Everyone knows by this point that there's an increasingly unusual working relationship between WWE and UFC. By this, we of course mean that they act like 16 year olds at a prom - they circle around each other, don't interact directly and only really talk when the situation is forced upon them.
It's a painful process but as fans, we must deal with it accordingly.
However, in this fantasy world that we live in we're able to orchestrate different scenarios in our minds that we wish to see play out on our television screens. For example, if World Wrestling Entertainment and the Ultimate Fighting Championship are your two favourite things on the planet then you can cook up some ideas in your head as to how they could interact.
Which is exactly what we're here to do today. You see, the ever-stubborn Vince McMahon and Dana White have always been friendly enough to one another but there needs to be more substance to it than that. These companies are sitting on a gold mine and whilst they are already worth billions, wouldn't it be great to multiply that figure by three or four?
With that in mind, let's look at five different ways in which UFC and WWE can work together.
#5 Sponsorship
Sponsorship is a big part of any promotion, and it's what brings in alot of revenue for sports companies all around the world. Because of this it's vital to have a range of different links to fellow promotions and materials that can help you out - which is where WWE and UFC can come together.
We've already kind of seen this with WWE 2K17, but still.
Having a WWE game logo inside the octagon or alternatively having a UFC event being promoted on a WWE pay-per-view. People may suggest that it'll take viewers away from the pro wrestling product, but considering that both sides are helping each other it'll even itself out soon enough. In summary, it just makes sense.
Onto something that's a bit more important where the superstars themselves are concerned.
#4 Appearances
We've seen it with Ronda Rousey on one side of the coin and we've seen it with Brock Lesnar on the other. Appearances, whether it be in a wrestling capacity or just being sat at ringside, can be extremely beneficial when you consider how much WWE and UFC can gain from it. After all, how many people were talking about Ronda giving Triple H a hip toss at WrestleMania 31?
Whether it's Conor McGregor or John Cena, it doesn't matter. Having more eyes on either product is a smart thing to do and it'll start to raise a number of questions among the WWE & UFC fanbases. Are they going to try their hand at MMA? Will they step inside the squared circle?
More often than not the answer will be no, but that doesn't mean it wouldn't be fun to tease it.
Let's move on to something that will probably never happen in a million years, but still worth floating.
#3 Mega show
One wrestling ring and one Octagon. Superstars and fighters alike take it in turns to have pro wrestling matches and mixed martial arts fights, switching back and forth throughout the night as a combined audience applauds them both and enjoys the two art forms. Seems perfect, right?
Unfortunately it would likely never happen, but it's a fun thing to fantasize about.
When you have two combustible elements like this it's important to take things very seriously, but so long as everyone can see the positives in the situation then everything will be fine. There doesn't need to be any kind of interaction between the two forms of entertainment, and it can simply be done for the purpose of showing that professional wrestling and mixed martial arts can easily co-exist.
It'd be pretty fun, too.
Up next is something that some fans get slightly irritated about.
#2 Advertisements
If you watched UFC 200, then you'll know that this has already been done before. The WWE 2K17 promotional material featuring Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman played pretty much on a loop throughout the night, and it's a great example of how to plug the other company's big events.
You can have the commercial breaks feature advertisements between the two sides for every single big show they put on.
Plus you can have Michael Cole promoting the next UFC event, meanwhile the UFC lead commentator brings up the fact that SummerSlam is just around the corner. The potential is there and it's just a case of ceasing it, as opposed to being afraid about what the backlash could be from certain sections of fans.
We conclude with a big project that if done right, could be magnificent.
#1 Feeder facilities
As we all know WWE has the Performance Center as their main location in which they train superstars of the future. Alternatively UFC has Ultimate Fighter, but they don't really have a facility that can match up to the WWEPC.
Once they do, the two companies should collaborate and create a feeder system in which they can send talent back and forth between the two.
For example if a WWE talent is looking to improve their striking and foot work inside the ring, they could train at the UFC gym. Meanwhile if a UFC guy wants to work on his endurance and stamina, that could be something that the Performance Center could help with.
Hell, they could even just help each other out by recommending guys that they feel suits the other sport better. The possibilities are endless, should the companies get their heads together and decide to conjure up magic.
Teddy Long snaps when Swerve Strickland's race is brought up HERE
