Professional wrestling and mixed martial arts are two incredibly different forms of entertainment, but they both require a great deal of athleticism. If you aren't in top shape or don't have the endurance necessary to last at the top level, then the odds are that you won't become a veteran of either the WWE or the UFC.
With that being said, there are some people that decided to transition into both of the aforementioned activities throughout their careers. Some do it for the payday meanwhile others just want to prove to the world that they're more than just a "fake wrestler" or a "guy that hits people".
Brock Lesnar, Batista, Bobby Lashley and many more have made the switch over with people like Ken Shamrock and Dan Severn really paving the way for this kind of crossover. However, for every success story there are multiple failures and the guys on this list certainly go back and forth between both categories.
But hey, let's take it easy on them - because in all likelihood none of us would have the grapefruits to step foot in the octagon. So without further ado, here are five pro wrestlers you didn't know competed in MMA.
#5 Bam Bam Bigelow
During his WWE tenure, Bam Bam Bigelow forged a legacy for himself as one of the greatest big men wrestlers of all time. Whether it was his character or general in ring ability, people couldn't help but heap praise on the guy for defying all the odds and succeeding at the highest level. However, alot of people may not know that he also gave MMA a whirl once upon a time.
His one and only fight took place at a U-Japan event, where he was up against Kimo Leopoldo. Unfortunately things didn't go quite to plan, with Bigelow getting absolutely destroyed and submitting within the first round. Following the embarrassing loss he claimed that the whole thing was fixed, although that just came across as a little bit desperate and sad. Poor Bam Bam.
Now, from an old school selection to someone a little more recent.
#4 Alberto Del Rio
To say Alberto Del Rio shot to relevance in the WWE would be a dramatic understatement. The Mexican sensation rose to the top of the company by winning the Royal Rumble and going on to capture a number of world titles. Unfortunately the latter stages of his career there were a tad more controversial, but regardless of that, what we should we discussing is his impressive MMA career.
Throughout 14 professional fights Del Rio accumulated a record of 9 wins and 5 losses, with one of his bouts even coming against the legendary Cro Cop. The former WWE Champion became known for being something of a submission specialist, and it highlights the fact that he may well have been one of the most legit guys in the WWE locker room.
Onto someone you really, really wouldn't expect to appear on this list.
#3 Mitch
Who, you ask? Why Mitch from the Spirit Squad of course! That's right. One fifth of the most annoying stable in sports entertainment history embarked upon an MMA career upon his dismissal from WWE. With feuds against the likes of D-Generation X on their resumé, the former Tag Team Champions didn't actually have that bad of a run considering they weren't there for an extended period of time.
Mitch's MMA career began and ended, however, in disappointment. His one and only fight came against now-UFC fighter Derrick Lewis, with it ending with a TKO in the second round. Ironically it was Lewis' first professional fight too and considering his current five-fight winning streak in the company, good old Mitch doesn't really have too much to be ashamed of.
From the Spirit Squad to a guy you really didn’t want to mess with.
#2 Sean O'Haire
Sean O'Haire was potentially one of the biggest cases of wasted potential in WWE history. The guy had the looks, the character and the in-ring talent to succeed but unfortunately it just didn't come together as well as people were anticipating. What you may not know, however, is that O'Haire was undergoing an MMA career both during and after his tenure in professional wrestling.
With a record of four wins and two losses, O'Haire was actually pretty solid when it came to mixed martial arts. Unfortunately as we all know he passed away far too soon, but we can still look back on his body of work and appreciate it for what it is. Hell, he even had a headline fight with Butterbean back in late 2006.
Speaking of who, this last entrant knows a thing or two about good old Eric Esch.
Bart Gunn
Some of you may know Bart Gunn as "the guy who ruined Brawl for All". Gunn, who had a successful tag team with Billy in the mid 90s, took part in the shootfighting tournament that was designed to get Steve Williams over.
Unfortunately Gunn had other ideas, knocking out Williams on his way to winning the competition. After this, Gunn went on to have a fight with the aforementioned Butterbean at WrestleMania 15, during which he was knocked out within 40 seconds.
Some may have thought that was the end of his fighting days, but following the battle a light must have gone off in Gunn's head. In 2006, he had two professional MMA fights against Wesley Correira and Ikuhisa Minowa before retiring with one win and one loss to his name.
Maybe there was a bigger purpose behind his destruction at the hands of Butterbean after all.
