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After WWE and UFC recently merged to form the TKO entertainment group, talks of stars from either company moving to the other have been circulating amongst those both in and out of the industry.
Over the years, we have seen many top names from the combat sports world work in World Wrestling Entertainment, such as Floyd Mayweather, Mike Tyson, and Tyson Fury.
Join us as we take a look at 5 top WWE stars who could easily make the switch from the pro wrestling world to mixed martial arts.
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#5 - The Beast leaves the WWE ring for the Octagon
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After leaving the company in 2004, The Beast looked to transition to Mixed Martial Arts by conquering the UFC.
With a background in amateur wrestling from college, Brock Lesnar was primed and ready to make it in the octagon. He eventually won the UFC Heavyweight Championship in just his 4th professional fight.
Having previously won the biggest prize in the sport and with UFC 300 on the horizon, Lesnar may be tempted to return for the show in the new year.
#4 - The Almighty moves back to MMA
A former opponent of Brock Lesnar's who also thrived in Mixed Martial Arts is the former WWE Champion Bobby Lashley.
The Almighty fought professionally for 8 years, from 2008 to 2016. During that time, he made a big impact in Bellator and boasted a respectable record of 15-2.
During a recent interview with Fightful, Bobby Lashley revealed that he has asked the McMahons if he would be allowed to step into the cage once more and fight.
"It’s still in me,” Lashley said. “I’m just that guy. I was talking before because I know that we were doing stuff with the UFC. Vince and Stephanie (McMahon) and all them was sitting ringside, and I was in the stands, also. I’m texting Vince, ‘Can I get in there?’ He’s like, ‘Come on.’ So I still have it in me. I love fighting." (H/T Fightful)
#3 The King of Strong Style picks up his gloves once
again
In the early 2000s, just as his pro wrestling career was starting to take off, the artist known as Shinsuke Nakamura fought in multiple mixed martial artists contests both in his native Japan as well as Brazil.
Though he has not fought professionally since 2004, Nakamura still to this day shows off his MMA technique in all his pro wrestling matches. With the UFC now working with WWE, a fight between Shinsuke and a MMA legend could be intriguing for fans of both companies to see.
#2 - Sonya goes for glory
Like Nakamura, another top WWE star who also began her pro wrestling journey around the same time as the start of her MMA career is Sonya Deville.
In 2014, the 29-year-old participated in three professional fights where she won her first two contests. She would then step back from MMA after she was signed by World Wrestling Entertainment in 2015.
However, her first persona in the company's third brand, NXT, was inspired by her Mixed Martial Arts background, with Deville looking to make her opponents tap out via the use of various submissions.
Speaking to MMA Fighting, Sonya Deville was asked if today's UFC stars have the potential to transition over to professional wrestling.
"I feel like it’s just a natural crossover in a lot of ways. For me, I like doing both. I like performing and fighting so it was a no-brainer. You get larger-than-life personalities in both MMA and professional wrestling. They have a lot of dualities and commonalities, so I just feel like it’s kind of a natural transition.”(H/T MMA Fighting)
#1 - The Rowdy One heads back to her roots
Despite having not fought in the UFC since 2016, one name that many fans would love to see return to the octagon is Ronda Rousey. The first-ever women's UFC Bantamweight Champion helped bring the sport into the mainstream in the early 2010s after she routinely picked up wins in quick and entertaining fashion.
Ronda's success in the UFC caught the attention of not only WWE but Hollywood as well, with Rousey starring in huge films like The Expendables 3 and Furious 7.
With the UFC hoping to bring out all the stops for their 300th PPV in 2024, a returning star like Rousey would no doubt bring even more eyes onto the show.
Although fans would like to see the rowdy one back in the octagon, her fellow UFC Hall of Famer and WWE fan Daniel Cormier recently gave his thoughts on her potential return whilst speaking on ESPN's "DC & RC.
"I don't think Ronda needs to be doing combat sports, I don't think Ronda needs to be doing anything physical right now," Cormier said. "She has the opportunity to do whatever she wants. Ronda's made her own rules." (H/T SI.com)
Who would you like to see make the jump to Mixed Martial Arts? Sound off in the comments section below.
