It’s no secret that WrestleMania main eventer Brock Lesnar had an MMA career. Heck, he was the UFC’s most popular, most influential fighter for a long time and set the bar for pay-per-view and box-office success, and his second run in the company was based on that success.
What’s often forgotten is that his opponent on Sunday has also stepped into the cage himself. Don’t let his on-screen character fool you, though. He wasn’t in the cage as a fighter. He was actually in the cage as a commentator and analyst.
Back in 2007, fledgling promotion EliteXC was looking to make as big a splash as possible. One way it did so was reaching out to Goldberg, who was tabbed to be the promotion’s answer to fellow celebrity-turned-commentator Joe Rogan.
For the most part, that run has been mercifully forgotten as his work at the desk and on the microphone was widely panned by fans and pundits (though it remains immortalized in a few videos). That said, Goldberg’s MMA career stands out for his role in one of MMA’s most notorious (but beloved for some) moments. Check out the video here (warning, NSFW):
Following his title defense over Yves Edwards, Elite XC 160-pound champ KJ Noons was approached by Nick Diaz (flanked by his brother, Nate Diaz) to set up a rematch of their controversial 2007 bout. With fighters’ entourages shouting at one another, Goldberg points the mic to Diaz, who utters one of the most famous lines in MMA history.
“Don’t be scared, homie.”
Goldberg tries, and fails, to defuse the situation, but a scuffle starts that sees the two groups forcibly separated, with the Diaz brothers ultimately making their way back up the ramp with middle fingers raised.
The moment, and that one line, live on with MMA fans, and while most of the personalities outside Diaz get omitted from the folktales about the brawl, make no mistake: The man holding the microphone is our WWE universal champ.
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