WWE's Goldberg Says Pursuing MMA Career 'Was a Dream of Mine'

WWE Hall of Famer Goldberg said Friday that he once dreamed about becoming a professional MMA fighter.

In an interview with TMZ Sports, Goldberg talked about how he considered getting into MMA before instead deciding to pursue a more lucrative career in professional wrestling:

"If you know anything about my background when it comes to MMA, I had one of the largest MMA gyms in the country back in the late '90s," Goldberg said. "That was a dream of mine."

Goldberg noted that while he feels he would have done well as a stand-up fighter, his ground game may have been a weakness:

"I think my stand up skills would have played well, no question ... because a lot of people have no idea as to what I've done in the past.

"But, I'd be lacking in the ground game, there's no doubt—and the problem with a guy like myself is I'd end up hurting myself more so than getting hurt by the other person. I'll break a hand on someone's face! I'll blow my shoulder out trying to choke somebody! At the end of the day, I'm my own worst enemy!"

Goldberg was a standout defensive tackle at the University of Georgia and an 11th-round pick in the 1990 NFL draft. He spent some time with the Los Angeles Rams and Carolina Panthers during his NFL career but most notably played for the Atlanta Falcons from 1992 1994.

After an injury effectively ended his football career, Goldberg began training at the WCW Power Plant and made his televised debut in 1997.

Goldberg went on to enjoy a 173-0 undefeated streak, and he became one of the biggest stars in the wrestling business, which led to him beating Hollywood Hulk Hogan for the WCW World Championship on an episode of Nitro.

While MMA is huge now thanks to the growth of the UFC, pro wrestling had a much bigger mainstream following in the 1990s, and Goldberg undoubtedly gained more popularity and made more money by going that route.

Goldberg admitted Friday that he chose the right career path, saying: "So the longwinded answer is absolutely I would have loved to have done it if the opportunity was such that it was comparable, if not more advantageous, in the world of professional wrestling. But, at the time, it was a no-brainer for me."

Although Goldberg likely would have been long retired as an MMA fighter, he is still going strong in pro wrestling at the age of 54.

He held the Universal Championship last year and put it on the line against Braun Strowman at WrestleMania 36. On Sunday at the Royal Rumble, Goldberg will challenge Drew McIntyre for the WWE Championship.

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