It is often the case that MMA fans and professional wrestling fans can’t see eye to eye. While the professional wrestling faithful term mixed martial arts as “violent” and a “blood” sport, the MMA fans cannot buy into the scripted and choreographed art form that is pro wrestling.
While the debate between both parties is nothing new, and the dialogue is often between ostensibly biased viewpoints, pro wrestling and MMA aren’t that different. In fact, now more than ever, MMA fighters are opening up about how they’ve been fans of pro wrestling.
From the entertainment aspect of the fight game to learning the art of ‘working the microphone’, the UFC and MMA fighters have gained a lot from the wrestlers. In fact, numerous MMA fighters were influenced by the professional wrestlers, either very early in their respective careers, or when they matured enough to understand the importance of other variables outside of the cage.
In this article, we take a look at five UFC fighters who were influenced by WWE Superstars.
#5. Anthony Johnson
At UFC 210, Anthony Johnson competed inside the Octagon for the last time and decided to hang up his boots after losing to Daniel Cormier. Growing up, Anthony took a liking to wrestling, and while he never dabbled in pro wrestling, one cannot help but wonder how Johnson would’ve fared inside a WWE ring.
Like many of us, Johnson found inspiration in a WWE Superstar during his formative years. While the rest of the world was captivated by the wave of Hulkamania that swept the entire nation in the 80’s, Rumble found his hero in The Ultimate Warrior. In fact, when The Ultimate Warrior tragically passed away, AJ took to social media to express his sadness and shared his memories of the former WWE Champion.
One other fighter who was a big Warrior fan was Alistair Overeem!
#4 Daniel Cormier
UFC 210 gave us a glimpse of Daniel Cormier finally embracing the ‘heel’ in him. For months, DC said he did not care about the negative reaction from the fans, but in the end, his pro wrestling esque promo after the fight let the proverbial cat out of the bag. Everyone knew that DC was a big WWE/pro wrestling fan, but the manner in which he channeled his inner heel took everyone by surprise.
During the post-fight press conference, Daniel Cormier posed as Randy Orton, as the media personnel watched in amusement. However, Cormier is a big fan of Seth Rollins and was influenced by The Architect. In fact, Cormier was present inside Levi’s Stadium at WrestleMania 31, when Seth Rollins cashed in his Money In The Bank contract to become the WWE World Heavyweight Champion.
Seth and DC share a special bond; The Architect sent Cormier a replica of the Money In The Bank briefcase and added a personal touch, signing the briefcase for the UFC Light Heavyweight Champion!
#3 Rashad Evans
The former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion is considered to be one of the greatest mixed martial artists of his generation. While “Suga” is no longer the irresistible force he once was, he is still one of the biggest names in the sport. However, during an edition of Inside MMA back in 2011, Rashad revealed that he would’ve loved to become a professional wrestler had he still been in his prime.
Also read: Five times UFC fighters imitated WWE Superstars
Rashad went on to reveal that his idol was the “Macho Man” Randy Savage and did an impression of the former WWE Champion. Rashad, like most of his contemporaries, grew up idolising Randy Savage and was influenced by the WWE Hall of Famer.
#2 Robbie Lawler
If we talk about those that epitomise the very best of MMA and embody the spirit of a warrior, “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler’s name would be ranked at the top. His thirst for blood and his penchant for violence saw him become the UFC Welterweight Champion, and Robbie has been involved in some brutal fights - most recently against the likes of Rory MacDonald and Carlos Condit.
Looking at Robbie, you wouldn’t think he was a fan of professional wrestling. However, you’d be shocked to know that Lawler is, in fact, a big John Cena fan! Robbie was in attendance at WrestleMania 33 along with his son, and reportedly vowed to do the ‘You can’t see me’ hand gesture if he scores a knockout in his next fight!
If King Mo’s words are to be believed, ‘Ruthless’ might’ve even shed a tear or two when Cena popped the question to Nikki Bella at WrestleMania 33.
#1 Ronda Rousey
We’ve all known about Ronda’s affinity towards professional wrestling. Rousey has always been a pro wrestling fan, and even made a cameo appearance at WrestleMania 31, taking out Stephanie McMahon and Triple H. The former UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion is a member of the Four Horsewomen stable and has long been rumoured to make the switch to professional wrestling.
Ronda’s nickname was her way to pay homage to the former WWE Intercontinental Champion, ‘Hot Rod’ Roddy Piper. ‘Rowdy’ has admitted to being a big Piper fan growing up and has talked about how he influenced her career. When Piper passed away, Ronda paid tribute to ‘Hot Rod’ during her post-fight interview at UFC 190, after beating Bethe Correia in just 34 seconds.
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