentice collecting welfare days before his UFC debut and became the first fighter to hold two UFC titles at once. He sold his whiskey brand for up to $600 million and earned over $100 million fighting Floyd Mayweather. Sinéad O'Connor once sang him to the octagon.
Read the full article →
Russia (Dagestan), UFC champion
Khabib wrestled a chained bear cub at nine and wears the papakha hat of his Avar heritage. He kept a promise to his mother to retire after his father's death, despite offers worth $100 million. He studied economics and now coaches champions.
Read the full article →
USA, UFC and WWE champion
Ronda Rousey overcame childhood speech apraxia and became the first American woman to win an Olympic judo medal. She once lived in her car and moderated Pokémon forums. She won many fights in under a minute and became a champion in both the UFC and WWE.
Read the full article →
Modern sport since 1993
Royce Gracie won UFC 1, and padded gloves only became mandatory in 1997. The octagon was inspired by action films and is considered safer than a boxing ring. MMA traces its roots back to ancient Greek pankration.
Read the full article →
Japan
Sumo wrestlers eat chanko nabe, take mandatory naps after meals and are forbidden from driving. Tons of salt are thrown to ward off evil spirits, and the silk belts are never washed. Fewer than 80 men have ever reached the supreme rank.
Read the full article →
France, professional wrestling
André the Giant stood over seven feet tall, never lifted weights and refused treatment for acromegaly. Silver dollars could pass through his rings, and he endured severe pain filming The Princess Bride. WWE created its Hall of Fame specifically for him.
Read the full article →
USA, WWE champion
John Cena once lived in his car, learned Mandarin to help WWE expand into China and recorded a platinum rap album. His original persona was a half-robot called "The Prototype". He voiced the bull in Ferdinand and is a proud member of the BTS ARMY.
Read the full article →8 questions, every answer is somewhere above.
1. What made Muhammad Ali start boxing?
2. What animals did Mike Tyson keep at his mansion?
3. How many weight divisions has Manny Pacquiao won world titles in?
4. What was Rocky Marciano's professional record?
5. Which city does Vitali Klitschko serve as mayor?
6. What did Khabib Nurmagomedov wrestle at the age of nine?
7. Who drove André the Giant to school as a boy?
8. Which animated bull did John Cena voice?
Muhammad Ali is the name most often given, for his skill, charisma and stand against the Vietnam War. Rocky Marciano and Floyd Mayweather both retired undefeated, and Sugar Ray Robinson inspired the very idea of ranking boxers "pound for pound".
Not necessarily. MMA fights end in many ways besides knockouts, and the enclosed octagon is considered safer than a boxing ring. In boxing, gloves mainly protect the puncher's hands, allowing more blows to the head.
Early events were almost rule-free contests to find out which martial art was best, with no weight classes or time limits. Royce Gracie won UFC 1, and padded gloves were not mandatory until 1997. MMA traces its roots back to ancient Greek pankration.
Active sumo wrestlers are strictly forbidden from driving cars, partly for safety. Their lives are governed by centuries-old rules, from their wax-styled topknots to mandatory naps after meals to help them gain weight.
Ronda Rousey. Dana White had promised women would never fight in the UFC, but Rousey changed his mind, became the first female fighter signed and later became a champion in both the UFC and WWE.
Enjoyed these facts? There's more! 💌
Fresh fun facts in your inbox. No spam, ever.
A handpicked batch of surprising facts in your inbox. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
You're in!
Watch your inbox for the next batch of facts.
