No matter what the fans say or believe, professional wrestling and the sport of mixed martial arts aren’t that different. This fact has been made blatantly obvious ever since WME - IMG replaced Zuffa, as the owners of the biggest MMA promotion in the world. With the new regime being more interested in the entertainment value of the fight game, worthy title contenders and sensible matchups have been put on the back burner for the “money fights”.
This isn’t to say that UFC was always about upholding the integrity of the sport, or the variables that go along with it. Whether it was Dana White, or the fighters themselves, a lot of aspects of the world of professional wrestling have been carried over to the UFC.
The fighters themselves, over the years, have understood the importance of marketing themselves, and being entertaining. In this article, we take a look at five times UFC fighters imitated the WWE Superstars.
#1 Jon Jones - Honorary member of D Generation X
Jon Jones, among many other things, is also one of the greatest mixed martial artists of all time. The former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion has proved time and again, that there is no one that can match him inside the Octagon.
Outside of it, though, is a completely different story.
Jon was touted to become a champion at a very young age. Jon Jones made his UFC debut at the age of 21, and by the time he turned 24, he was already the UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. Along the way, Jon defeated some of the biggest names in the world of MMA, including the likes of Shogun, Rashad, Rampage and Machida.
However, Jon’s reputation as a “party animal” soon caught up with him, and he has since been known as the ‘bad boy’ of MMA. Jon, to his credit has embraced the bad boy monicker, and one of his trademark taunts is - you guessed it - a crotch chop, a la the members of WWE’s D Generation X!
#2 ‘Filthy’ Tom Lawlor ‘shocks’ the crowd
“Filthy” Tom Lawlor is a fan favourite, not just because of what he does inside the Octagon, but more prominently, for what he does out of it. Tom Lawlor has always been an avid professional wrestling fan, and has dabbled in professional wrestling himself. Tom has dressed up as several famous personalities during the weigh ins - as Apollo Creed from the Rocky franchise, as Conor McGregor, and he even posed as Hulk Hogan!
During one such instance, Tom said he would ‘shock’ the world, and came out as The Shockmaster - an infamous gimmick during the WCW days, which has gone down the wrestling folklore for all the wrong reasons. While the character itself was envisioned to be a dangerous, intimidating figure, Fred Ottman, who played the character tripped and fell flat on his face during his WCW debut.
Tom did something similar while making his way out to the weigh ins, and left the fans - and the UFC personnel chuckling.
#3 Rashad Evans gets a dose of the Macho Madness
“Suga” Rashad Evans will go down in the history books as one of the true greats of the sport. The former champion, in his heyday, was considered to be one of the top pound - for - pound fighters on the planet, and while he is a shell of his former self today, he is still a legend in the sport. Rashad has also worked as an analyst, lending his wealth of knowledge in MMA to breakdown the fights.
Also read: MMA Origins: Cain Velasquez
While working for Inside MMA back in 2011, Rashad was asked about his thoughts on professional wrestlers making a successful transition to MMA - similar to the likes of Brock Lesnar and Lashley. Inside MMA had also interviewed Hulk Hogan, and a snippet from the interview was shown during the program. This prompted Rashad to channel his inner ‘Macho Man’, as he tried to copy one of Savage’s trademark catchphrases.
Rashad also admitted that if he was still in his prime, he would’ve dabbled in professional wrestling.
#4 Chael Sonnen and his penchant for cutting promos
The rivalry between Chael Sonnen and Anderson Silva has been well documented, and so is Sonnen’s penchant for trash talk. The former middleweight title contender is arguably the greatest trash talker in the history of MMA, and after winning his bout against Brian Stann at UFC 136, Sonnen cut one of the most rewatched and replayed promos of all time.
Sonnen fought Silva once before and almost won the fight, only for Silva to submit him in the dying minutes of the last round. The “Bad Guy” didn’t waste any time in calling his arch nemesis out. In a true pro wrestling esque fashion, Sonnen challenged Silva to a “Loser leaves town” fight for the UFC Middleweight title.
The outcome? Sonnen was beaten decisively by arguably the greatest MMA fighter of all time.
#5 Conor McGregor borrows Vince McMahon’s trademark power walk
If there is one MMA fighter who could make a transition to professional wrestling with relative ease, it has to be Conor McGregor. The current UFC Lightweight Champion is known for his abrasive, cocky attitude, and his flair for the dramatic. Conor is currently the biggest star in the world of mixed martial arts, and very few can be compared to the drawing power of ‘The Notorious One’.
In the past couple of years, Conor has angered the professional wrestling fans, by taking digs at the business and the WWE Superstars. However, the reality is completely different - Conor has embraced the art of trash talk and has learnt the tricks of the trade from the professional wrestlers. Moreover, he has taken a leaf out of Vince McMahon’s book and is often seen doing the ‘power walk’ - or the billionaire strut.
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One of Samoa Joe's colleagues had harsh words for him HERE
