Markwayne Mullin Had a Brief Career as an MMA Fighter Years Before He Got Into Politics
Markwayne Mullin took a different route to politics than some politicians.
Published March 6 2026, 11:35 a.m. ET
After Donald Trump named Senator Markwayne Mullin as his pick to replace Kristi Noem as the United States Secretary of Homeland Security, questions arose about him from those who had not heard of him before. It wasn't long before his past came into question, along with his experience in politics. But the bit of his past that people really want to know about is Markwayne Mullin's MMA fighter history.
That's right, Trump's choice for such an important role in the U.S. government used to be a fighter. Maybe that mentality transferred over into Mullin's political career after he was elected to Congress in 2012. And, to be fair, his MMA career was short-lived, but it was definitely part of Mullin's life at one point.
Markwayne Mullin was an MMA fighter for a brief period.
According to Tapology, Mullin was an MMA fighter from 2006 until 2007, when he had his final fight. In fact, he reportedly only participated in a few fights before he left the sport. Mullin's official Senate website says that he is technically undefeated as an MMA fighter. However, that might just be because he chose to have a short career in sport.
His interest in wrestling in general did not step with his exit from MMA, though. Mullin, who wrestled in high school and college, coaches youth wrestling and encourages his children in sports, including wrestling. And in 2016, he was also inducted into the Oklahoma Wrestling Hall of Fame, per his website.
During a 2023 interview on the Ruthless Podcast, Mullin shared that he grew up with challenges like leg braces and a speech impediment. But his challenges forced him to learn how to defend himself.
"I couldn't argue with you, and I couldn't outrun you," he said. "I had to learn how to fight."
Markwayne Mullin ran his family's business before he was elected to Congress.
Mullin was elected to Congress in 2012. Before that, he was part of his family's plumbing business, Mullin Plumbing. Now, per Inc., Mullen also owns Mullin Properties and Mullin Properties West, both real estate businesses. He has also owned an HVAC company and a restaurant at one point, too.
Markwayne Mullin and his wife have six kids together.
Mullin and his wife, Christie Mullin, were married in 1997. Together, they have six kids, most of whom appear to be athletes like Mullin was as a child and later, as a young adult. Three of their children were adopted, per Today, with two of those adopted children being related to distant cousins.
Mullin is also a proud grandpa. In February 2026, he posted a video on Instagram where he announced the impending birth of his first grandchild through his oldest son Jim Mullin.
"Our first grandbaby is on the way!" He wrote in the caption. "Christie and I couldn't be more excited for our firstborn son, Jim, and his wonderful wife, Aubrey. God has truly blessed our family. A baby boy is coming in August 2026!"