6 American Top Team fighters who turned to professional wrestling

The American Top Team (ATT) is one of the top gyms in MMA. It was founded by Dan Lambert in 2001, and is based in Coconut Creek, Florida. ATT has earned an excellent reputation for producing numerous world champions in multiple combat sport promotions.

While they are primarily known for their MMA success, ATT have also gained accolades for their venture into professional wrestling. Lambert has been a lifelong pro-wrestling fan and has been associated with All Elite Wrestling (AEW), an American pro-wrestling promotion. Through the aforementioned affiliation, many of his fighters have gotten involved in memorable storylines.

As ATT gains more recognition in pro-wrestling, it could only be a matter of time before more of their fighters get involved. Having a connection to the industry could make for a smooth transition should a fighter decide to attempt it. This list will look at those American Top Team members who got involved in pro-wrestling.

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#5. American Top Team heavyweights Junior dos Santos and Andrei Arlovski

Junior dos Santos and Andrei Arlovski are two legendary heavyweights fighting out of the American Top Team. They are both former UFC heavyweight champions and were among the top heavyweights in the world during their prime.

Last year, both heavyweights appeared on "AEW: Dynamite!" along with Dan Lambert where they were imposing figures. They were also brought in during Lambert's feud with "The Inner Circle," which ended in a 10-men tag team match at "AEW: Full Gear."

While speaking with Shakiel Mahjouri of Cageside Seats, Dan Lambert complimented dos Santos and Arlovski on how they performed.

"I think they would both like to get into it. They're both big, strong guys. Maybe Arlovski's a little scarier looking and he'd probably end up being the heel and I think JDS would be the perpetual babyface."

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#4. American Top Team Women's Flyweight Paige VanZant

Paige VanZant is an experienced veteran of combat sports. She made her UFC debut in 2014 as a 20-year-old prospect and competed in the octagon until 2020. Following her UFC tenure, she ventured into bare-knuckle boxing.

VanZant joined her ATT teammates in AEW during their feud with The Inner Circle. She officially signed with the company and made her in-ring debut this June at their pay-per-view event "Double or Nothing." After her initial feud with Brandi Rhodes was nixed, '12-Gauge' got involved in a feud with Tay Conti.

The feud with Conti led to both women being included in a six-person tag team match at the event. VanZant teamed with Scorpio Sky and Ethan Page, while Conti teamed with Sammy Guevara and Frankie Kazarian. Unlike Arlovski and dos Santos, it does seem like '12-Gauge's pro-wrestling career could be long-term.

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#3. American Top Team Welterweight Colby Covington

Colby Covington is not one of the American Top Team's most loved fighters by any stretch of the imagination. The former interim UFC welterweight champion has been involved in a bitter rivalry with former friend and fellow UFC welterweight Jorge Masvidal since leaving the famed MMA gym. He has even targeted former teammate Dustin Poirier for a potential bout in the UFC.

Prior to his strained relationship with ATT, Covington joined Dan Lambert at Impact wrestling. It was a similar storyline to what recently took place in AEW and saw 'Chaos' try his hand at pro-wrestling. Unfortunately for Impact, Covington's notoriety wasn't at the level it is now, so they didn't get a massive rating boost from his appearance.

While speaking to James Lynch of Fightful, 'Chaos' mentioned that pro-wrestling was something he was a fan of and always wanted to do.

"I've always wanted to get into pro wrestling. I love the dynamics of it and everything that goes into it. That's definitely an avenue I'll look to go down in the future."

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#2. American Top Team Women's Flyweight Valerie Loureda

American Top Team flyweight Valerie Loureda has significantly grown her following and fanbase since her MMA debut. The Taekwondo blackbelt was successful in utilizing her striking to her advantage in MMA. All her pro MMA bouts were contested in Bellator, where she amassed 4 victories and suffered one loss.

After competing in MMA for three years, 'Master' decided the time was right to accept an offer to join WWE. She announced the signing on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani. She expressed her excitement at becoming the first Cuban-American woman to sign with WWE.

"I’ve dedicated my whole life to martial arts, and everything has come to this moment. And this is my opportunity to showcase my culture and entertain the world."

Since signing with the company, she has reported to the WWE Performance Center and recently at a NXT live event. Loureda is a high-profile signing for the company and joins a young crop of elite athletes. It'll only be a matter of time before she debuts on WWE NXT 2.0.

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#1. American Top Team heavyweight Bobby Lashley

There's no denying that Bobby Lashley is the most notable American Top Team fighter to get involved in pro-wrestling. He made his WWE debut in 2005 and quickly received a big push. His first stint with the company didn't last too long as he left in 2008 to pursue an MMA career.

What made Lashley's transition from pro-wrestling to MMA so interesting was that he continued doing both. In fact, he simultaneously fought for Bellator and wrestled in Impact Wrestling, where he was a main event performer. During his stint with Impact, he was involved in a storyline that saw Dan Lambert and other ATT fighters [including Colby Covington] make weekly appearances.

In 2018, Lashley returned to WWE and has since become one of the top stars on RAW. It's been a memorable return that has seen him lead his own faction, "The Hurt Business", and win the WWE championship. He even wrestled Brock Lesnar, a dream matchup for fans for years.