The sport of MMA and entertainment of professional wrestling are often compared to one another as if they share many similarities, but they truly couldn’t be any further apart when you break the two down to their fundamental levels.
In one you have two competitors stepping into a shared space with absolutely no idea what is going to happen over the next few minutes, and in the other you have two or more athletes acting out a choreographed show with each other’s help.
Whether their backgrounds make you root for or against them, it undoubtedly takes courage to step into a mixed martial arts contest and below we have a list of the top five to ever make an attempt at it!
Are there any other professional wrestlers that you’d like to see make the jump to MMA? How do you expect to see CM Punk do when he finally steps into the octagon? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
5) Dave Batista
There was a point in time when fans of both professional wrestling and mixed martial arts were highly anticipating Batista’s MMA debut. Brock Lesnar was currently the heavyweight champion of the UFC and size seemed to be the current trend of the division. Much time passed due to legal complications that caused Batista’s debut to be postponed.
When the time finally came for him to step into the cage, the hype and interest of friends had significantly died down. Batista ended up having a less than stellar performance against an even less stellar opponent. He picked up the win that night, but has not fought since and currently has no plans to do so again.
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4) Choi Hong-man
When you’re a man the size of Choi Hong-man (7’2 and 353 lbs.), you probably don’t have many options for employment. You definitely aren’t going to be an Uber driver or the cashier of a corner store, so why not give MMA a try? Choi Hong-man, often anglicised to Hong-man Choi, is a South Korean kickboxer, mixed martial artist and former ssireum wrestler and K-1 fighter.
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3) Dos Caras Jr./Alberto del Rio
Surprised to see this name on the list? If you’re trying to remember when Alberto del Rio has stepped away from wrestling and into a mixed martial arts fight, there is a reason you might not be able to recall it. The reason being it happened all the way back in 2003 and under the moniker of Dos Caras Jr.!
He squared off against the legendary Mirko Cro Cop at Pride Bushido 1. The fight, like many of Mirko’s, ended with a left high kick knockout so violent that Alberto del Rio himself might not remember ever debuting in MMA either.
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2) Bobby Lashley
Bobby Lashley is another professional wrestler you might not be aware made the transition to real professional fighting. He has compiled an impressive official record of 14-2, with only one loss that has gone unavenged. He currently competes in Bellator’s heavyweight division while riding a seven fight win streak, if he continues at this rate he will be fighting for the title before the year’s end.
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1) Brock Lesnar
The man claiming the number one spot on this list should be no shock to you. Former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar has had by far the most success in the sport of mixed martial arts. Although his career was short, during his time competing he managed to rack up wins against fellow former champions Randy Couture, Frank Mir and Shane Carwin, a resume that would impress any hardcore fan of the sport.
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Honorable mention: Phil ‘CM Punk’ Brooks
The biggest UFC controversy of 2014 took place when it was announced that former professional wrestler and WWE champion CM Punk had been signed to the organization. He was originally supposed to debut in 2015 after training with famed trainer Duke Roufus for several months, but nearly halfway through 2016 he has yet to step into the octagon. Will he ever? I guess we will have to all just collectively wait and see together.
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