Did Bobby Lashley ever fight in UFC and what was his record?
No, Bobby Lashley has not competed in UFC. However, the American did have an incredible record in UFC's rival promotion, Bellator MMA.
Bobby Lashley is well-renowned around the world for being a charismatic wrestler in the WWE. But did you know that he was once a former professional mixed martial artist too?
Having been in business with multiple promotions over the years, Lashley has gained a reputation for being a dominant force inside the octagon. Now, the 44-year-old continues to perform under the WWE RAW brand after his exit from MMA.
Making his professional MMA debut at Mixed Fighting Alliance (MFA), Bobby Lashley began his hugely successful career in the sport on December 13th, 2008. Emerging victorious in his maiden exhibition bout against Joshua Franklin, Lashley was expected to fight UFC legend and kickboxer Ken Shamrock. However, after failing his drug test leading up to the fight, Shamrock was replaced by Bellator MMA veteran, Jason Guida.
Bobby Lashley spent the better part of his MMA career shuffling from one promotion to another. Making his presence felt in Strikeforce, Titan FC, and Bellator MMA, Lashley competed in the octagon for a period of eight years before jumping ship back to professional wrestling entertainment.
In July 2014, Bobby Lashley signed a contract with Bellator MMA. He would go on to quickly open his account with the company after submitting Josh Burns via a rear-naked choke at Bellator 123. Lashley got wins over Karl Etherington, Dan Charles, and James Thompson, before his final successful outing against Josh Appelt at Bellator 162.
Watch Bobby Lashley discuss MMA leading up to UFC's most-recent major pay-per-view event - UFC 259!
When did Bobby Lashley stop fighting MMA?
After his return to WWE on April 9th, 2018, a statement was issued elucidating that Bobby Lashley was still under contract with Bellator MMA. However, on October 27th, 2020, the promotion announced that Lashley has been released from duty, effective immediately.
Exiting the sport as a serious competitor, Lashley boasts a commendable MMA record of 15 wins and 2 losses. He is currently the WWE Champion and is considered to be one of the biggest stars in the company.
Bobby Lashley hasn't fought MMA in over four years now. Given a potential return, who do you think has the star power to match his value in the fight business?
Be sure to leave your thoughts and opinions in the comment section below!