WWE superstar Cody Rhodes reveals wife stonewalled plan of MMA fight despite possibility of “massive financial windfall”

WWE's own Cody Rhodes had dreams of donning the four-ounce gloves before his significant other put the kibosh on them.

'The American Nightmare' was speaking with ESPN MMA's Marc Raimondi about his curiosity on who might be the first to crossover from WWE to UFC amid this relatively newer TKO merger between the entities. When asked by Raimondi if the 2023 and 2024 Royal Rumble winner was throwing his hat in the ring, Rhodes said:

"So I actually told my wife that. I told my wife I wanted to do one fight. I told her this two years ago and this was when I think I was looking for some sort of massive financial windfall. I don't know what it was but I told her I wanted to do one fight and she absolutely let me know that would not be happening. So unless you can convince her, it's not gonna happen but maybe it's for the best."

On being questioned who he would fight in this potential octagon foray, Rhodes asked for a "freebie up front." He said:

"Oh give me the worst guy possible. Please do not; like just give me a freebie up front, for sure."

Check out Cody Rhodes discussing a possible shoot foray into the cage below:

---

WWE stars who have competed in MMA

CM Punk is a decorated former WWE champion who recently had his first televised match with the company in a decade at the aforementioned 2024 Royal Rumble over the weekend.

Phil Brooks, Punk's government name, did not fair as well in the UFC, however, losing a pair of bouts to Mickey Gall and Mike Jackson. His second bout was changed to a no-contest after Jackson failed a drug test for cannabis.

Brock Lesnar is likely the most high-profile example of this kind of crossover, as he not only defended his UFC heavyweight title multiple times but also became one of the biggest box office attractions in the history of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Shinsuke Nakamura is a decorated former titleholder in both WWE and NJPW. He can also be counted as one of the few individuals who came out of Inokism arguably better for the experience. 'The King of Strong Style' put together a 3-1-1 MMA record.

Bobby Lashley is a former ECW champion and WWE champion but also has nearly twenty pro-MMA fights under his belt. Lashley competed with outfits like MFC and Strikeforce during his in-cage endeavors.