Chael Sonnen and the Top MMA Fighters That Could've Made It as Pro Wrestlers

Any fan whose kept up with recent MMA news in the past week has seen UFC middleweight contender Chael Sonnen’s outlandish interview with Ariel Helwani by now.

Whether one thought the interview was hilarious or childish, one thing that everyone seems to agree on is that Sonnen conducts his interviews as if he is under contract with Vince McMahon, as opposed to Dana White.

A ton of Sonnen’s interviews have had the feel like Sonnen was “in character” or living up to a gimmick.

Sonnen may be the man recognized for bringing WWE style trash talk to MMA, but he is certainly not the first fighter to do it.  

Many others have spit some verbal venom that would make the likes of the Ultimate Warrior and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson proud.

This list takes a look at fighters who easily could have made their career in the pro wrestling ring instead of the Octagon.

Fighters who actually worked as professional wrestlers like Ken Shamrock, Dan Severn, and Brock Lesnar are excluded, as this list is more about “what ifs.”

Tito Ortiz

First off his nickname, “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy,” has pro wrestler written all over it. 

Additionally, Ortiz made two special guest appearances with the Total Nonstop Action (TNA) wrestling promotion back in 2005, serving as a special guest referee.

In his latter appearance, he locked in a rear naked choke on Kevin Nash to keep him from attacking then champion Jeff Jarrett.

In you need further convincing, just watch any of Ortiz’s interviews from when he was on the top of his game. 

The pre-fight hype was very reminiscent of an nWo version of Hulk Hogan.

Oh, and dating the world's best known porn female pornstar is a story line that has "Vince McMahon" written all over it.   

Quinton Jackson

Fun loving personality: check.  Propensity to talk down to his opponents: check.  Wears a large metal bike-style chain around his neck: check.  On screen portrayal of someone who was in the “Rocky” series? Check.

Anyone with professional wrestling savvy would be frothing at the mouth if they heard that “Rampage” was interested in getting into the ring full time. 

His bizarre, bad boy antics are one of a kind, and he has went on the record saying that he only wants to compete in MMA for a couple more years. 

While Jackson has told the media and fans that movie star is next on his career list, most of us would appreciate if Rampage made a quick stop off in the wrestling ring.  

Jon Jones

One of the most athletically gifted fighters MMA have ever seen, the youngest UFC champion in history (23 years old) would be an awesome addition to the WWE roster.

Jones has a flashy style that is immensely pleasing to the crowd, and has shown plenty of personality and charisma in his interviews. 

One example of Jones charisma on display is the video where he does the Dougie dance with UFC bantamweight Urijah Faber.

Also, Jones youth could easily make him a WWE heavyweight champion for years to come, something any pro wrestling guru would certainly be enticed by.

Frank Mir

Mir’s prototypical size, standing 6’3” and weighing around 260 pounds, would appeal to any professional wrestling promoter. 

The Brazilian Jiu Jitsu ace has also been known to lay it on thick in pre-fight interviews; who can forget when Mir said “I want to break his neck in the ring. I want him to be the first person to die from ring related injuries” in regards to Brock Lesnar. 

On that note, Mir's UFC win over former WWE champion Brock Lesnar would only further make pro wrestling aficionados embrace him 

His legitimate grappling credentials could possibly be tied into his bad boy gimmick, something the Undertaker did a few years ago. 

Honestly now, who wouldn’t be excited to see Frank Mir hit a gogoplata against John Cena in the middle of the ring?

Alistair Overeem

Let’s pretend for a second to have no knowledge of combat sports: at a glance, “The Demolition Man” looks like he could easily be engaged in a feud with Triple H.

His behemoth physique is reminiscent of the Ultimate Warrior, and while Overeem is not the most compelling personality in MMA, how hard could it be to tailor a gimmick for this guy?

A hardcore bodybuilder turned fighter gimmick practically writes itself, and adding a back story where “The ‘Reem” grew up on the street would only add to his legitimate tough guy persona.

Also, Overeem would probably hear the steroid accusations die out considerably, since it is not nearly as frowned upon in pro wrestling as it is in MMA.   

Cheick Kongo

Like Overeem, Kongo is just a guy who looks like a pro wrestler at a glance.  

Additionally, "The French Sensation" would make a perfect heel with his utter disregard of the rules (repeated low blows, hanging onto the shorts, etc).  

And of course, not being American is a gimmick in itself as far as pro wrestling goes.  

Imagine Kongo coming out dressed in a beret and black and white striped shirt?  That alone would arguably be worth the price of admission.

Furthermore, Kongo's size and stage presence would make him a legitimate heavyweight title contender; anyone who underestimated his raw power and aggression in the ring would be making a serious mistake.   

