In recent years we’ve seen WWE superstars like Brock Lesnar and CM Punk cross over from professional wrestling to test themselves in a true fight in the UFC’s Octagon. However, the door swings both ways, and since the UFC began there have been several examples of fighters being lured over to the world of pro-wrestling […]
In recent years we’ve seen WWE superstars like Brock Lesnar and CM Punk cross over from professional wrestling to test themselves in a true fight in the UFC’s Octagon.
However, the door swings both ways, and since the UFC began there have been several examples of fighters being lured over to the world of pro-wrestling in search of fame, fortune and in some cases a chance to fulfill a childhood dream.
In this article we’ll chart the successes and failures of 10 UFC stars who have attempted to ‘get over’ with pro-wrestling fans and become the king (or queen) of the ring.
Ken Shamrock
Ken Shamrock made his pro-wrestling debut as far back as 1990 on the regional circuit in North America and then headed overseas to Japan’s UWF and PWFG organizations.
After winning a legitimate fight in the latter organization in late 1992, Shamrock was inspired to fight in mixed martial arts and became a major star in Pancrase and then the UFC, but by the end of 1996 he had become burnt out and was struggling to make ends meet, and so he quit MMA and signed for the World Wrestling Federation.
Billed as ‘The World’s Most Dangerous Man’, Shamrock debuted for WWF in 1997 and proved himself to be a performer with crossover appeal who would become a star during his three-year stint there.
Along the way he’d compete against many of the company’s biggest names and won the Intercontinental title by defeating X-Pac, claimed the Tag Team Championship alongside ‘Big Boss Man’ and defeated ‘The Rock’ to become ‘King Of The Ring’ in 1998.
Constantly being on the road with the WWF took a toll on Shamrock however, and so for the sake of his family he abruptly left the organization in 2000 and returned to MMA, though the injuries he’d sustained while wrestling meant he was never able to reach the same heights as earlier in his career.
Although he is approaching his 50th birthday, MMA legend and UFC Hall Of Famer Royce Gracie is apparently not ready to call it quits just yet.
Gracie (15-2-3), who last fought at Bellator 149, defeating fellow MMA legend and UFC Hall Of Famer Ken Shamrock via first-round TKO back in February, recently told Brazilian MMA outlet Combate that he is not ready to call it a career yet.
“Man, I’m trying to leave this game,” Gracie said. “I’m not retired. I’m on a break, but it’s hard to quit, because I like to fight. When you like something, it’s not work, it’s a pleasure. Everyone wants to fight me. It’s a long list. That’s good, it shows there’s demand. I’ll face whoever the promotion puts in front of me. I never picked an opponent. “
As Gracie continued, he revealed that he is specifically interested in potential fights with former UFC Lightweight Champion Sean Sherk, former UFC Champion and UFC Hall Of Famer Dan Severn and martial arts legend Don “The Dragon” Wilson.
“I heard it’s a long list,” Gracie said. “Sean Sherk, Dan Severn, Don “The Dragon” Wilson, everyone wants to fight me. The old guys are showing up.”
Although he is approaching his 50th birthday, MMA legend and UFC Hall Of Famer Royce Gracie is apparently not ready to call it quits just yet.
Gracie (15-2-3), who last fought at Bellator 149, defeating fellow MMA legend and UFC Hall Of Famer Ken Shamrock via first-round TKO back in February, recently told Brazilian MMA outlet Combate that he is not ready to call it a career yet.
“Man, I’m trying to leave this game,” Gracie said. “I’m not retired. I’m on a break, but it’s hard to quit, because I like to fight. When you like something, it’s not work, it’s a pleasure. Everyone wants to fight me. It’s a long list. That’s good, it shows there’s demand. I’ll face whoever the promotion puts in front of me. I never picked an opponent. “
As Gracie continued, he revealed that he is specifically interested in potential fights with former UFC Lightweight Champion Sean Sherk, former UFC Champion and UFC Hall Of Famer Dan Severn and martial arts legend Don “The Dragon” Wilson.
