Ryan O’Leary

A graduate of Cal Poly, Ryan O’Leary started following MMA as fellow D1 wrestling teammate Chuck Liddell became known as “The Iceman.” After meeting a Swedish exchange student, O’Leary found himself living in Stockholm in the summer of 2008. The California native couldn’t contain his excitement as he sat ringside at a packed venue of 2,400 MMA fans at Superior Challenge 2 that winter. He started obsessively updating a blog mmaViking.com to describe the surging scene and urge for the UFC to pick up local talent and host an event in Stockholm. O’Leary has an MBA and works as a digital-marketing consultant. In his spare time, O’Leary enjoys chasing around his two boys, buying all things Apple, and escaping the harsh Nordic winters with his family. Readers can follow Ryan on Twitter at mmaViking.