Will Bobby Lashley leave professional wrestling for MMA after possible WWE departure? Analyzing the possibility

Bobby Lashley is rumored to be leaving WWE soon as his contract is nearing its end. While it's possible for him to continue wrestling in a different wrestling promotion, he also has the option to leave the sport altogether and return to being a professional MMA fighter.

From 2008 to 2016, Bobby Lashley competed as a MMA fighter for various promotions. He appeared in promotions including Strike Force, Maximum Fighting Championship, Titan Fighting Championship, Shark Fights, Bellator, and more. In 2018, he returned to WWE where he remains up to this day. Despite this, The All Mighty never closed the doors on Mixed Martial Arts.

In a June 2021 interview with Fightful Select, Lashley said he is not closing the doors on an MMA return and expressed interest in appearing at Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship. In February 2022 on The MMA Hour, Bobby expressed that he wouldn't be able to continue MMA since it was difficult to be a single father, coordinate an actual training camp, and the expenses that come with it.

Although it seemed like he had already closed the doors on MMA, in August 2022 he admitted he still wanted to fight. In an interview with Sean Ross Sapp, he admitted his desire to return to the cage. He added that he jokingly asked Vince McMahon if he could get in the cage when Triple H, Stephanie McMahon, and Vince attended UFC 276.

Although Bobby Lashley is already 48 years old, the age when combat athletes start to think about retirement, he is still in great shape and health. Given that his Bellator contract is still intact, as he previously had a clause to put it on hold if WWE contacts him, he can easily return to MMA even for just a few more fights.

Does Bobby Lashley think he is a better MMA fighter than Brock Lesnar?

There have been several WWE stars who have a background in MMA, the most infamous possibly being Brock Lesnar. Although both men shared a wrestling ring, never the cage. Interestingly, the former WWE Champion thinks he has the upper hand against the former UFC Champion in the cage.

In a January 2022 interview with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, Lashley said he doesn't know Lesnar's capabilities in the octagon skill-wise. Bobby added that since he would take smaller fights in Strikeforce, he could sharpen his skills and be a student of the game. Due to this, in terms of "skill for skill" and "knowledge for knowledge," he knows more than Brock Lesnar.

It would be interesting to see which path Bobby Lashley will go to next if he does exit WWE soon.