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UFC and WWE essentially follow the same business model of promotion. While one may be a legit sport and other laced with an added dose of entertainment, the fighters, and superstars from both avenues are bonafide mainstream attractions.
The big-name crossovers have been aplenty and in addition to that, there are a handful of stars from the current WWE roster who have dabbled in MMA in the early stages of their careers.
While the general masses know about Brock Lesnar and Ronda Rousey, who have been left out of this list for obvious reasons -- there are 4 more stars from the current crop who have given MMA a shot only to, later on, find comfort in the glitzy world of pro wrestling.
#1 Sonya Deville
The in-ring style of Sonya Deville should have given you a clear idea of the MMA credentials of the newest addition to Monday Night RAW.
Known as Daria Bereneto in real life, Deville is a former Judoka just like Ronda Rousey and has competed in three MMA fights in her career. Holding a 2-1 record, the Absolution member has one knockout and submission each to her name while having suffered the only loss of her short-lived stint via unanimous decision.
The first openly lesbian WWE Superstar gave up on a potentially promising MMA gig to join WWE's Tough Enough series in 2015 and came eleventh in the competition. She moved from strength to strength and after graduating from the Performance Centre and NXT, and now finds herself on the longest running episodic television show in history.
#2 Jack Gallagher
Meet the Brock Lesnar of 205 Live. One look at Gentleman Jack Gallagher and you'd be hard-pressed to guess the man's impressive combat background. A Brazilian Jui-Jitsu practitioner for 8 years coupled with formal training in Boxing and Kickboxing makes Gallagher one of the most dangerous men on the WWE roster even if his looks might deceive.
The Cruiserweight is currently undefeated in MMA, having notched up two first-round finishes in his only two fights. The British grappler has been a long-time exponent of MMA and believes MMA has been influenced greatly by pro wrestling over the years and anyone who thinks otherwise has his head in the sand.
#3 Shayna Baszler
One of MMA's four Horsewomen, Shayna Baszler is the most accomplished mixed martial artist currently in the WWE behind Brock Lesnar and her good friend Ronda Rousey.
Having trained under the legendary Josh Barnett, Baszler has competed in a total of 26 fights, which is way more than Brock Lesnar's 9 and Rowdy's 14. Baszler has competed for all the top MMA promotions in the world including Elite XC, Strikeforce, Invicta FC and of course the UFC and holds a 15-11 record.
The intimidating NXT rookie is on a 4-fight losing streak, with her last fight ending in a unanimous decision loss in February 2017. A failed run in the UFC and the subsequent loss after she was released from the promotion forced Baszler into turning her attention towards pro wrestling.
With Rousey also on board, the future looks bright for The Queen of Spades.
#4 Shinsuke Nakamura
Yes, The Artist of the WWE is a legit Mixed Martial Artist. The Japenese legend debuted as a Super Rookie in 2002 and was termed as a special talent since day one. Nakamura, though, had a penchant for striking and it went beyond the confines of the NJPW ring.
While trying to break through the NJPW ranks at the beginning of his career, Nakamura also competed in MMA fights and holds a solid record of three wins, one loss and one no contest. A submission loss in his debut against Daniel Gracie didn't hinder Nakamura from entering the cage a few more times until 2004. However, his exponential rise in wrestling that saw him become the youngest ever IWGP Heavyweight Champion in 2003 at the age of 23 forced the King of Strong Style to focus solely on the squared circle and not the Octagon.
Fast forward to 2018 and Nakamura is the first Japenese wrestler to win the Royal Rumble and is all set to headline WrestleMania 34 in a WWE Championship match against AJ Styles.
Sounds too good to be true, doesn't it?