“I heard it’s a long list,” Gracie said. “Sean Sherk, Dan Severn, Don “The Dragon” Wilson, everyone wants to fight me. The old guys are showing up.”
Throughout the years, we’ve seen time and time again how hard it is for mixed martial artists to walk away from the fight game. For 49-year-old mixed martial arts (MMA) and Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) legend Royce Gracie, it appears to be even harder. The fighting pioneer returned to action last February in the main event
Throughout the years, we’ve seen time and time again how hard it is for mixed martial artists to walk away from the fight game.
For 49-year-old mixed martial arts (MMA) and Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) legend Royce Gracie, it appears to be even harder.
The fighting pioneer returned to action last February in the main event of Bellator 149 to score a highly controversial TKO victory over fellow ageing veteran Ken Shamrock. Gracie got the victory after a long time away from the sport, but his performance didn’t necessarily make any fight fans want to see him compete again.
According to Gracie, however, he will most definitely compete again, telling Combate that he’s ‘not retired’:
“Man, I’m trying to leave this game,” Gracie said. “I’m not retired. I’m on a break, but it’s hard to quit, because I like to fight. When you like something, it’s not work, it’s a pleasure. Everyone wants to fight me. It’s a long list. That’s good, it shows there’s demand. I’ll face whoever the promotion puts in front of me. I never picked an opponent.”
As far as potential opponents go, Gracie claims that a list of fighting legends have expressed interest in fighting him. The Brazilian specifically noted UFC veterans Sean “The Muscle Shark” Sherk and Dan Severn as possible options:
“I heard it’s a long list,” Gracie said. “Sean Sherk, Dan Severn, Don “The Dragon” Wilson, everyone wants to fight me. The old guys are showing up.”
Despite his historic legacy, do you have any interest in seeing Gracie fight again?
Guys, I’m not quite sure how to break this, so I’ll just come right out and say it. You remember that mother of all freakshow fights between Tank Abbott and Dan Severn that was supposed to headline that insanely-awesome looking UR Fight card this weekend? You know, the one that was set to feature Sonnen vs. Bisping in a grappling match, Angle vs. Mysterio in a professional wrestling match, and Roy Jones Jr. killing a guy? The one that was basically the summation of everything great about America in an era dominated by PC feminazi libtards who want to take away our guns?
It’s off. The fight is off and my heart is literally tearing in two right now.
Guys, I’m not quite sure how to break this, so I’ll just come right out and say it. You remember that mother of all freakshow fights between Tank Abbott and Dan Severn that was supposed to headline that insanely-awesome looking UR Fight card this weekend? You know, the one that was set to feature Sonnen vs. Bisping in a grappling match, Angle vs. Mysterio in a professional wrestling match, and Roy Jones Jr. killing a guy? The one that was basically the summation of everything great about America in an era dominated by PC feminazi libtards who want to take away our guns?
It’s off. The fight is off and my heart is literally tearing in two right now.
And why has Abbott vs. Severn been called off, you ask? Oh, only because of the stupidest reason of them all: SAFETY CONCERNS. As MMAFighting reports:
A rematch between legends Dan Severn and Tank Abbott has been scrapped.
Abbott could not pass his physical and has been removed from the fight against fellow UFC veteran Severn by the Arizona Boxing and MMA Commission, a spokesman for UR Fight confirmed with MMA Fighting on Thursday morning. A replacement is being sought.
Now, before you take to the streets to burn everything held sacred by this unjust world to the ground, you should know that the event itself is still scheduled to go on as planned, and a last-minute replacement opponent is being sought for Severn (please let it be Royce Gracie, please let it be Royce Gracie…). It would appear that the near-death of Dada 5000 at Bellator 149 has once again reared its ugly head, forcing athletic commissions around the country to step up their game and only sanction fights between “healthy” and “able-bodied” fighters.
