Mixed martial arts (MMA) fighters are some of the toughest individuals in the world. They compete in no-holds-barred fighting matches that often see them battered, bloodied, and bruised by the end. Competing as an MMA fighter requires intense training in multiple different forms of fighting, a fearless demeanor in the ring, and an unparalleled desire to win.
Even some of the best MMA fighters in the world are no match for America’s finest, however.
In a three-part web series posted to YouTube in 2010, a handful of MMA fighters from the UFC joined the United States Marine Corps Martial Arts Center of Excellence to see what it takes to be a part of an elite fighting force.
Athletes from the UFC joined the United States Marine Corps Martial Arts Center of Excellence to see if they have what it takes to be a Marine. (Gabriel Gonzaga/YouTube)
The men from the UFC taking part in the challenge were quick to underestimate just how difficult the Marine training would be.
“I know very little about the Marine Corps. I think it’ll be cool, it’ll be interesting. I’m excited,” one of the professional fighters says in the car ride.
Check out the first part of the series in the video below:
“At the Martial Arts School of Excellence is where the headquarters is for the Marine Corps martial arts program,” says one of the Marines.
“We actually train the instructor trainers. These are the individuals who go out in the operating forces and train all Marines,” he said.
Athletes from the UFC joined the United States Marine Corps Martial Arts Center of Excellence to see if they have what it takes to be a Marine. (Gabriel Gonzaga/YouTube)
In one of their first exercises, the UFC fighters are tasked with trudging through a snowy forest where they will encounter two highly trained Marines. Their objective is simple: take out the Marines by any means necessary.
Each of the UFC fighters is easily taken down by the Marines in an embarrassingly swift fashion. Their skills in the octagon are no match for the highly trained troops.
“Coming up on to the first guy is bad, but after that, two guys at a time was not fun. It was rattling,” says one of the UFC fighters.
Athletes from the UFC joined the United States Marine Corps Martial Arts Center of Excellence to see if they have what it takes to be a Marine. (Gabriel Gonzaga/YouTube)
The fighters were then shown the combat fitness test, or CFT. The CFT consists of an 880-yard run, a test of strength with a can of ammo, and an intense relay race while under fire.
While a Marine did the entire test in just two minutes and 15 seconds, none of the fighters were up for the challenge.
