Marvel Studios’ blockbuster film The Avengers has taken over the pop culture world since its highly anticipated domestic release last week.
Assembling some of Earth’s mightiest heroes together on screen for the first time, this action packed hit is shattering box office records as it closes in on grossing a billion dollars globally.
While these extraordinary characters may only live in Marvel’s cinematic universe, that doesn’t mean that the real Earth isn’t in need of butt-kicking superheroes. In sports, there’s no better group to take up this mantle than the world’s toughest athletes—MMA fighters.
If Samuel L. Jackson ever decides to start the Avengers Initiative in real life, here are the guys—and gals—that could definitely suit up to stop an alien invasion.