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The crossovers between WWE and UFC, or just in wrestling and MMA in general, haven't been overwhelmingly positive for the pro wrestlers who traded the squared circle for the Octagon.
While Brock Lesnar catapulted himself to the top of the UFC's stacked heavyweight division, CM Punk, unfortunately, underperformed and looked out of place in his two UFC fights following the transition to Mixed Martial Arts.
Many other professional wrestlers have tried their hand at MMA, and Kurt Angle was also very close to joining UFC in his heyday. The Olympic gold medalist opened up about how he nearly signed with the UFC in 2006 during the latest episode of 'The Kurt Angle Show' with host Conrad Thompson on AdFreeShows.com.
Kurt Angle revealed that MMA first caught his attention in 2001 when UFC's popularity started to soar, with names like Chuck Liddell, Randy Couture, and Tito Ortiz becoming top personalities in the sport.
"Yes. I was interested; I would say around 2001, UFC would start becoming really popular. This was after Dana White purchased the company. By then, I was well into my pro wrestling career."
Angle was interested in giving MMA a shot, and he closely observed the UFC product and the biggest fighters from that era. Angle, however, initially couldn't follow up on his inclinations to practice MMA after he broke his neck.
"So I was kind of putting feelers out, watching the product. You know, watching Randy (Couture) and Chuck (Liddell) and Tito (Ortiz). They all had great programs together. The fights were awesome."
The former WWE champion cited his shoot segment with Daniel Puder as an instance when he realized he might not have been cut out for MMA. Puder had Angle in a legitimate armbar, and the WWE Hall of Famer conceded that he found it difficult to break out of the hold.
"But I was just, you know, by 2003, when I was thinking about possibly doing it, I broke my neck again. I lost a lot of strength in my upper body. My arms got so weak, you know, a good example is when I did that with Daniel Puder, and he got me in an armbar, and I couldn't stop it. He had me pretty good. And if I wouldn't have pinned him, he would have broken my arm. So, I knew I wasn't ready for that, or I just was; I was, I guess, not healthy enough to do it. I never looked back. There were was no way I was actually going to do it."
He said you can't do both: Kurt Angle on why he didn't join UFC in 2006
Kurt Angle recalled that he contacted UFC in 2006 and was even offered a contract by Dana White. Angle had just signed with TNA, and he wanted to pursue his MMA and pro wrestling careers simultaneously. UFC didn't provide him with the option to fulfill his TNA dates, and Angle decided to stick to pro wrestling, a decision he doesn't regret.
"I actually approached UFC again in 2006. Dana White offered me a contract, but I asked him if I could do TNA and UFC, and he said, you can't do it. You have to do one or the other, not both. I had just signed with TNA, and I felt an obligation to continue on with them, and I'm glad I did. There is no way in hell I was going to do UFC. I was lying to myself. My body just wasn't healthy enough to do it. It wasn't healthy enough since the Olympics when I broke my neck the first time. So, I made the right move. I made the better move by going into pro wrestling."
Some of the most successful UFC fighters in the sport's relatively short history have had a fundamentally strong wrestling base, and it is a known fact that all up-and-coming prospects, regardless of the weight class, are taught to be proficient on the ground.
Kurt Angle's undisputed amateur wrestling credentials could have easily translated into MMA success, similar to the legendary Randy Couture.
Angle explained that Randy Couture followed a thorough pre-fight analytical routine that helped him prepare for all opposition. Couture worked incredibly hard, enabling him to become the only fighter to win a UFC title after turning 40.
"Well, you know what? Randy is, the great thing about Randy is that he is a great preparer. He prepares himself for each fight. He studies his opponents. He nails it down, knows exactly what they're going to do when they're going to do it. He studies film and watches it over and over, and he trains his butt off. Randy is the hardest worker I've ever known."
Couture's success in MMA didn't surprise Angle as he learned about the MMA legend's wrestling background.
"So, I wasn't surprised that he was UFC Champion. You know, he had a great wrestling career too. He was a world silver medalist in Greco-Roman. He has had a lot of accolades in amateur wrestling. I'm surprised he didn't make the Olympic team, but he did have a stud in front of him, and you know, so you're not going to beat the person every time. They are going to beat you a few times; you're going to beat them. So, it was a back and forth thing, and the other guy actually won that year during the Olympics. So he went to the Olympics instead of Randy."
What do you think? Could Kurt Angle have been successful in the UFC?
If any quotes are used from this article, please credit 'The Kurt Angle Show' and give a H/T to SK Wrestling
