5 MMA fighters who have appeared on AEW
The relationship between MMA and professional wrestling is a complicated one. While the two are undeniably linked, there are also several substantial differences that make transitioning from one to another easier said than done.
A great example of this is CM Punk. Punk was one of the most popular performers in all of WWE and has become incredibly successful in AEW. In between, however, Punk twice attempted to compete in the UFC octagon and was unable to pick up a victory in either attempt.
At a media gathering with @CMPunk. He believes if UFC put his debut and Brock's return on the same card it would break UFC's PPV record.
With that being said, Punk was first trained in professional wrestling, so his move to mixed martial arts was always going to be a challenging one. For fighters moving in the other direction, from mixed martial arts to pro-wrestling, there is a more extended history of success stories.
One only has to look at Ronda Rousey to see how an athlete can transition between the two and achieve immense success in both. While Rousey's success has come in WWE, there are several former MMA fighters who are starting to have some success in rival promotion AEW.
Here are five MMA fighters who have appeared on AEW:
Honorable mentions: Andrei Arlovski, Austin Vanderford, Junior dos Santos, Rashad Evans and Vitor Belfort.
#5. Henry Cejudo - flyweight/bantamweight MMA fighter
Henry Cejudo has already achieved far more than most combat athletes dream of. He defeated possibly the greatest flyweight in Demetrious Johnson to win the UFC title. After defending that belt, he then moved up a weight class and defeated Marlon Moraes for the bantamweight gold to earn champ-champ status.
He also has an Olympic gold medal in amateur wrestling. In professional wrestling, however, Cejudo is a little less decorated. To date, he has made just one appearance on AEW. Cejudo provided backup for Mike Tyson as he confronted Chris Jerricho's Inner Circle.
Recently retired Henry Cejudo showed up to the professional wrestling show AEW Dynamite to accompany Mike Tyson, who was also flanked by Rashad Evans and Vitor Belfort. https://t.co/oXRGSg6Bsi
Since then, Cejudo confirmed he was in talks with AEW regarding a potential contract with the company. However, that no longer seems to be on the cards. Instead, 'Triple C' has had great success coaching other UFC fighters. He has also indicated that he may return to the octagon after retiring in 2020.