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A great many eventual stars of the Ultimate Fighting Championship promotion work their way into the sport of mixed martial arts by training to a high level of wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, or similar. This is because the ground game, takedowns, and defending grapples have all become huge points of focus in the modern sport, giving the edge to those who face expert stand-up strikers.
With the core tenants of these grappling and strength-heavy disciplines creating creative athletes, many UFC stars would lend themselves to the world of pro wrestling. Some of the big movers in recent history have been Matt Riddle and Ronda Rousey, while Brock Lesnar used his amateur wrestling skill to break into the then-WWF, win a title in the UFC, and then return to the WWE.
The WWE’s requirements for its superstars tend to be that they have to be incredibly athletic, likeable or easily disliked, and charismatic in their own way. Given how the UFC is promoted and leans into its biggest talkers, it makes sense that many favourites from MMA seem destined for the WWE – which is a question that many get posed.
On the horizon, two of the UFC’s biggest-ever stars might just be competing in their final MMA bouts, perhaps opening the door to a stint in the squared circle.
‘UFC 189 World Tour Aldo vs. McGregor London 2015’ – Jgui, WikiMedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
It’s not entirely clear if he’s just a disgruntled fan of the WWE, if he likes the additional attention that he gets from hate-posting, or if he’s building himself up as an instant heel for an inevitable pro wrestling stint. Either way, Conor McGregor has been getting the attention of WWE superstars and their fans for several years now. Like so many who seek a reaction from others, the Irishman’s key weapon is Twitter.
Back in 2016, McGregor tweeted that he’d “slap the head off [the WWE’s] entire roster” and twice on Sundays, to which Roman Reigns simply responded: “[You’re] the size of my leg. Shut up.” Given the 28,000 likes for the WWE heavyweight to the 73,600 earned by McGregor, it could be inferred that fans both enjoyed the inflammatory post and perhaps wanted to see McGregor give it a go. At this time, the Irishman was on top of the UFC in all regards.
That year, Notorious also took aim at superstar John Cena, calling him a “big, fat, 40-year-old, failed Mr. Olympia.” Most who have seen The Prototype would quickly raise an eyebrow at the first two points of that statement, even now that he’s 45 years old. Of course, McGregor didn’t stop poking the WWE in the years to come, and as recently as April 2022, he set the rumour mills going again, tweeting: “Why wasn’t I at WrestleMania? They all fear me, that’s why.”
It won’t be a quick swing into the WWE for McGregor, though, as he has business to take care of in the octagon. Still an incredibly popular fighter despite currently being on a two-fight losing streak, Notorious faces the uncertain task of beating Michael Chandler next. As it stands, the bookies can’t split them at 10/11 to win each.
‘Jon Jones Posing’ – TBMNY, WikiMedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)
To the cheer of MMA fans around the world, Jon Jones is finally returning to the octagon. He’s put on some 50 lbs to step up to heavyweight from light heavyweight, but has done so over two years, making it a smoother, more methodical transition that has impressed the oddsmakers. Initially, his opponent, Ciryl Gane, was the favourite, but the bookies and fans have since swung the odds in favour of ‘Bones.’
For the fight on 3 April at UFC 285, Jones will enter as the 2/3 favourite in the best UFC betting lines to beat his fleet-footed French opponent. Gane, as the experienced and skilful regular heavyweight, comes in with 9/7 odds. So highly rated is Jones’ skill and his appeal as a top competitor that people are simply overlooking his drastic body transformation, even though one of his main strengths was being speedy.
UFC fans would seemingly follow Jones anywhere, even with his turbulent history outside of the octagon, making him a potential boon for the WWE. They’ve already struck gold with Rousey, and her legendary status in the UFC is similar to Jones, although more of a pioneer than an enduring greatest of all-time contender.
In an interview published shortly after his last fight, in February 2020, Bones’ interview with SI revealed that he thinks “it’s inevitable” that he’ll join the WWE as he has “always respected” the company and feels MMA and pro wrestling can be very similar. So, perhaps if Jones defeats Gane as expected, the 35-year-old will put his massive new physique to work in wrestling rather than potentially risk his UFC legacy, bowing out at 27-1 if he wins.
Both McGregor and Jones have tied themselves into the conversation about a WWE crossover, and while they have huge fights to focus on first, the two look to be sure-fire hits should they go into pro wrestling.
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