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Two former UFC fighters took center stage this Saturday at WWE's annual Royal Rumble event. Competing in this match is one of the things on the bucket list for any professional wrestler. However, in recent times, it has also seen a number of former MMA fighters take center stage.
MMA and professional wrestling are linked, even if fans of the former might debate against this. Wrestling action has become increasingly similar to MMA, whilst we now often see over-the-top octagon interviews which are traditionally more common in the world of pro-wrestling.
With an increasing number of athletes switching between both MMA and pro-wrestling, this trend is set to continue. MMA athletes have proven that they can transition well to a pro-wrestling style and while it is much rarer, we have seen pro-wrestlers have success in MMA as well.
Competing in both the octagon and the Royal Rumble shows an athlete has had an impressive career in both MMA and pro-wrestling. Whilst the list of athletes who have currently done so is small, don't be surprised if it continues to grow over the next decade.
Here are five UFC fighters who have competed in the Royal Rumble:
#5. Matthew Riddle - former UFC welterweight
Matthew Riddle has had an underrated run in MMA and is now making a name for himself in the WWE. Riddle was a member of the seventh season of The Ultimate Fighter very early on in his MMA journey as he was just 1-0 as an amateur.
Riddle went 7-3 in the octagon and would have been 9-3 but for two wins that were overturned into no contests when he tested positive for cannabis. Had it not been the case, Riddle would have been on a four-fight winning streak when he parted ways with the company.
Since signing with the WWE in 2018, Riddle has competed in three Royal Rumble matches. His best showing came in the 2022 edition when he reached the final four of the match. Nevertheless, his future in the WWE certainly seems bright.
#4. CM Punk - former UFC welterweight
CM Punk is unique in that his UFC career came after his run with the WWE. Punk competed in the WWE between 2005 and 2014 and was incredibly successful, winning the world heavyweight championship on three occasions.
Despite his success with the company, Punk has had mixed success in the six Royal Rumble matches he competed in. He never won the match and his best performance came in his last royal rumble in 2014 when he first entered the match and made it all the way to the final four.
He then tried his luck in the UFC but failed to pick up a win in either of his two fights with promotion. Since then Punk has continued to be involved in the MMA world as a commentator for the Cage Fury Fighting Championship and has returned to pro-wrestling with AEW.
#3. Shayna Baszler - former UFC bantamweight
Shayna Baszler is arguably yet to receive the credit she deserves for her time in both MMA and pro-wrestling. Baszler was a pioneer of women's MMA and earned quite the reputation for herself before being selected for The Ultimate Fighter.
Baszler suffered an upset loss to current UFC champion Julianna Pena on the show before dropping two more tough fights against Bethe Correia and Amanda Nunes. Those results put an end to her time in the UFC and after one more MMA fight, she transitioned to pro-wrestling and signed with the WWE in 2017.
Since then, she has become a two-time NXT women's champion and has competed in three Royal Rumble matches. While she is yet to win one, she has twice been the last entrant and was the runner-up to Charlotte Flair back in 2020.
#2. Ronda Rousey - former UFC bantamweight champion
Ronda Rousey's run with the UFC cemented her status as the biggest female MMA star in history. She was the inaugural bantamweight champion and successfully defended the belt six times before suffering the only two losses of her career to Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes.
With her last MMA fight taking place at the end of 2016, Rousey quickly transitioned to the pro-wrestling world, signing with the WWE in 2017. While she made a special appearance at the 2018 edition of the event, her first time competing in the Royal Rumble match did not come until this past weekend.
Rousey was the 28th entrant into the bout and picked up four eliminations on her way to victory. She last eliminated Charlotte Flair and has now guaranteed herself a title match at this year's WrestleMania.
#1. Brock Lesnar - former UFC heavyweight champion
Brock Lesnar, like Ronda Rousey, has experienced a wealth of success both in the WWE and the UFC. While his UFC debut was back in 2008, he made his first Royal Rumble appearance in 2003 with a victory.
Next came his first MMA run, where he won the heavyweight championship in just his fourth professional bout and successfully defended it twice. After suffering consecutive losses to Cain Velasquez and Alistair Overeem, he returned to the WWE in 2012.
He competed in his second Royal Rumble match in 2016 before having one last UFC fight against Mark Hunt. Since then, he has competed in three more Royal Rumble matches in 2017, 2020 and 2022. His most recent appearance this weekend saw him win the bout for a second time.