Phil Davis

Built like a cartoon superhero and nicknamed “Mr. Wonderful"— does anything else really need to be said?

Davis was a four-time All-American wrestler during his time at Penn State, and is simply an outstanding natural athlete.

Mr. Wonderful could easily be Shelton Benjamin part II, only with an even more highlight worthy skill set and interview reel.  

Brian Stann

Let’s face it: any gimmick that supports America thrives in professional wrestling. 

Ever hear of the original Real American, Hulk Hogan? 

On a smaller scale, Del Wilkes was thrown into a high profile feud with Brett Hart during the 90s. 

His character was The Patriot, a flag wielding, red, white, and blue wearing American hero.

Stann’s real marine credentials as a Marine Captain and a Silver Star recipient would only add to his appeal. 

At the very least, can we please see Stann walk out to the Octagon with “A Real American” playing?

Michael Bisping

Anti-American characters have been big in pro wrestling as well, due to their tremendous ability to draw “heel heat”, or a negative reaction, from the crowd.

Sergeant Slaughter’s feud with Hulk Hogan was so memorable due to Slaughter playing the role of an Iraqi sympathizer when Hulkamania was at its peak in the early 90s. 

Bisping is a British fighter who likes to talk trash and has a reputation of being a dirty fighter. 

He could easily be the bad guy, modern day version of the British Bulldog. 

A British accent and an ability to verbally tear an opponent to shreds has 'great heel gimmick' written all over it. 

Nick Diaz

All right, his interview skills can definitely use some work, but his propensity to flip off the crowd and shout insults at opponent mid-fight make him an intriguing personality. 

Diaz could also hype up the fact that he boxes with Andre Ward and got his Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt under Cesar Gracie to show that he is a legitimate tough guy. 

The best thing for the elder Diaz is that his gimmick could simply be his real life personality: a hard nosed kid from Stockton who loves to fight and wants to prove he’s the best in the world. 

While Diaz would have to be pack on some serious size to catch the attention of the higher ups in the WWE or TNA, his intangibles would certainly get him noticed.  

Jason Miller

The man they call "Mayhem" walks out to the cage with a presence most pro wrestlers would be jealous of.  

The photo used here is just one example of his ridiculous entrances; fans with an affection for the theatrical can only hope Miller brings the same type of entrances to the UFC. 

As far as a gimmick goes, what really needs to be altered about Mayhem Miller to make him a compelling pro wrestling character?

He currently sports platinum bleached blonde hair, a change from his signature red stripe a midst black hair, has worn a lucha libre mask to the cage, and has personality for days.  

This notorious prankster would certainly split some sides with his interviews and then dazzle audiences with his unorthodox style in the ring.  

Jose Aldo

With a strict weight regimen and diet, Aldo could have easily been a highly entertaining Rey Mysterio, Jr. type of wrestler.

Aldo, unanimously considered a top 10 pound-for-pound fighter in the world (except by Chael Sonnen), is also known by his nickname “Scarface.”

The grisly story behind the scar is that Aldo’s sisters rolled him into a barbeque pit while their mother was distracted. Ouch. 

Knowing pro wrestling the way we do, there is little doubt that Aldo would be played up as a Brazilian gangster who may not receive all of his income via legitimate means.

In all seriousness, no one reading this has ever been a little curious what Aldo would look like wearing a pinstripe suit?

Clay Guida

Anyone who was an avid fan of pro wrestling the in the 90’s has definitely envisioned Clay Guida running down to the cage in full sprint mode, ala the Ultimate Warrior.

“The Caveman’s” non stop cardio, aggressive attack style, and life-sized cardboard cut out of himself has huge baby face appeal written all over it.

He also has long hair and a bunch of tattoos, which is certainly a common sight in professional wrestling. 

As far a gimmick goes, he could be a caveman that has time traveled to the future? Sound lame? As long as Guida’s personality and style remains in tact, it would still be a home run. 

Chael Sonnen

What else needs to be said from arguably the UFC’s most outspoken fighter of all time?

A two-time All American wrestler at the University of Oregon and an Olympic alternate wrestler for team USA, Sonnen’s personality has overshadowed his actual fighting ability on more than one occasion.

While no legitimate proof seems to be available on the web, rumor has it that Sonnen was training in the facilities of the WCW Power Plant back in 2001.

This was WCW’s training facility for aspiring wrestlers, and they focused on both in ring skills and developing a personality.

As the rumor goes, Sonnen never got into the business as the WWE (then WWF) bought out WCW in March of 2001. 

Whether this story is true or not, it certainly makes sense given the outrageous words that come out of Sonnen’s mouth on a regular basis.

If Sonnen is unable to capture the coveted UFC middleweight title in the next year or two, it may not be the worst career move to go ahead and reach out to a certain Mr. McMahon.