A while ago, one of the most dominant Judokas of all time renounced MMA. France’s Teddy Riner lamented the lack of morality in MMA and dispelled rumors that he’ll ever transition.
In his own words, Riner expresses his disinterest in competing within the confines of a cage, stating, “Fighting in a cage doesn’t appeal to me. There is no moral code in MMA. I am a warrior on the tatami, but you always have to respect your opponent.”
It is evident that Riner’s commitment lies in the sanctity of the traditional Judo practice, where respect and honor are deeply ingrained.
Not to mention that Riner actually translated Judo accolades into a lucrative ambassadorship. Teddy Riner , 34, dominated the ranking of “highest paid athletes in 2023” with estimated income of nearly 82 million euros as per mediamass.
Riner also has a sizeable net worth. According to calculations, the judo entrepreneur is estimated to be worth upwards of 245 million euros.
He owes much of his immense fortune to stock market investments, a substantial real estate portfolio and the very lucrative advertising contract with CoverGirl cosmetics. He also ownes several restaurants in Paris (including the chain ” Chez l’gros Teddy “), a football club in Abymes, teenage fashion line, a perfume line and more.
But Brazil’s Rafaela Silva isn’t so lucky – yet we won’t be seeing her in MMA.
However, despite the allure of mixed martial arts, Silva has decided against following in the footsteps of her fellow judokas, Ronda Rousey and Kayla Harrison, who transitioned to the world of MMA.
During a two-year suspension from judo for the use of fenoterol, an asthma treatment, Silva flirted with the idea of entering the realm of mixed martial arts. Although she claimed innocence, Silva reluctantly stayed away from judo between 2019 and 2021.
“MMA is not for me,” Silva told Portuguese-language podcast Trocação Franca.
“I can’t. It doesn’t work for me. I got kicked in the face, kicked on the leg, and couldn’t put my foot on the ground for three or four days. It’s very tough.”
“I have a judo background which is totally different for MMA, so it messed with my head quite a lot. I had to adapt a lot of things. It was a very difficult but amazing experience for me, because it came at a moment I couldn’t train judo, so I gave myself the luxury and privilege of training another sport.”
Throughout her venture into MMA, Silva discovered that even as an Olympic champion, there was much more for her to learn about combat sports. Seeking guidance and advice, she humbly embraced the opportunity to enhance her knowledge, which ultimately benefitted her return to judo. Her perseverance paid off as she triumphed at her first tournament back from suspension, securing her second world title.
“I believe it helped me a lot because I was always asking for help, advice, [and it helped] me in my return to judo,” said Silva.
“I’ve trained in several spots and would always try to learn something here, something in wrestling, in the grappling area. I always had difficulties on the ground.
“At the same time, there I was trying MMA, bringing all I could to judo. Even after so many years training judo, this period training MMA helped me a lot, it made my spirit stronger as an athlete.”
Silva recently won Turkey Grand Slam. Meanwhile Riner just became a world champion again.