It’s a f*cking disgrace if you ask me, even if it does make you wonder how Tank Abbott couldn’t pass a physical that this guy could:
I mean, come on. Tank could destroy this chump with a belly full of chicken wings and a half-empty keg tied to his belt, Always Sunny-style.
We’ll be sure to keep you updated when/if Severn’s new opponent is announced, but one thing’s for sure: this does not bode well for The Beast’s proposed “Master’s Division.” Hell, it doesn’t bode well for America.
Not to sound selfish, but the recent near-death of Dada 5000 following his Bellator 149 scrap with Kimbo Slice has really taken a lot of fun out of this whole “freakshow fight” concept. Up until that (nearly) fateful evening in February, the fact is that freakshow fights had produced nothing but wholesome, entertaining, and legitimate results LITERALLY 100PERCENT OF THE TIME. Now, we’ve been forced to act all “thoughtful” and “humane” each time one of them is booked like a bunch of vegan hipster pussies.
Thank God there are still “real” men and “real” promotions out there who don’t give a f*ck about things like safety regulations and common sense, or our sport would probably have fallen prey to Bernie Sanders’ socialist PC zeitgeist libtard pacifist gun control bureaugamy by now. We’re talking about men like Tank Abbott and Dan Severn, and promotions like UR Fight, the latter of which recently booked the two aging UFC vets to throw down as part of what may very well be the most insane event ever scheduled. ‘Murica!
Not to sound selfish, but the recent near-death of Dada 5000 following his Bellator 149 scrap with Kimbo Slice has really taken a lot of fun out of this whole “freakshow fight” concept. Up until that (nearly) fateful evening in February, the fact is that freakshow fights had produced nothing but wholesome, entertaining, and legitimate results LITERALLY 100PERCENT OF THE TIME. Now, we’ve been forced to act all “thoughtful” and “humane” each time one of them is booked like a bunch of vegan hipster pussies.
Thank God there are still “real” men and “real” promotions out there who don’t give a f*ck about things like safety regulations and common sense, or our sport would probably have fallen prey to Bernie Sanders’ socialist PC zeitgeist libtard pacifist gun control bureaugamy by now. We’re talking about men like Tank Abbott and Dan Severn, and promotions like UR Fight, the latter of which recently booked the two aging UFC vets to throw down as part of what may very well be the most insane event ever scheduled. ‘Murica!
Details after the jump.
You see, while the Reebok-endorsed feminazi colony of bruised-footed namby-pambys known as the UFC can barely scrape together one decent main event for the average card, UR Fight has gone ahead and booked FOUR main events for its inaugural pay-per-view on March 20th. Count ‘em, four.
MAIN EVENT #4: 57-year-old Dan Severn vs. 50-year-old Tank Abbott in an MMA fight
Do you think that the trailblazers over at UR Fight seem concerned about the “moral dilemma” or “repercussions” of having a man with literally zero boxing experience face a legend of the sport, or that Michael Bisping has “technically” been medically suspended for 180 days following his fight with Anderson Silva, or that Abbott and Severn’s combined age is greater than most California redwoods? FUCK NO THEY AREN’T, and that’s how business should be done!
Look, this might be difficult for all you social-justice-crusading, neckbearded keyboard warriors to understand, but if two people want to fight in a cage instead of on an Interweb forum, then these so-called “athletic commissions” are pretty much powerless to stop them. The same goes for the promotions, who outside of sending both parties to a therapist (or some other gutless treatment meant for non-alphas) can really only provide them with a place to throw down and slap a reasonable price tag on the proceedings…say, $11.99. THIS IS A FACT.
And while we’re dropping truths, we should point out that Dan Severn has been calling for a senior’s…pardon me…”Masters” division in MMA for some time now, and with Ken Shamrock too busy healing from the bruised vagina that Royce Gracie gave him, the honor of facing him has fallen on Tank Abbott, a dyed-in-the-wool, true-blue patriot if there ever was one.
