Vince McMahon rejected top WWE star's request to fight in the UFC this year

WWE star Bobby Lashley has revealed that he is still keen on getting back in the MMA ring and asked Vince McMahon if he could fight in the UFC.

Former WWE Champion Bobby Lashley has featured in a few MMA promotions over the years, having fought in Strikeforce and Bellator, to name a few. His last fight was in 2016 when he faced and defeated Josh Appelt in Bellator.

In an interview with Fightful, Lashley said that he was in the stands at UFC 276, where Vince McMahon, Stephanie McMahon and Triple H were also present. Lashley said that he texted Vince McMahon during the event and asked him if he could fight in the UFC.

"It's still in me. I'm just that guy. I was talking before because I know that we were doing stuff with the UFC. Vince and Stephanie and all of them were sitting ringside and I was in the stands also. I'm texting Vince, 'Can I get in there?' He's like, 'Come on.' So I still have it in me. I love fighting. Before when I was fighting, it was kind of stay busy until I get back here, I just always knew I was gonna be back. So I was like, 'Let me take some fights, stay active, continue doing what I enjoy,' and it was something that kept me honest, you know? You can't just fight and not train," said Lashley. (1:08 - 1:53)

You can watch the interview below:

Lashley said that he either wants to do a cage fight or a bare-knuckle fight when he steps back in the MMA ring.

WWE's Bobby Lashley wanted to fight in MMA just once

Lashley revealed in an interview earlier this year that he wanted to fight in MMA just once, but a string of victories brought him a lot of opportunities.

He also stated in the interview that UFC's Dana White offered him a contract, but the promotion didn't allow him to work part-time, which meant that he had to give up his pro wrestling career.

Lashley instead chose to fight Bellator, which allowed him to return and feature in WWE as well.