5 Combat sports athletes who would be a hit in WWE

#3 Former UFC star Paige VanZant has stated she would be open to a move to WWE

Former UFC Flyweight contender Paige VanZant recently admitted that she could see herself being a part of WWE in the future.

In an interview with Chris Van Vliet, VanZant explained that she believed her skill set would translate well to professional wrestling.

"I get asked about WWE a lot… I think it would be something I’d be very good at. Because I have the best of both worlds. I was a Dancer, I used to like the entertainment and showmanship side of it… and then the combat sports world, obviously goes into the WWE. But I don’t know that it’s something I could do, both at the same time. I feel like I would want to do that 100 percent. So maybe it’s something that after I’m done fighting in a cage and in a ring, that kind of stuff, maybe I’ll go over to there. But we’ll see, the door’s definitely open." said VanZant.

'12 Gauge' went on to tell Van Vliet that she had already made a visit to the WWE Performance Center to check out the training facilities on offer.

"There is definitely a path. And communication is actually there sometimes, so we’re able to communicate and show our interests with each other. Once there’s a little more free time in my schedule, I think that’s something I would really like to pursue… Yes, I have visited their campus… the Performance Center, because it’s up in Orlando, so I was able to go visit and look around and get a sense of what it’s all about." said VanZant.

VanZant may not have had the best run inside the UFC Octagon, but will never be accused of being afraid of a challenge. The 26-year-old finished up her nine-fight stint with UFC in July last year with a 5-4 record but swiftly took the decision to sign with Bare Knuckle Fighting Championships and continue her combat sports journey.

VanZant was defeated in her debut fight for BKFC, but her willingness to try her hand in a new arena certainly bodes well for a transition to WWE.

At just 26, VanZant is the youngest athlete included on this list. Fellow former MMA stars Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler both made their professional wrestling switches after their 30th birthdays, meaning that VanZant still has plenty of time to carve out a WWE career for herself.

Having already appeared on the US version of Dancing With The Stars, VanZant is also well versed in playing to a large audience and her previous combat sports experience suggests that she will be well up to the physical demands of competing in WWE.

For now, Paige VanZant seems focused on continuing to compete in bareknuckle boxing. However, once that chapter of her career draws to a close, VanZant could be a very interesting project for WWE.