So if you consider yourself an American — Hell, if you even consider yourself a red-blooded human being — then it is your civic duty to go to the UR Fight website, pony up the necessary 11 dollars and 99 cents and watch this fight with a foam finger in one hand and a Pabst Blue Ribbon in the other on March 20th. #TRUMP2016 bitches!!!
Not to sound selfish, but the recent near-death of Dada 5000 following his Bellator 149 scrap with Kimbo Slice has really taken a lot of fun out of this whole “freakshow fight” concept. Up until that (nearly) fateful evening in February, the fact is that freakshow fights had produced nothing but wholesome, entertaining, and legitimate results LITERALLY 100PERCENT OF THE TIME. Now, we’ve been forced to act all “thoughtful” and “humane” each time one of them is booked like a bunch of vegan hipster pussies.
Thank God there are still “real” men and “real” promotions out there who don’t give a f*ck about things like safety regulations and common sense, or our sport would probably have fallen prey to Bernie Sanders’ socialist PC zeitgeist libtard pacifist gun control bureaugamy by now. We’re talking about men like Tank Abbott and Dan Severn, and promotions like UR Fight, the latter of which recently booked the two aging UFC vets to throw down as part of what may very well be the most insane event ever scheduled. ‘Murica!
Not to sound selfish, but the recent near-death of Dada 5000 following his Bellator 149 scrap with Kimbo Slice has really taken a lot of fun out of this whole “freakshow fight” concept. Up until that (nearly) fateful evening in February, the fact is that freakshow fights had produced nothing but wholesome, entertaining, and legitimate results LITERALLY 100PERCENT OF THE TIME. Now, we’ve been forced to act all “thoughtful” and “humane” each time one of them is booked like a bunch of vegan hipster pussies.
Thank God there are still “real” men and “real” promotions out there who don’t give a f*ck about things like safety regulations and common sense, or our sport would probably have fallen prey to Bernie Sanders’ socialist PC zeitgeist libtard pacifist gun control bureaugamy by now. We’re talking about men like Tank Abbott and Dan Severn, and promotions like UR Fight, the latter of which recently booked the two aging UFC vets to throw down as part of what may very well be the most insane event ever scheduled. ‘Murica!
Details after the jump.
You see, while the Reebok-endorsed feminazi colony of bruised-footed namby-pambys known as the UFC can barely scrape together one decent main event for the average card, UR Fight has gone ahead and booked FOUR main events for its inaugural pay-per-view on March 20th. Count ‘em, four.
MAIN EVENT #4: 57-year-old Dan Severn vs. 50-year-old Tank Abbott in an MMA fight
Do you think that the trailblazers over at UR Fight seem concerned about the “moral dilemma” or “repercussions” of having a man with literally zero boxing experience face a legend of the sport, or that Michael Bisping has “technically” been medically suspended for 180 days following his fight with Anderson Silva, or that Abbott and Severn’s combined age is greater than most California redwoods? FUCK NO THEY AREN’T, and that’s how business should be done!
Look, this might be difficult for all you social-justice-crusading, neckbearded keyboard warriors to understand, but if two people want to fight in a cage instead of on an Interweb forum, then these so-called “athletic commissions” are pretty much powerless to stop them. The same goes for the promotions, who outside of sending both parties to a therapist (or some other gutless treatment meant for non-alphas) can really only provide them with a place to throw down and slap a reasonable price tag on the proceedings…say, $11.99. THIS IS A FACT.
And while we’re dropping truths, we should point out that Dan Severn has been calling for a senior’s…pardon me…”Masters” division in MMA for some time now, and with Ken Shamrock too busy healing from the bruised vagina that Royce Gracie gave him, the honor of facing him has fallen on Tank Abbott, a dyed-in-the-wool, true-blue patriot if there ever was one.
So if you consider yourself an American — Hell, if you even consider yourself a red-blooded human being — then it is your civic duty to go to the UR Fight website, pony up the necessary 11 dollars and 99 cents and watch this fight with a foam finger in one hand and a Pabst Blue Ribbon in the other on March 20th. #TRUMP2016 bitches!!!
