It’s hard to believe that some WWE Superstars have crossed paths in the world of Mixed Martial Arts.
With Wrestling being scripted and a form of sports entertainment, it often leaves fans questioning whether wrestlers can fight.
Some MMA fighters have made their way to the WWE, while some have reversed the roles to put more pressure on themselves.
Nowadays, it’s more common to see MMA and WWE crossover, mainly with the fighters or wrestlers serving as spectators at the events.
Here are WWE wrestlers who have either succeeded or flopped in MMA.
Succeeded: Brock Lesnar
With a background in American wrestling, it seemed that Lesnar had the potential to pursue a career in MMA.
But, fans around the world would be doubtful when he made his first stint in WWE.
‘The Beast’ built his name in the WWE from 2000 to 2004, before a two-year run in New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW).
After a first-round TKO win at K-1, on his MMA debut, Lesnar made his welcome to the UFC, where he faced former Heavyweight Champion Frank Mir.
The Webster-born wrestler lost his UFC debut via a Knee Bar in the first round, but hope was not lost.
After winning by unanimous decision at UFC 87 against Heath Herring, Lesnar surprisingly faced Randy Couture for the Heavyweight title.
Incredibly, ‘The Beast’ became a UFC Champion after defeating Couture by second-round TKO.
The American professional wrestler earned two title defences with a revengeful TKO win against Mir, and a surprising comeback submission win against Shane Carwin.
Lesnar lost the UFC Heavyweight Championship to Cain Velasquez by first-round TKO at UFC 121.
In a short MMA career, Lesnar proved that a wrestler like himself could conquer the world of Combat Sports.
Failed: CM Punk
One of the recognisable WWE Superstars who failed to shine in MMA was Punk.
The Chicago-born wrestler remarkably earned a multi-fight contract in the UFC, despite not having a background in MMA.
Punk made his debut at UFC 203, where he took on Mickey Gall in a Welterweight bout.
The fight could only be described as a dominant loss as the debutant suffered a first-round Rear-Naked Choke defeat.
21 months later, ‘The Best In The World’ returned for his second bout in the UFC.
This time, he faced Mike Jackson at UFC 225, but fans were left in shock when this battle was showcased on the main card.
It was a painful watch for UFC and WWE fans as Jackson picked up a brutal unanimous decision win.
However, three years after the fight, the bout was overturned to a no-contest after Jackson tested positive for marijuana.
This meant that Punk only has one loss on his pro MMA record, although it’s clear to say that he won’t be returning to MMA.
Succeeded: Bobby Lashley
One man who truly didn’t get enough recognition for his work in MMA was Lashley, as he had a rather impressive record.
What was surprising about ‘The Dominator’, is that he was active as an MMA fighter and a professional wrestler at the same time.
Lashley began his MMA career in December 2008 with a first-round TKO win, before eventually fighting in Strikeforce.
The Kansas-born fighter earned a first-round TKO against Wes Sims and a second-round TKO loss against Chad Griggs with the promotion.
Later in his career, Lashley was contracted by Bellator, fighting five times for the company.
The Heavyweight mixed martial artist won all five fights, with them ending in stoppages.
The professional wrestler submitted Josh Burns and Josh Appelt with a Rear-Naked Choke in the second round.
Lashley also knocked out Karl Etherington, Dan Charles and James Thompson in his two-year Bellator career.
The 48-year-old has an MMA record of 15-2-0, which isn’t bad, considering he has far more experience in professional wrestling.
Failed: Alberto Del Rio (Alberto Rodriguez)
While having a respectable MMA record, it’s fair to say that Del Rio’s career was rather underwhelming.
The Mexican’s debut began at MMA promotion DEEP, where he scored a first-round TKO win over Kengo Watanabe.
However, Watanabe did earn revenge as he submitted the professional wrestler with a Rear-Naked Choke in their rematch.
Del Rio earned two submission victories and a disqualification loss before making his presence known with PRIDE FC.
The San Luis Potosi-born fighter faced Mirko Cro Cop on his debut, but lost by first-round knockout from a head kick.
After another loss in PRIDE FC, ‘Dos Caras Jr’ began a six-fight win streak, including five consecutive submissions.
Although four of those fights were in a regional event in Mexico, making those victories less credible.
After suffering a TKO loss in February 2010, Del Rio wouldn’t fight again until December 2019 when he took on former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, Tito Ortiz.
The Heavyweight fighter went face-to-face with the Californian at Combate Americas, where Ortiz submitted Del Rio with a Rear-Naked Choke.
While the Mexican proved he could fight, he couldn’t compete against world-class opponents.
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