MMA has penetrated the modern mind more deeply than many people realize. As the sport continues to grow at a breakneck pace, individual legends have already carved out identities not just in mainstream media but even in children’s video games across consoles and computers.

While the UFC has its own video game with EA featuring most of the sport’s biggest names, some fighters have transcended their association with any single promotion. They have become icons in their own right—recognized by fans for far more than just where they fight.

Ronda Rousey as Sonya Blade in Mortal Kombat 11

In January 2019, NetherRealm Studios, the developers behind the Mortal Kombat games, announced that former UFC bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey would voice Special Forces general Sonya Blade in Mortal Kombat 11, which came out first on April 23, 2019.

The game was originally released in the US on October 8, 1992, where Blade was one of the playable characters. And Rousey had been a long-time fan of it. “Sonya Blade was the first kicka– girl I saw come onto the scene,” Rousey had said in the video shown in the announcement event. “I admittedly kind of emulated her in my own way. And now I get to try and be her.”

Her introduction to the game came as a kid when one of her mother’s students let her play the game. “I was Raiden, and I beat him as Raiden, and it was like the first time I had [beaten] an adult at anything.”

Ronda’s performance in MK 11 was reused for Sonya’s cameo role in Mortal Kombat 1 (2023). Regardless, this wasn’t the first time ‘The Arm Collector’ expressed her love for the game. During a 2015 AMA on Reddit, she revealed Kitana was her favorite character. 

“I would always play as Princess Kitana ‘cuz in the Sega version you could press down and punch up vs the computer and get to the fifth guy from the top with all flawless victories because the computer wouldn’t learn to throw you from the floor until it was almost the end,” she said.

Conor McGregor as The Disruptor in Hitman 3

Hitman 3, later rebranded as Hitman: World of Assassination by IO Interactive, featured former UFC double champion Conor McGregor in a special appearance. ‘The Notorious’ portrayed a fictional, ultra-wealthy MMA fighter with global fame and a mysterious background.

McGregor provided both the voice and likeness for the character, making the reference unmistakable. His in-game persona, The Disruptor, bore a tattoo reading ‘McGregor’ and notably relied on bare fists as his signature weapon—both direct nods to his real-life persona.

Players, as Agent 47, were tasked with assassinating The Disruptor in a limited-time mission. However, the character was later removed permanently from the game. The reason stemmed from McGregor’s real-life legal troubles, particularly serious allegations that emerged outside the sport.

IO Interactive ultimately pulled the mission after McGregor was found liable in a November civil lawsuit related to a 2018 incident. As a result, all McGregor-related content was removed, and the mission became unavailable to play.

Two fighters inspired one character in the King of Fighters

SNK’s King of Fighters and Art of Fighting franchises both feature a character named King, who was inspired by real-life martial artists Saskia van Rijswijk and Cynthia Rothrock. When King first appeared in the series, the character’s gender was deliberately presented as male. 

In reality, however, the creators drew heavily from the personas and careers of van Rijswijk and Rothrock. Although King’s visual design was influenced by Jamaican singer Grace Jones, the character’s concept evolved during development. 

The designers took additional inspiration from the henchwoman character in the Hong Kong action crime film China White, portrayed by van Rijswijk. Meanwhile, IMDb has also confirmed that Rothrock played a role in shaping the character’s identity.

Van Rijswijk is a Dutch Muay Thai world champion who trained at the famed Chakuriki Gym, while Rothrock holds seven black belts and was a five-time undefeated World Karate Forms and Weapons Champion.

Brock Lesnar inspired a character in the Attack on Titan

Brock Lesnar’s connection to the Attack on Titan video game adaptations is an indirect one. While Lesnar was not personally involved in the various video games inspired by the hit anime series, the former UFC champion served as a key inspiration for the anime’s creator, Hajime Isayama.

According to trivia cited on the Attack on Titan Wiki, Isayama drew inspiration from Lesnar when designing the character Reiner Braun and his Armored Titan form. Since the anime was later adapted into multiple video games, Lesnar’s influence carried over indirectly through the character.

This stands in contrast to Lesnar’s direct involvement in WWE video games, where he provided both his voice and likeness for his in-game appearances.

Masutatsu Oyama heavily inspired Ryu from Street Fighter

To understand how karate master Masutatsu Oyama inspired Ryu in Street Fighter from developer Capcom, you first need to look at the manga ‘Karate Master’ by Ikki Kajiwara. The manga itself took inspiration from Oyama and was later adapted into an anime and then a live-action film—all between 1971 and 1977.

The original Street Fighter arcade game was released years later in 1987, and its protagonist Ryu was created with clear influence from the series ‘Karate Master.’ That’s because Takashi Nishiyama, Street Fighter’s video game designer at Capcom, idolized the ‘Karate Master’ series as a child.

Even Ryu’s in-game rival, Sagat, carries a deeper real-world connection: his visual design was inspired by Oyama’s student, Yoshiji Soeno’s real-life rival, Reiba. Oyama, a Korean-Japanese karate master and the founder of Kyokushin Karate, never directly appeared in the game.

He did not provide a voice, likeness, or motion capture. Nevertheless, his philosophy, presence, and legacy live on through one of gaming’s most iconic characters.

That wraps up five video game characters inspired by—or directly involving—real-world MMA fighters. Which one stood out as your favorite?