Ex-fighter competed in Gladiator FC in Korea in 2004

Brad Kohler, a former MMA fighter running for Minnesota governor
Brad Kohler, a former MMA fighter running for Minnesota governor

Brad Kohler, 62, a fighter from the early days of mixed martial arts who competed in the UFC and DEEP, is taking on a new challenge in politics, running for governor of Minnesota.

Kohler is campaigning as an independent under the slogan "Agenda Minnesota." Minnesota's gubernatorial election is set for Nov. 3, local time.

Kohler holds a career record of 12 wins and 15 losses. Beginning in 1997, he fought across the US and Japan, trading punches with well-known fighters such as Travis Fulton, Dan Severn and Yoshihisa Yamamoto. He retired in 2012 after his final win. In the UFC, he went 1-1, including a first-round knockout of Steve Judson just 30 seconds into their bout at UFC 22 in 1999.

Kohler also fought in Korea in 2004, appearing at Gladiator FC, a large-scale mixed martial arts event that drew superstars such as Anderson Silva and Rogerio Nogueira. The event gave longtime Korean fans a chance to see him in person. He lost by first-round rear-naked choke to Kim Jong-wang, known by the nickname "Mawang" ("Devil King"), who was considered Korea's top fighter at the time.

In the United States, often described as a haven for professional sports, it is not unusual for fighters to move into politics. Tito Ortiz, the brash former UFC light heavyweight champion, leveraged his fame to win a seat on the Huntington Beach, California, city council in 2020. He served for a year before resigning.

Markwayne Mullin, who fought five MMA bouts and competed in the smaller XFL promotion, went on to serve as a US representative and later a US senator. Sharice Davids, who appeared on the UFC reality show The Ultimate Fighter (TUF), currently serves as the US representative for Kansas's 3rd Congressional District.


yjc@heraldcorp.com