7 WWE wrestlers who could potentially do well in MMA

There are many folks who criticize professional wrestling because it's "fake". Usually, it's those same people who will allude to the idea that WWE superstars would not be able to hold their own in a real fight. And usually, when they say a "real fight," they mean an MMA fight. To be fair, if you watched CM Punk's UFC debut against Mickey Gall, that argument is based somewhat upon fact.

However, not all wrestlers are created equal.

Personally, I believe that there are several WWE superstars who could, at the very least, hold on their own in MMA. Here are seven superstars who I think could pull it off. Once again, keep in mind that these are not at all fact-based and you can feel free to disagree with me. Additionally, be assured that this is not a list of wrestlers who I am 100% certain would do well in MMA - it's just the ones that MIGHT have a shot. Of course, these are in no particular order.

Oh, and I'd like to give a special shout-out to Sin Cara. He gets an honourable mention for his legendary record in backstage scuffles.

With that said, onto the list -

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#7 - Shelton Benjamin

Could there be "no stopping" Shelton in the octagon?

I would like to go on record and say that Shelton Benjamin is one of the most underrated performers in the WWE history. Sure, he's garbage on the microphone, but he subverts that with his impeccable in-ring acumen. He is genuinely one of the most athletic human beings I have ever seen in a WWE ring.

Before he got to WWE, Shelton Benjamin was a standout amateur wrestler in high school and college. He was a two-time All-American for the University of Minnesota (where he trained with Brock Lesnar, who is his real-life close friend) and was even a prospect for the Summer Olympics in 2000. Instead, he chose professional wrestling, where he flourished in the mid-card throughout the early-to-mid 2000's.

Even in 2017, Benjamin's combination of wrestling ability, speed, and power could serve him well in an MMA match. And yes - I know that he is 42 years old, but so is Anderson Silva. So anything is possible.

#6 - Rusev

The 300+ pound Bulgarian big man is incredibly agile

Before I talk about why I think Rusev could potentially do well in MMA, I would just like to say this - Rusev is one of my favourite overall talents on the roster today. He's being criminally underused at the moment, so WWE bookers, if you're reading this, which you're probably not...PUSH RUSEV.

Anyway, onto the actual reason why I'm supposed to be writing about Rusev.

First of all, just look at the man. Rusev is a man that I would absolutely never mess with. He's over 300 pounds of solid, unforgiving muscle, and his backgrounds in power-lifting and Muay Thai have made him explosively agile for his size. Sure, if he were to venture into the world of MMA, he would have to drop about 40 pounds, but I think he could pull that off with the right training regimen. And if he's already this nimble at over 300 pounds, imagine how dangerous he would be at a healthy 265.

Plus, he's already got experience competing barefoot. So that's something.

#5 - Baron Corbin

Perhaps Corbin could use his boxing experience to his advantage

Say what you want about Baron Corbin, but he is one bad, bad dude.

I mean, one certainly doesn't get drafted to the NFL if they're a scrub. One also does not win regional boxing championships and compete in national boxing tournaments if they aren't tough enough to do so. At only 33, Baron Corbin has already done all of this.

Plus, he's already lost about 30 pounds as a professional wrestler, so all he would need to do would be to cut an extra 20 pounds or so in order to qualify for an MMA fight. He's already pretty quick as it is, so if he were to improve his cardio and shed some extra weight, he would have the potential to be a fearsome MMA fighter.

Heck, he's already menacing enough right now. I know that he doesn't exactly have the physique of an Adonis, but neither do Josh Barnett, Fabricio Werdum, or Fedor Emelianenko, and they've done just fine for themselves. By no means am I saying that Baron Corbin will absolutely be as good at MMA as Fedor Emelianenko was...I'm just saying that physique isn't that big of a deal, as long as you've got power and speed. And Baron Corbin has plenty of both.

#4 - Dolph Ziggler

The Kent University standout could employ his wrestling skills well in an MMA fight

Fun fact: Did you know that Dolph Ziggler has been employed by the WWE for 13 years? That's right - he signed with the company in 2004. Fancy that.

