Ronda Rousey, Brock Lesnar, Dan ‘The Beast’ Severn, Ken Shamrock and CM Punk: 5 MMA superstars who made the crossover to fight in both WWE and UFC
Professional wrestling often gets a bad rep, and while it was the launching pad for one of Hollywood’s highest paid actors, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, how well did these prize fighters do in making the transition?
Despite having created global stars like Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Hulk Hogan, professional wrestling often gets a bad rep. Its storylines are criticised for being silly and over the top and worse than many trashy TV soap operas. Even its athletes receive a lot of stick, their work viewed as play acting when compared to real combat sports.
While it is true that the storylines are frequently bad – for instance, Nikki Bella wishing her twin sister Brie Bella had “died in the womb” was not only crass but unbelievable given their off-screen closeness – the WWE’s wrestlers deserve more credit for their athletic prowess. They work a punishing schedule and there is probably not a single wrestler who hasn’t sustained physical injury as a result of their profession. Not to mention, a number of WWE superstars have taken part in proper combat sports too, like Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), and can claim legitimate prizefighting experience – often winning championships, too.
To prove it, here are five of the most famous stars to crossover between WWE and UFC.
Ronda Rousey
A history-making martial artist, Ronda Rousey is arguably the biggest star to have worked in both the UFC and WWE. Rousey’s accomplishments date back to 2008 when she became the first American woman to earn an Olympic medal in judo, winning bronze in Beijing. When she switched to MMA, the Californian ascended to the top of Strikeforce women’s bantamweight division, becoming its final champion before the company was acquired by UFC.
She then starred in UFC’s first women’s bout, becoming the company’s bantamweight champion by winning, and would set a record by successfully defending her title six times. She switched to WWE in 2018 following defeats to Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes, and was positioned as WWE’s top female star during her time with the company.
Brock Lesnar
A former amateur wrestling champion, Lesnar has switched back and forth between WWE and UFC. At college, Lesnar was among the very best. The 1998 NJCAA heavyweight champion, he finished his amateur career with a hugely impressive win/loss record of 106–5 in four years of competition at university.
He was picked up by the WWE after graduation and positioned at the top of the card, eventually defeating Dwayne Johnson for the championship in 2002, making him, at the time, the youngest man to have ever won the WWE’s top title.
Lesnar joined UFC six years later, making his in-ring debut at UFC 81. It was an inauspicious start – he was defeated by former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir. However, learning from that lesson, Lesnar fought his way to the top of the heavyweight division. At UFC 91 he beat heavyweight champion Randy Couture via a technical knockout. After defending the title twice, Lesnar lost two bouts in succession. He subsequently announced his retirement from MMA in 2011 citing difficulties with diverticulitis.