5 MMA rivalries that felt like pro-wrestling feuds
Mixed Martial Arts might be at a higher pedestal than pro-wrestling owing to its “real fight quotient”, but there are times when a MMA rivalry pans out exactly like a professional wrestling feud. The drama, the emotions and the over-the-top displays of power often paves way to a rivalry which could typically masquerade as a WWE-spawned product.
Here are 5 such rivalries that could pass off as pro-wrestling feuds.
#5 Brock Lesnar v/s Frank Mir
The Brock Lesnar-Frank Mir feud was met with so much anticipation that it was the main event of UFC 100, the same event that also featured Thiago Alves facing off against Georges St- Pierre. Lesnar and Mir had previously feuded at UFC 81, with Frank picking up a victory in the very first round after forcing Brock to tap out.
However, the plot didn’t end there. Right before UFC 100, which was heralded as one of the most star-studded events, Mir and Lesnar entwined in a tug of war that was akin to a ‘professional wrestling feud heading in to WrestleMania’. Mir didn’t mince words in insulting Lesnar’s MMA game, degrading the latter’s ground and pound prowess as “annoying”; further equating it to having a ‘little sister jump on your back and pull your hair’.
Lesnar retorted by calling Mir a glorified karate kid who was lucky to win a few fights! Lesnar would later go on to win the bout but the fervour and madness going in to the match was typically WWE-esque.