As you all likely know by now, Dolph Ziggler was a record-setting amateur wrestler for Kent State University in Ohio. Though his records have since been surpassed, 121 wins are still pretty damn impressive. Judging from his pro-wrestling style, I imagine he was a deft and scrappy amateur wrestler in his heyday. I picture him as the kind of guy who could shoot in for a take-down so quickly that his opponents wouldn't even know what hit them, then they'd be on their back before their brains could even register that they were on the ground.

As we've learned from guys like Brock Lesnar and Bobby Lashley, amateur wrestling experience can be a huge advantage in MMA. Couple that with Ziggler's speed and never-say-die spirit, and you've got some serious potential for success.

And hey, with rumours buzzing about that he's on his way out the door, who knows - maybe he could have a cup of coffee in Bellator or something.

#3 - Jason Jordan

With his combination of speed, strength, and experience, Jason Jordan would do just fine in MMA

Picture this - you're 29 years old, and you've spent 22 of those years wrestling. Such is the story of Jason Jordan.

Yes, Jason Jordan has been throwing guys around since the age of 7. In college, he was lauded for his ability to out-manoeuvre much larger opponents with his combination of agility and power. He exhibits much of these abilities in a professional wrestling setting as well, as we've seen him literally toss guys like Roman Reigns (who weighs 265 lbs) over his head with virtually no struggle. We've seen him sprint across the ring with the 323 lb. Kane in his arms. Hell, we've even seen him hoist up Braun Strowman.

So, combine his might, his swiftness, his ability to take down much larger opponents, and his amateur background, and you've got all the makings of a dangerous contender in any MMA promotion's heavyweight division.

I would personally love to see what he could do in MMA, and not just because it would get him out of this god-awful "Kurt Angle's son" gimmick.

#2 - Samoa Joe

At 38-years-old, Samoa Joe could be the next Mark Hunt

Samoa Joe may very well be the agilest super heavyweight in the history of professional wrestling. Seriously - the things that guy can do at 282 lbs. are absolutely incredible.

Not only is Samoa Joe an excellent professional wrestler with several championships and memorable matches under his belt, but he also trains in a variety of martial arts, such as Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Muay Thai, and judo. He exhibits a lot of this in his in-ring style, which employs a lot of stiff kicks and submissions.

So, let's summarize - speed, power, a martial arts background, a dense skull (Samoans actually do have harder heads than those of other cultures), and a wide arsenal of submissions that could take down a bull elephant...sounds like everything you could want in an MMA fighter?

Look, people have been saying this for years, so I'm really not sure what else I can add. All I know is that I would love to see Samoa Joe drop about 20 pounds and put dudes to sleep in the Octagon someday.

#1 - Chad Gable

Former Olympians tend to fare well in MMA

As I've said once or twice or maybe 1,000 times in this list, accomplished amateur wrestlers are usually good MMA fighters. But you know what's even better than an accomplished amateur wrestler? A former Olympic amateur wrestler.

We've seen a few former Olympic athletes tear their way through the MMA ranks. Among them are Yoel Romero, Ben Askren, Ronda Rousey (though, she was an Olympic judoka, not a wrestler), and Daniel Cormier. And I believe that Chad Gable would be no different.

Just watch the guy in the ring to see what I mean - I don't think I've seen an amateur wrestler transition into pro-wrestling this effectively since Kurt Angle. Gable possesses astounding strength in his 202-pound frame, blazing speed, and (of course) masterful technical ability. Not to mention, he's got some of the best suplexes in the game right now.

If he ever were to go into MMA, he would likely be a light heavyweight, which coincidentally would require him to weigh the same 185 lbs. that he did in the Olympics. Of all of the wrestlers on this list, I am most confident that Gable would succeed in MMA despite having to cut weight. After all, he's already proven that he can hang with Olympians at 185, so there's no way that cutting 17 pounds would make him any less explosive than he already is. Hell, it may make him even more explosive.

When I started this list, I said that it was in no particular order. But if it were, I think that Chad Gable could feasibly end up taking the number 1 spot.