'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAGAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFAABAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAB//aAAgBAQAAAAA4Pv/EABQBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT/2gAIAQIQAAAAH//EABQBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAX/2gAIAQMQAAAAR//EACAQAAICAQQDAQAAAAAAAAAAAAIEAQMFABMhIgYREkH/2gAIAQEAAT8A8VNZ3Dv3jjViBfGzLIHbaO8G5J/hcT00byEmU1XPjX76j8BxGv/EABcRAAMBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACAzL/2gAIAQIBAT8Anpj/xAAWEQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAgD/2gAIAQMBAT8AsGZ3/9k='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Everyone knows the world of WWE is scripted entertainment, rather than a legitimate athletic competition – but to its legions of fans that doesn’t make it any less fun. It also doesn’t mean that the wrestlers who perform for the WWE Universe aren’t extremely tough in their own right.
Over the years WWE has been home to some truly tough people who could well have succeeded in the world of MMA – names like Steve Blackman, Scott Steiner and Haku all come to mind – and today’s roster is no different.
When looking at current WWE superstars who could make it in the UFC, three obvious names come to mind – former UFC Heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar, former UFC Women’s Bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey, and former UFC contender Shayna Baszler. But we know all about those three from their previous careers in the UFC.
The following 5 WWE superstars on the other hand have never set foot into the UFC Octagon – but if they did, they might fare a little better than their former WWE alumni CM Punk.
#1 Rezar
One half of the powerhouse tag team known as the Authors of Pain, it’s not a stretch to suggest that Rezar – real name Gzim Selmani – could’ve made it to the UFC already had he not moved into the world of pro-wrestling in 2015.
Many fans wouldn’t know that prior to joining WWE early that year, Rezar actually had a successful MMA career fighting out of the famed Golden Glory camp in the Netherlands – the same team that produced legends like Alistair Overeem and Semmy Schilt.
An ethnic Kosovo Albanian, Rezar trained in kickboxing and judo as a child and then took up MMA at the age of 15, and went onto a successful amateur career before turning pro in 2012. ‘The Albanian Psycho’, as he was known, even picked up a win over UFC veteran Oli Thompson before signing with Bellator in 2014.
He lost his lone fight there that October, but judging by his previous form and relatively young age there’s no reason why he couldn’t have gone onto more success – and with the UFC’s expansion into Europe, as well as his Overeem connection, he could well have been signed by the world’s biggest MMA promotion.
Should Rezar ever decide that the life of a WWE superstar is no longer for him, there’s little doubt that he could move back into MMA – and probably make it in the UFC.
#2 Chad Gable
It’s a widely known fact that former amateur wrestlers quite often make the most successful MMA fighters, and the history of the UFC is littered with former top wrestlers who went onto Octagon glory.
Fighters like Mark Coleman, Randy Couture and Kevin Randleman all came from wrestling backgrounds and lifted UFC gold, and current UFC Heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier is of course a former Olympic wrestler.
That’s why it’s no stretch to assume that if he were to transition into MMA, WWE superstar Chad Gable – real name Charles Betts – could quickly succeed at the highest level of the sport inside the UFC. Gable’s athletic talents are clear to see when he’s in action in the WWE ring, but less people might know that he is in fact a former Olympic wrestler.
Gable competed in the 2012 Olympics in London, wrestling in the 84kg Greco-Roman competition, and made it to the 1/8 finals before being defeated by Cuban Pablo Shorey.
Any wrestler good enough to compete in the Olympics could certainly make a splash in the UFC – and in fact at 84kg – slap bang on the Middleweight limit of 185lbs – we’ve seen a former Olympian in Yoel Romero largely dominate his opponents over the past few years.
Therefore if Gable were to transition into an MMA career, with his wrestling background and athletic talents there’s no question that he could probably succeed in the UFC.
#3 Jack Gallagher
With his skinny physique, old-timey moustache and entrance music lifted from the famous musical Carmen, WWE superstar Jack Gallagher is about the last wrestler that you might have pegged as a potential tough guy. And yet that couldn’t be further from the truth.
As a matter of fact, Gallagher – real name Oliver Claffey – actually had a run as an amateur MMA fighter prior to joining WWE in 2016. He had two fights on the UK’s amateur circuit, submitting both of his opponents in the first round – one with an armbar, one with a mounted guillotine choke.
While his two fights clearly came at a far lower level than you’d see in the UFC, even on a European Fight Pass card, Gallagher did display some skills – notably a solid takedown, good top control and a clear knowledge of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
Could he step right into the UFC and succeed off the bat? Perhaps not, as his billed weight is 167lbs – which with a little cutting, would put him in the middle of the UFC’s most stacked weight class, Lightweight.
But there’s no doubt that with a little more training and polish, he’d have a better chance of UFC success than most of his WWE peers. And with his likeable and charismatic character, he’d probably be given a chance to succeed if he chose that path.
#4 Dolph Ziggler
Given Dolph Ziggler – real name Nick Nemeth – turns 39 next July, the likelihood of him ever transitioning into a career in MMA, let alone succeeding, now seems pretty slim. But surprisingly enough, had he chosen to do so a little earlier one, he could well have made it all the way to the top.
Like fellow WWE superstar Chad Gable, Ziggler is clearly a tremendously gifted athlete. But what would’ve put him into a prime position for UFC success is his wrestling background.
Ziggler started wrestling whilst at St. Edward High School in Lakewood, Ohio, where he broke the school record for most pins in a career, and was a teammate of former UFC title challenger Gray Maynard.
At the collegiate level, Ziggler wrestled for Kent State University and racked up a total of 121 career wins – the second-most in the history of Kent State. He also won the All-American Mid Conference championship three times – not quite Brock Lesnar’s NCAA Division I title victory, but definitely impressive in its own right.
If Ziggler were to leave WWE to pursue MMA right now, then it’s a question mark as to how far he’d get, but if he were to go directly to the UFC a la CM Punk, then he’d probably have far more success based purely on that wrestling background than the ‘Straight Edge Superstar’.
#5 Jason Jordan
There’s a reason that WWE decided to give Jason Jordan – real name Nathan Everhart – the gimmick of being Kurt Angle’s son. That’s because like Angle – an Olympic gold medallist in freestyle wrestling who could definitely have seen UFC success in his prime – Jordan comes from a tremendous amateur wrestling background.
Wrestling at Indiana University, Jordan saw massive success as a collegiate wrestler. He became a three-time NCAA Division I qualifier, and became ranked as high as 2nd in the nation at heavyweight.
Renowned for his speed and athleticism, Jordan competed – and succeeded – in a weight class that went up to 285lbs while weighing around 225lbs himself, an incredible feat. And of course, it’s those skills that today allow him to throw around huge men like Braun Strowman in the WWE ring.
But could Jordan succeed in the UFC? For an athlete of his calibre, there’s no reason why he couldn’t. The likes of Josh Koscheck, Phil Davis and Brock Lesnar himself all came from similar backgrounds and saw massive success in the UFC, even without a lot of prior MMA experience.
At 30 years old, Jordan would still be relatively young for an MMA Heavyweight, and with the general lack of athletic talent in that division, the sky would probably be the limit for a wrestler of his calibre.
