WWE WrestleMania 34: Brock Lesnar, Ronda Rousey and UFC's Impact on PPV

Crossovers between WWE and UFC are nothing new. Many a star has drifted between the two companies over the course of the last decade or so—but this weekend, it's hard to shake off the feeling UFC will have more of an input and influence on a WWE pay-per-view than ever before.

The fact it will come at WrestleMania 34 makes the hype all the more intriguing for UFC fans, who will watch two of the company's former competitors put on a show in a WWE ring at the biggest pro wrestling show of 2018.

Brock Lesnar and Ronda Rousey arrived in WWE via different paths, and they will step into the squared circle at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans this weekend with completely different agendas and long-term futures.

Make no mistake about it, though: UFC will have a huge impact on WrestleMania 34—due to the history of some competitors and the lure of the MMA company taking away one of WWE's biggest names once again.

First of all, there's Rousey. On Sunday, she'll compete in a WWE ring for the first time when she teams with Kurt Angle to take on Stephanie McMahon and Triple H in a mixed tag match.

There's still very much the feeling Rousey will need time to adjust to WWE, which is perfectly acceptable given she has spent her career in a different sport before joining the company.

Will the UFC hierarchy be watching? You can imagine that is almost certain—and not just because of the hype surrounding its former women's bantamweight champion's in-ring debut.

When it comes to Lesnar, the story is markedly different than it is with Rousey. While she has officially left UFC behind—for now—and is embarking on a fresh challenge, Sunday could be The Beast Incarnate's last night with WWE before he returns to MMA.

Rumors and speculation have persisted for weeks about Lesnar heading back for a second stint in the Octagon. On Wednesday, UFC President Dana White told UFC Tonight that the 40-year-old will be back at some point—though he stopped short of saying when (h/t MMAFighting.com).

But fans would not be surprised if Lesnar left WWE after Sunday—which makes the UFC's presence on the main event of the show all too real.

If Lesnar is leaving, he won't be exiting with the Universal Championship title he is set to defend against Roman Reigns at WrestleMania. So, theoretically, if UFC does have him tied to a deal, it takes away the mystery from Sunday's main event—which surely won't sit all that well with WWE.

Of course, the sheer array of talent on show this weekend in New Orleans means it would be unfair to call this anything other than a WWE pay-per-view.

For the first time in a long while, though, the actions of another promotion and another company are impacting a WWE PPV to a high degree.

That, with Rousey's impending debut and Lesnar's potential return to UFC, simply cannot be avoided.