Massive AEW star was close to joining UFC

A former WWE World Champion who is currently signed to AEW recently disclosed he was once close to joining UFC. The star detailed why he didn't ink a deal with the mixed martial arts organization.

The massive AEW star in question is Bobby Lashley. The All Mighty made his All Elite Wrestling debut recently following his departure from the Stamford-based promotion. In 2008, Lashley exited the global juggernaut to pursue a career in MMA. However, he eventually returned to pro wrestling.

Speaking with Chris Van Vliet recently, Lashley revealed that he got an opportunity to sign with UFC but thought WWE was his "calling."

“So at the beginning, when I first started fighting, I think there were little talks with it and they said, 'Yeah, we’ll give him the opportunity to but he needs to work his way up.' And I was just like, okay, and it was a decision that I had to make because I could fight for some other organizations that were offering more money and I always thought if the situation changes in WWE, I thought that’s my calling."

Lashley further revealed that he didn't join UFC because he would have been forced to entirely quit pro wrestling.

"That’s where I really deserve to be. I just needed time away because the situations and things were going on. So I was like, here’s an opportunity for me to just kind of keep it open and then go back. So I didn’t want to lock up a contract with them, because I would have had to really just shut off wrestling.” [H/T: chrisvanvliet.com]

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Bobby Lashley has been booked as a dominant force in AEW

Bobby Lashley made his AEW TV debut on an episode of Dynamite in October as a member of The Hurt Syndicate alongside Shelton Benjamin and MVP. The All Mighty made his in-ring debut with a win in a handicap match.

At Full Gear 2024, Lashley squared off against Swerve Strickland after weeks of animosity. The All Mighty delivered a dominant performance and eventually secured the win at the pay-per-view.

Fans will have to wait to see what the future has in store for The All Mighty in AEW. He is currently making waves alongside his Hurt Syndicate stablemates.