5 reasons why Kurt Angle would have been a massive success in the UFC
Kurt Angle is one of the greatest Superstars to have graced the squared circle and the hexagon, in equal proportions. Gifted with in-ring technicality and quick wit, he has been one of the torch-bearers of the professional wrestling business.
From winning the Olympic gold at 1996, to fighting in two of the most popular pro-wrestling promotions, Kurt Angle has been phenomenal at what he does best: wrestle. But would his wrestling ability have made him an equally good fighter inside the diabolical eight-sided structure?
Here are 5 reasons why Angle would have been a massive success in the UFC
#5 Wrestling background
His prowess as a technically gifted wrestler needs no introduction. Hailing from a predominantly wrestling background, Kurt Angle holds the distinction of being an Olympic gold medalist owing to his ascent to the pinnacle in the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta.
Despite being riddled with injuries and having resorted to pain-relieving analgesics, Kurt, possessing the virtues of ‘citius, altius, fortius’ was able to overcome the Iranian Abbas Jadidi to clinch the top prize!
Kurt Angle would have been equally successful in mixed martial arts, had he given preference to joining the UFC post his wrestling glory. Angle, in one of his interviews, confessed to giving the UFC a miss back in the day, primarily because of the lack of lucrativeness that it offered.
Also read: 5 People who could induct Kurt Angle into Hall of Fame
The World Wrestling Entertainment came calling, which dissuaded Angle from trying out his luck inside the UFC Octagon. Angle had another opportunity to associate himself with the UFC when Dana White offered him a spot at The Ultimate Fighter in 2008 to fight against Kimbo Slice.
The sophomore proposition was turned down by Angle too because it required him to be ready in four-and-a-half weeks. Kurt’s ingress to the Ultimate Fighting Championship would have been another feather in his cap... sadly that never transpired.