5 UFC fighters who were influenced by WWE Superstars
It is often the case that MMA fans and professional wrestling fans can’t see eye to eye. While the professional wrestling faithful term mixed martial arts as “violent” and a “blood” sport, the MMA fans cannot buy into the scripted and choreographed art form that is pro wrestling.
While the debate between both parties is nothing new, and the dialogue is often between ostensibly biased viewpoints, pro wrestling and MMA aren’t that different. In fact, now more than ever, MMA fighters are opening up about how they’ve been fans of pro wrestling.
From the entertainment aspect of the fight game to learning the art of ‘working the microphone’, the UFC and MMA fighters have gained a lot from the wrestlers. In fact, numerous MMA fighters were influenced by the professional wrestlers, either very early in their respective careers, or when they matured enough to understand the importance of other variables outside of the cage.
In this article, we take a look at five UFC fighters who were influenced by WWE Superstars.
#5. Anthony Johnson
At UFC 210, Anthony Johnson competed inside the Octagon for the last time and decided to hang up his boots after losing to Daniel Cormier. Growing up, Anthony took a liking to wrestling, and while he never dabbled in pro wrestling, one cannot help but wonder how Johnson would’ve fared inside a WWE ring.
R.I.P Ultimate Warrior
— Anthony Johnson (@Anthony_Rumble) April 9, 2014
I remember this guy was a beast. My fav wrestler other than Sting, Hulk Hogan, The... http://t.co/fchNDerRSm
Like many of us, Johnson found inspiration in a WWE Superstar during his formative years. While the rest of the world was captivated by the wave of Hulkamania that swept the entire nation in the 80’s, Rumble found his hero in The Ultimate Warrior. In fact, when The Ultimate Warrior tragically passed away, AJ took to social media to express his sadness and shared his memories of the former WWE Champion.
One other fighter who was a big Warrior fan was Alistair Overeem!
I actually do remember yes :-) “@DanielkSaunders: @Alistairovereem @UltimateWarrior pic.twitter.com/OIS5IC7Z8F”
— Alistair Overeem (@Alistairovereem) April 9, 2014