7 UFC Fighters Who Could Thrive in WWE
Earlier this week, a host of UFC and WWE executives converged on the New York Stock Exchange to commemorate a high-profile merger between the two companies.
This landmark deal could be extremely beneficial for both and creates a number of interesting business opportunities, most notably, talent-sharing between them.
We've seen plenty of fighters move between the UFC and WWE in the past. Several former UFC stars have tried their hand at pro wrestling—including Ronda Rousey—while the likes of Brock Lesnar and CM Punk went the opposite direction with differing levels of success.
Now that the UFC and WWE are part of the same company, we're likely to see many more athletes moving between the Octagon and the ring. In fact, executives are already talking about it.
"UFC fighters are going to stay focused on the UFC, and WWE superstars obviously do something different in our ring," WWE president Nick Khan told ESPN this week. "... But you also see in the UFC people with big personalities who, once their UFC run is done, once the UFC and the fighter says, 'Hey, maybe now's the time to call it a day,' could those people have a longer life at WWE, an extended life with TKO? We think so."
There are a ton of UFC fighters who could be successful as pro wrestlers. Many of them are likely to come as surprises, like Matt Riddle, who was a pretty forgettable UFC welterweight before finding success in the ring, but here are seven current UFC stars we think have what it takes.
Conor McGregor
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We'll start with the obvious.
Conor McGregor, a former two-division champion, is the biggest star in UFC history and seems to have many of the prerequisites for success in the wrestling ring.
For one, he is already extremely famous—even if his star has fallen over the last few years. His first WWE appearance would dominate headlines even if it was barely marketed. He also has the personality and bravado we usually expect from WWE stars, something he has proved by delivering some of the most memorable, off-the-cuff trash talk we've heard in MMA. He's also flirted with a potential WWE move in the past, dating back to his earliest days in the UFC limelight.
Still, reasons abound for WWE to stay away. Miami police have an open investigation against him after a woman accused him of rape. He denies the allegations and hasn't been charged. He's also stood accused of several crimes in the past.
There are reasons to doubt McGregor's ability as a wrestler too. For one, as a former featherweight, he would be a bit undersized against many of the people he'd find himself in the ring with. There's also no guarantee he can carry a narrative. We know he can talk trash at a press conference, but that doesn't necessarily translate into performing in the ring, which is a totally different environment.
Paddy Pimblett
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We're including Paddy Pimblett on this list for many of the same reasons we included McGregor. He's got a lot of fans, a big personality, and he's great on the mic—even if the 5'10", 186-pounder would be a bit undersized in the ring.
Unlike McGregor, who has mentioned a potential WWE move several times, Pimblett hasn't spoken much about the possibility just yet.
However, he did have some beef with AEW champion MJF last year, after the American called him a "dollar store Conor McGregor." Nothing ever came of that, but it at least proved Pimblett is paying some attention to the world of pro wrestling.
If WWE were to make him an offer—particularly on the tail end of his MMA career—it's hard to imagine him saying no.
Israel Adesanya
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Israel Adesanya is another fighter with the charisma and persona to succeed in the WWE ring, and as a middleweight and one-time light heavyweight, is much closer to the size of your typical pro wrestler.
Adesanya has spoken about migrating to WWE before. The most recent mention of the possibility occurred earlier this year, when his manager Tim Simpson spoke of it as an inevitability.
"It's on his bucket list, for sure," Simpson told ESPN's Marc Raimondi. "He wants to [do a match]. He's been very disciplined. We've had acting opportunities turned down. He's been very disciplined about being an athlete. Because he knows that's all in his future. So, I can't see him doing it while he's still competing. But in the future? Definitely bucket list."
Adesanya is considered one of the greatest middleweights of all time, and really, one of the best fighters ever, period. As a result, it's difficult to imagine him abandoning MMA for pro wrestling any time soon. However, after he lost his title in a shock upset to Sean Strickland last weekend, it's possible the end of his fighting career is closer than we imagined.
When he decides to hang up the gloves, a WWE move could be in the offing.
Colby Covington
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Colby Covington is the biggest heel in the UFC today.
The trash-talking welterweight is despised by huge swaths of the MMA community, but it's all by design, as he has spent the better part of the last decade pushing our buttons.
While it's unlikely Covington will be getting many Christmas cards this year, there is no question that his grating persona has made him a huge draw—if only because people want to see him lose, which he seldom does. His shtick would likely work even better as a member of the WWE roster, as pro wrestling fans are more accustomed and more receptive to his brand of promotion.
And of course, we know this is something Covington wants.
The American is a diehard pro wrestling fan and has spoken countless times about his desire to step into the WWE ring.
Of course, it's unlikely to happen any time soon, as Covington remains a top contender in the jam-packed welterweight division and is expected to get the next crack at reigning champ Leon Edwards.
Julianna Peña
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Of all the talented women competing in the UFC today, it's difficult to imagine any transitioning more seamlessly to the WWE ring than former bantamweight champ Julianna Peña.
Peña has been in the UFC since 2013, when she became the first woman to win The Ultimate Fighter, but didn't really separate herself from the pack until 2021, when she submitted former champion Amanda Nunes in one of the biggest upsets in MMA history.
Peña was soundly beaten in her immediate rematch with Nunes, but now that the Brazilian great is retired, the former Ultimate Fighter winner is one of the front-runners to fight for the vacant belt.
No matter how her next bid for the title goes, she would seem to have all of the charisma and confidence one needs to thrive as a pro wrestler. She loves to talk a bit of trash and seemed to be very impressed when she went to WrestleMania last year.
"It was incredible," she said on The MMA Hour soon after the event. "Literally, the whole place was packed. There wasn't an empty seat in the house. Insane. Insane. UFC needs to draw those numbers. It was such a production. It was so cool. What a great experience."
Derrick Lewis
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Long-time UFC heavyweight contender Derrick Lewis isn't much of a trash talker, but he definitely likes to talk, and fans love pretty much everything that comes out of his mouth.
While Lewis' main claim to fame is holding the record for most knockout wins in UFC history, he is also the man behind some of the most memorable lines and scenes in company lore.
Just last month, after knocking out Marcos Rogerio de Lima in less than 30 seconds at UFC 291, he stripped down to his underwear in the Octagon—for the second time in his career. It was just the kind of bizarre but undeniably hilarious display we've come to expect from Lewis, and while it's impossible to say how much cachet his personality would have among wrestling fans, it's hard to imagine he wouldn't catch on eventually.
As a heavyweight who cuts down to the division's 265-pound limit, Lewis also has all of the physical tools required to thrive among WWE's most imposing figures.
Jiri Prochazka
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A lot of names on this list, such as Conor McGregor and Colby Covington, are admittedly fairly obvious inclusions. We're hoping our inclusion of former light heavyweight champion Jiri Prochazka catches some people by surprise.
The Czech knockout artist, who came up in Japan's Rizin Fighting Federation, isn't big on bravado and trash talk, but his unique personality has endeared him among fans nonetheless. Whether it's his affinity for Japan's samurai culture or his unusual training methods out in nature—which occasionally involve a katana—he is definitely an interesting character. He is also an excellent fighter—as evidenced by his title win—with all of the physical tools one needs to perform as a pro wrestler.
Unfortunately, Prochazka is still recovering from the shoulder injury that forced him to relinquish his belt, but assuming he can get back into tip-top shape, it would be great to see him try his hand as a wrestler when his MMA career has wrapped up.
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