Randa Markos is a mixed martial artist of Canadian-Iraqi descent, she began her professional career in November 2012. Just two years after turning professional, she joined the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in March 2014 and has since competed in the promotion’s strawweight division.
Randa Markos Biography
Randa Markos-Thomas was born on August 10, 1985, in Baghdad, Iraq. His parents are Azhar and Sam Markos, both Chaldeans and Catholics. She grew up next to 3 siblings; a sister named Reva and brothers Robert and Chris. When Randa was a toddler, the family fled their home country following the outbreak of the Iran-Iraq War and spent two years in refugee camps. With the help of a family member, they were able to obtain Canadian visas and settled in the city of Windsor, Ontario, Canada.
Despite fleeing war in her home country, Randa Markos faced different challenges while growing up in Canada. Her father lapsed into alcoholism and as a result became very violent towards all other family members. Luckily, Randa was able to find solace away from all the chaos at home by joining her high school’s wrestling team. She continued to excel in wrestling despite fierce opposition from her rather conservative father. After graduating from high school, she completed a Pharmacy Assistant Diploma at TriOS College in Ontario, Canada, after which she worked for several years at a local pharmacy.
While maintaining his full-time job as a pharmacy assistant, Randa Markos began his training in mixed martial arts at the Maximum Training Center in Windsor, Canada. She was first introduced to the Brazilian jiu-jitsu system, and thanks to her wrestling training, she had a relatively smooth transition into the sport. During her first 4 amateur matches, the talented fighter recorded 3 wins and 1 loss. Interestingly, she was forced to turn professional in 2012 due to the shortage of opponents in the amateur category.
Markos made his professional MMA debut in November 2012 defeating Allanna Jones. This was followed by a 3 game undefeated run before suffering her first career loss in her Resurrection Fighting Alliance ( RFA) debut to future opposite TUF roommate Justine Kish. After the loss, she quickly came to her senses by defeating Lynnell House in her next match, a win that earned her the inaugural Provincial Fighting Championships (PFC) strawweight title.
UFC career
In March 2014, Randa Markos answered an open conference call for the Ultimate Fighting Championship for 115-pound fighters and after an impressive performance at the trials, she landed a contract with the organization. In July 2014, she was announced as one of the final 8 candidates to compete in Season 20 of the UFC Tournament The Ultimate TUF Fighter. Despite being ranked at number 14, Markos turned into one of the stars of the tournament as she qualified for the semi-finals, before losing Rose Namajunas in the season finale.
Markos made his promotional debut for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on December 12, 2014 in the season finale of The Ultimate Fighter 20, losing to fellow semifinalist Jessica Penne via split decision. Despite the defeat, she and her opponent won the “fight of the night”.
Since his debut in 2014, Markos has recorded a string of alternate wins and losses at a series of UFC events. She amassed a professional record of 8 wins and 7 losses in July 2018. She still has plenty of fights ahead of her and will rack up as many wins as possible.
Husband
Randa Markos is currently married to Jeff Thomas, another professional mixed martial artist. The two met while Markos was in college and after dating for a while, they tied the knot in 2011. Along with their happy relationship, she credits her husband as inspiration for her decision to become a professional mixed martial artist. Interestingly, he participated in the very first mixed martial arts fight she ever had the chance to watch.
Height and other body measurements
Randa Markos is 5 feet 4 inches (163cm) tall. She maintains a body weight of 52 kg. The UFC star has an arm reach of 63 inches (160 cm) and a leg reach of 39 inches (99 cm).