5 UFC fighters of past and present who are pro-wrestling fans

#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.

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#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.