Host Megan Olivi interviews fighter Joshua Van about his incredible journey from refugee to champion, revealing the resilience that forged his fighting spirit.
1 Jul 2026TRANSCRIPT
Max Holloway
Host Megan Olivi interviews UFC fighter Max Holloway about his journey from Hawaii to becoming a top boxer and retaining his identity.
17 Jun 2026TRANSCRIPT
Kayla Harrison
Host Megan Olivi interviews Kayla Harrison, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and UFC Champion, about her journey overcoming personal challenges and maintaining her drive.
13 May 2026TRANSCRIPT
Frankie Edgar
Frankie Edgar sits with Megan Olivi to look back at his storied career wrestling in New Jersey and winning the UFC Lightweight title.
15 Apr 2026
Merab Dvalishvili
Just days after losing his belt to Petr Yan at UFC 323, Merab Dvalishvili sat down with Megan Olivi to uncover how he came to be The Machine we know today. On this episode of Becoming a Fighter, Merab discusses his childhood in Georgia, his first foray in “the fight without rules,” and how he is able to move on so quickly after a loss.
This is Becoming a Fighter with Megan Olivi.
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18 Mar 2026TRANSCRIPT
Lerone Murphy
Lerone Murphy isn’t only unbeaten in 18 professional MMA fights, he’s also survived two close encounters with death. Still, “The Miracle” draws on these moments and considers himself blessed despite the streak of bad luck. Lerone sat with Megan Olivi to discuss being shot on his mom’s birthday, how his promising football career came to an abrupt end, and the only thing on Earth that scares him.
This is Becoming a Fighter with Megan Olivi.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
11 Feb 2026
Daniel Cormier
No one takes a shot like Daniel Cormier. The former two-division UFC Champion has faced loss after loss, both physically and emotionally, but he has never (and will never) quit. Every bit of adversity he has ever faced prepared him for his next challenge. But where did that all begin?
This is Becoming a Fighter with Megan Olivi.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
7 Aug 2023
Terrance McKinney
Terrance McKinney’s life is full of contradictions. An impressive UFC debut – followed by an injury celebrating it. A devastating experience that nearly cost him his life – which gave way to reinvention. But “T-Wrecks” is just getting started pursuing his vision, while navigating a family curse and the wild swings borne of his natural talent.
This is Becoming A Fighter with Megan Olivi.
30 Jul 2023
Tatiana Suarez
The question isn’t why Tatiana Suarez fights – the question is why she hasn’t stopped. Her career has been threatened by injury and rehabilitation, and her life was threatened by cancer. But the former Olympic wrestling hopeful recast her dreams and is now undefeated in her UFC career. How has Tatiana overcome so much adversity at such a young age – and what can we take from the lessons she’s had to learn the hard way?
This is Becoming A Fighter with Megan Olivi.
17 Oct 2022
Islam Makhachev
Although Islam Makhachev’s dominance in the UFC has led him to a title fight, he still cannot halt comparisons to his mentor: UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov.
But Islam does not mind the comparisons. In fact, he is the first one to credit everyone from his teammates and coaches to his family and former employers for his success.
Even with world-class help, what drove Islam to walk the long, hard path to UFC glory? And why did everyone around him see something special in him?
Hear Islam Makhachev's story on this episode of Becoming A Fighter with Megan Olivi.
5 Apr 2022
Aljamain Sterling
After winning the UFC Bantamweight title, Aljamain Sterling appeared to go from fan-favorite to villain overnight. If you think he simply got lucky, then you don't know Aljamain Sterling.
Aljo's path to the title included roadblocks set by his own family, intervention from an all-time great of the sport, and an uncanny ability to make the best of unfortunate circumstances. Hear Aljamain's story on latest episode of Becoming a Fighter with Megan Olivi.
18 Jan 2022
Rose Namajunas
How did Rose Namajunas end up dedicating her skills and passions to fighting when it’s clear she could have done just about anything she wanted?
18 Jan 2022
Brandon Moreno
How did Brandon Moreno go from the 'chubby' son of piñata shop owners in Tijuana to becoming the first Mexican-Born UFC champion?
18 Jan 2022
Leon Edwards
Leon Edwards is often the odd man out in a division of attention-grabbers. But his upbringing, during which he navigated gang violence and the death of his father, was anything but boring.
Did Leon Edwards become a fighter because of the extraordinary circumstances he had to overcome? What unlocked his potential, and how did he rise above what was holding him back? And why is he sharing his story now?
Hear Leon answer those questions himself on this episode of Becoming a Fighter.
18 Jan 2022
Ian Heinisch
From international drug smuggling operations to Rikers Prison, Ian Heinisch's journey to the UFC was not a straightforward path.
14 Jan 2022
Introducing: Becoming a Fighter with Megan Olivi - Premieres Jan. 18
Hosted by Megan Olivi, Becoming a Fighter aims to answer one question: what makes fighters fight?
Inside a recent episode
Joshua Van
Published 19 Aug 2026 · Transcript excerpt
[…] And then that's when it started. Where did that come from inside you? Because not everybody is someone who wants to stand up for their friends or even for themselves. So, I don't know. My mom was a teacher back in the country. So, you know, a teacher, a kid, you know what I mean? Everybody's showing respect and love and things like that. And I guess I can't take the disrespect or something. You know, I'm not going to let nobody step all over me. So, I think that was the mindset that I have growing up. Like when I see things like that, it's just, you know what I mean? It's just like, I want to do something about it. […]
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