Nick Hein
Nick “Sergeant” Hein is an interesting character. In addition to being a current UFC Lightweight, he’s a former police sergeant for the German Polizei and paid actor in his native country of Deutschland. While Hein gave up acting for a fighting career, he was forced to choose between policework and the UFC a few years back. He’s since been training Muy Thai in Thailand and boasts an impressive 14-2-1 record. Hein will be going for his fifteenth win in September at UFC Fight Night 115.
Check out this quote from Hein that sums up the mindset needed for both fighting and policing:
“As a police officer you need to master your senses in the moments that count. I feel that’s quite important in fighting too, it’s like you have to control the situation. I can’t let fear or doubt interrupt my concentration. So this is something that has paid off from my time as a police officer.”
Josh Haynes
Josh Haynes is a Marine and current police officer with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. “Bring The Pain” notched 17 wins during an MMA career spanning 8 years but is best known for losing to current UFC Middleweight Champion Michael Bisping in the Finals for the third season of the UFC’s The Ultimate Fighter television show and tournament.
Check out this 2012 footage of Ofc. Haynes appearing on Cops during an incident involving young, dumb, and drunk Marines on leave behaving poorly. Ofc. Haynes decides to not bring the pain, but rather cut a break for the two young guys after calling their sergeant to let him know what his Marines are up to out on the strip. Fighters get stereotyped as Neanderthal-ish testosterone machines, but Haynes shows he’s perfectly capable of finding the firm but fair balance that all good cops aim for. I’d work with him.
“Big” John Mccarthy
I’ve been watching the UFC since its very first event back in 1993 and Big John has been around since the very beginning. While he’s never had a professional MMA fight, Mccarthy is a legitimate Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt and has been refereeing events for the UFC for a quarter of a century.
Aside from being UFC royalty, Big John has been instrumental in getting the sport out of the stone ages and developing unified rules to make it the international success it is today. Having been around since the sport’s inception, Big John is perhaps the original cop connection to the sport of MMA.
Following in his father’s footsteps, Big John put in 22 years with the Los Angeles Police Department and retired in 2007. He began his foray into martial arts in 1993 when he became a certified Tactics and Self Defense Instructor for the LAPD in 1993 and continued instructing until his last day with the department. Imagine learning defensive tactics at the police academy from a man whose name is synonymous with the UFC. I’m jealous just thinking about it.
Policing clearly runs blue in the Mccarthy family bloodline. His son Ronald patrols the streets to this day.
Check out this video of Big John telling a reporter, “Grab as many as you can. That’s all you can do” while serving as a Corporal during the LA riots of ’92 here.
In conclusion…
There’s a reason why MMA is my favorite sport. How many guys do you know of currently serving their communities as a police officer while cashing in on million dollar contracts with the NFL, NBA, MLB, or NHL? Whether the men and women on this list served prior to, during, or following punishing careers as professional fighter, they all have one thing in common. They know what it’s like to work a crime scene, confront the worst of us, and go to work not knowing if they’ll make it home again. These thirteen people are not only natural born fighters, they’re natural born protectors. It’s for that reason they are all champions.
