5 UFC fighters of past and present who are pro-wrestling fans
The UFC and WWE share an odd relationship. Dana White has always made a concerted effort to remind spectators about the distinction between the legitimate nature of mixed martial arts and the entertainment-driven, scripted nature of professional wrestling bouts.
Yet, curiously, White and the UFC appear to favor fighters who use their promo skills to drum up interest in matchups. Even awarding undeserved title fights simply due to the strength of a certain fighter's ability to connect to the casual fanbase and generate PPVs, a trait that is more common in pro-wrestling circles, where wrestlers who can draw the interest of spectators are favored over those who possess better in-ring skills.
In the UFC, the parallels are evident. Chael Sonnen is the most prominent example of the phenomenon, with 'The American Gangster' having been awarded what is arguably the most undeserved title fight in the promotion's history when he faced Jon Jones for the UFC light heavyweight championship after being TKO'd by Anderson Silva in his previous bout for the middleweight title.
Fighters took note of Sonnen's success. His ability to talk himself into title fights, even with his prior fight being a one-sided loss, made mixed martial artists around the world realize that there's a new formula for success in MMA.
We shall leave the ethical implications of this approach for another day. For now, we'll look at fighters who have shown themselves to be fans of pro-wrestling.
#5. Daniel Cormier
Former light heavyweight and heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier is one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time. A lifelong freestyle wrestler and former Olympian, Cormier has been a fan of pro-wrestling for as long as he can remember. Upon his retirement from active MMA competition, 'DC' initially campaigned for a role in WWE's [World Wrestling Entertainment] commentary booth alongside Michael Cole.
Could Daniel Cormier make a run in WWE after his UFC retirement?
Back in December, he said he spoke to WWE on a number of occasions about making an appearance
He's also got unfinished business with a current star 👀 https://t.co/1ZSwSU3AA6
Furthermore, at UFC 276, two fighters walked out to the theme songs of celebrated pro-wrestlers Shawn Michaels and the Undertaker. When Jessica-Rose Clarke walked out to Michaels' theme music, Cormier's excitement was palpable as he described its significance to his broadcast partners Joe Rogan and Jon Anik. When Israel Adesanya walked out to the Undertaker's theme song, 'DC' couldn't help but chuckle before announcing that 'The Deadman' had arrived.
Most famously, however, Cormier's association with pro-wrestling stems from his post-fight confrontation with Brock Lesnar at UFC 226, which the UFC hoped would drum up interest in a future bout between 'DC' and Lesnar. The bout, however, never materialized.