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The UFC and WWE share an odd relationship. Dana White has always made a concerted effort to remind spectators about the distinction between the legitimate nature of mixed martial arts and the entertainment-driven, scripted nature of professional wrestling bouts.
Yet, curiously, White and the UFC appear to favor fighters who use their promo skills to drum up interest in matchups. Even awarding undeserved title fights simply due to the strength of a certain fighter's ability to connect to the casual fanbase and generate PPVs, a trait that is more common in pro-wrestling circles, where wrestlers who can draw the interest of spectators are favored over those who possess better in-ring skills.
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In the UFC, the parallels are evident. Chael Sonnen is the most prominent example of the phenomenon, with 'The American Gangster' having been awarded what is arguably the most undeserved title fight in the promotion's history when he faced Jon Jones for the UFC light heavyweight championship after being TKO'd by Anderson Silva in his previous bout for the middleweight title.
Fighters took note of Sonnen's success. His ability to talk himself into title fights, even with his prior fight being a one-sided loss, made mixed martial artists around the world realize that there's a new formula for success in MMA.
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We shall leave the ethical implications of this approach for another day. For now, we'll look at fighters who have shown themselves to be fans of pro-wrestling.
#5. Daniel Cormier
Former light heavyweight and heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier is one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time. A lifelong freestyle wrestler and former Olympian, Cormier has been a fan of pro-wrestling for as long as he can remember. Upon his retirement from active MMA competition, 'DC' initially campaigned for a role in WWE's [World Wrestling Entertainment] commentary booth alongside Michael Cole.
Furthermore, at UFC 276, two fighters walked out to the theme songs of celebrated pro-wrestlers Shawn Michaels and the Undertaker. When Jessica-Rose Clarke walked out to Michaels' theme music, Cormier's excitement was palpable as he described its significance to his broadcast partners Joe Rogan and Jon Anik. When Israel Adesanya walked out to the Undertaker's theme song, 'DC' couldn't help but chuckle before announcing that 'The Deadman' had arrived.
Most famously, however, Cormier's association with pro-wrestling stems from his post-fight confrontation with Brock Lesnar at UFC 226, which the UFC hoped would drum up interest in a future bout between 'DC' and Lesnar. The bout, however, never materialized.
#4. Israel Adesanya
While the reigning middleweight kingpin has not adopted a pro-wrestling style gimmick to generate hype among the UFC's casual fanbase, Israel Adesanya is an avid pro-wrestling fan. 'The Last Stylebender' has also expressed a desire to work with WWE one day, although he did clarify that he doesn't intend to have a future as a full-time pro-wrestler.
Additionally, Adesanya was seen recognizing Booker T at the UFC 271 post-fight press conference, referring to the former WWE Superstar's accomplishments as a five-time WCW world heavyweight champion. Perhaps Adesanya's biggest homage to the world of professional wrestling, however, was his walkout for UFC 276. 'The Last Stylebender' chose to walk out to 'The Undertaker's theme song.
Not only did his walkout feature the Undertaker's theme music, but Adesanya also donned an old western-style hat similar to the one the Undertaker himself wore, while also carrying an urn like Paul Bearer used to as an integral part of the Undertaker character.
#3. Colby Covington
In many ways, Colby Covington is the second coming of Chael Sonnen. Like Sonnen, Covington is a determined wrestler whose use of vitriolic trash talk has earned him fame, or infamy, depending upon how you look at it.
The former interim welterweight champion's trash-talking punctuated the outlandish persona he developed to drum up interest in his bouts after almost being released by the UFC due to a perceived lack of fan interest.
Not only has Covington expressed a desire to one day make the transition to pro-wrestling and specifically WWE, but 'Chaos' has also praised Ronda Rousey's performances as a pro-wrestler. Covington has also used legendary pro-wrestler Kurt Angle's theme music as his walkout song several times: first at UFC on ESPN 5, and lastly at UFC 272.
Furthermore, 'Chaos' has expressed enormous respect for pro-wrestlers. In 2020, the All-American described them as some of the hardest workers in the world and that he hoped to join them one day. He then praised Vince McMahon, WWE's then CEO.
To top it all off, Colby choked out a referee at an Impact Wrestling event.
#2. Ronda Rousey
Prior to Valentina Shevchenko's controversial win over Taila Santos, Ronda Rousey held the record for the highest number of title defenses across the UFC women's divisions. While Rousey has not been an active fighter in years due to her current trade as a WWE Superstar and former RAW and Smackdown women's champion, her roots as a pro-wrestling fan date back to her MMA career.
Accounts vary, but it's believed that Rousey adopted her 'Rowdy' nickname after receiving the blessing of deceased WWE Hall of Famer 'Rowdy' Roddy Piper, in either her late Strikeforce career in 2012 or early UFC career in 2013. Furthermore, Rousey was once part of a group with fellow MMA fighters Shaynza Baszler, Jessamyn Duke and Marina Shafir.
The four friends called themselves 'The Four Horsewomen' as an homage to the legendary pro-wrestling stable that originally consisted of Ric Flair, Arn Anderson, Ole Anderson and Tully Blanchard: The Four Horsemen. Rousey's admiration for the pro-wrestling world eventually led to sporadic appearances in WWE, beginning with a segment involving The Rock, Stephanie McMahon and Triple H at WrestleMania 31 and culminating in Rousey becoming a full-time WWE Superstar.
#1. Brock Lesnar was a WWE Champion before coming into the UFC
Unlike everyone else cited on this list, Brock Lesnar enjoyed a storied and celebrated career as a pro-wrestler long before he ever transitioned into the world of MMA. Within a year of his main roster debut, Lesnar captured the WWE championship to become the youngest-ever WWE champion in history. Alas, Lesnar's career was short-lived as 'The Beast' left the promotion only 2 years after his main roster debut.
Lesnar spent the next 2 years as a pro-wrestler in Japan, capturing the IWGP heavyweight championship. However, when 'The Beast' abandoned the pro-wrestling world, he made the transition to mixed martial arts, defying the odds to achieve world championship success in the UFC in only his fourth professional bout. Unfortunately, Lesnar only fought 5 more times, the fifth bout coming after a long hiatus from MMA, during which 'The Beast' made a thunderous return to the WWE.
Since then, Brock Lesnar has spent his time as a pro-wrestler, ending the Undertaker's undefeated WrestleMania streak and capturing major titles in WWE. He described his relationship with former WWE CEO Vince McMahon as a father-and-son dynamic.
