They say wrestling is one of the most important martial arts forms within mixed martial arts but history suggests that WWE stars have at one time or another had a hard time when competing in mixed martial arts. This article will explore why a number of WWE franchise stars have struggled in one of the world’s leading mixed martial arts competitions, the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
The first talking point that can be discussed is the fact that franchises such as the WWE mainly focus on wrestling in a professional capacity. Striking, kicks, and other forms of grappling, while utilised in the WWE, tend to have fewer repercussions if not accurately executed when compared to the ultimate fighting championship.
A case in point is Brock Lesnar, who by no means struggled in the UFC, as he eventually went on to lift the heavyweight title. It’s important to note that the brawler with a long history of wrestling tended to really struggle against more traditional strikers with good takedown defence. While Lesnar’s wrestling was immense, displaying power never before seen in the franchise, his striking was never quite there unless his shots were coming from the ground.
The same can be said about Rhonda Rousey, who is possibly one of the most influential fighters in the UFC and WWE. Rousey’s background was in Judo, a sport for which she represented her country at the Olympics, and one that is heavily based on throws and control. Part of Rousey’s dominance was due to her ability to control fights, and her famous armbar is worthy of being inducted into legend.
However, when Rousey faced a well-polished striking force in Holly Holm, who was a massive underdog on all betting sites, she couldn’t establish the same dominance she could usually manage to. It’s also important to note that Holm had terrific takedown defence, making it exceedingly difficult for Rowdy to gain any control in the fight.
We saw the same thing happen when Rousey faced Amanda Nunes, who is one of the best female mixed martial artists of all time. In Rousey’s much-anticipated return bout, before her eventual stardom in the WWE, she faced an up and coming Nunes, who absolutely battered her with clinical striking. It was after this fight that Rousey announced her retirement from professional mixed martial arts.
In these two examples, it’s pretty clear to see that even championship fighters in the ultimate fighting championship had their shortcomings as their skillsets were not quite rounded enough. There are a handful of other fighters who didn’t do quite as well as either of these fighters.
Take CM Punk for example. CM Punk announced he had signed for the UFC in 2014, and further announced that he would be training under well-established striking coach Duke Roufus. After an almost 2 year layoff prior to his debut, it was finalised that CM Punk would face Micky Gall, with the fight ending early in the first round. It felt a lot like his mixed martial arts career was over before it began, but the same symptoms found in Rousey and Lesnar’s time in the UFC were again highlighted in Punk’s lack of ability.
It’s clear that the UFC is one of the hardest competitions to compete in. Fighters who compete need to show a well-rounded set of skills, and cannot get by on one martial art form alone. This is the core reason that some athletes who have starred in the WWE have gone on to struggle in the UFC.
