WWE legend Kurt Angle was offered $500,000 by the UFC to compete on TUF 10 with Kimbo Slice

Kurt AngleBefore carving out a career as a WWE Hall of Famer, pro wrestling legend Kurt Angle was one of the most successful amateur wrestlers in the history of the sport. As a two-time NCAA Division I national champion, Kurt Angle was well on his way to becoming an Olympian. Not only did he accomplish that […]

Kurt Angle

Before carving out a career as a WWE Hall of Famer, pro wrestling legend Kurt Angle was one of the most successful amateur wrestlers in the history of the sport.

As a two-time NCAA Division I national champion, Kurt Angle was well on his way to becoming an Olympian. Not only did he accomplish that goal, but he also left the 1996 Games in Atlanta with a gold medal. It was a feat he had dreamed of accomplishing since childhood. However, the question of what comes next for an Olympic-level athlete is rarely an easy one. But Kurt Angle managed to find his second calling in life, moving from the never-ending grind of amateur wrestling to the fantastical world of professional wrestling.

Making his WWE (then WWF) debut at the 1999 Survivor Series against Shawn Stasiak, Angle immediately made his presence known, showing off his impeccable technical wrestling skills and a penchant for drawing heat from the crowd thanks to his incredible mic work.

Over the next several years, Kurt Angle would establish himself as one of the greatest sports entertainers of all time, capturing a plethora of titles and engaging in some legendary matches with the likes of ‘Stone Cold’ Steven Austin, The Rock, Shawn Michaels, The Undertaker, Hulk Hogan, Edge, Rey Mysterio, and Shane McMahon.

But had the UFC come correct with an offer for his services, it’s possible we may have never seen Kurt Angle inside the squared circle. During a recent interview with ESPN, the Olympic gold medalist revealed that the Las Vegas-based fight company came to him right after the Olympics with a massive 10-fight offer.

“I got offered three different times,” Angle said.

“First time was right after the Olympics in 1996,” Angle said. “Dana White wasn’t involved with the UFC back then. They came to me and they gave me their best contract, and it wasn’t a very good contract. It was ten fights for $150,000. That’s $15,000 per fight. And that was the highest they were giving to the fighters for the fights.”

“I was like, ‘You know what, that doesn’t sound right. I love fighting, but I don’t love it that much to get my butt kicked for 15 grand.’ So I decided to go to the WWE” (h/t BloodyElbow).

Kurt Angle went on to become a massive star for the promotion, capturing the WWE Championship less than a year into his debut, something that was practically unheard of at the time.

After suffering a string of injuries and falling into a dangerous cycle of self-medication, Angle walked away from the promotion in 2006. It was then that he had reached out to the UFC about potentially trading in his wrestling boots for a pair of four-ounce gloves.

“In 2006, when I left the WWE, my manager contacted Dana White. I was curious whether I could fight,” he said. “Dana flew me out and put me up in a really nice penthouse suite. He offered me a deal and I considered it, and I ended up turning it down.

“The reason I turned it down in 2006 was because I just signed a contract with TNA, and Dana White would not let me wrestle and fight at the same time. And I didn’t want to go back to TNA and say ‘Listen, that contract I just signed is null and void.’ So I didn’t want to do that and I wanted to respect their wishes.”

Kurt Angle Was Offered a Spot on Season 10 of The Ultimate Fighter

A few years later, Kurt Angle once again reached out to the UFC when his time with TNA was over.

“Dana White told me ‘When you’re done with wrestling, come back to me,’ and I did,” he said. “When I thought I was going to be done with wrestling, I went back to Dana, and Dana came back with an idea to be in (The Ultimate Fighter) with Kimbo Slice.”

“I considered it,” Angle said. “And I said, ‘Well, Dana, you don’t pay those guys to be on TV.’ And he said, ‘I know, but I’ll give you a half-million to be on the show. And then I’ll give you this contract a six-fight deal regardless whether you win it, The Ultimate Fighter, or not. You’ll have a contract when it’s over.’

“I thought about it. At that point in my life I was 41 years old,” Angle said. “I broke my neck five times. I sat back and I realized — I started training for it a little bit, and I realized, ‘I’m past my prime, I can’t do this.’ So, I had to turn it down.”

Kurt Angle still admittedly wonders how he would have fared had he taken the alternate route and signed with the UFC, but he has no regrets regarding his iconic career as one of pro wrestling’s greatest performers.

“Every once in a while it gets to me,” Angle admits. “When I watch these fights, I’m like ‘gosh man, I think I would’ve done pretty well in this.’ Seeing Brock Lesnar and my friend become UFC champion, seeing Randy Couture, who I trained with for the Olympics being UFC champion.

“It makes you question ‘did you do the right thing?’ but I look back and I say ‘you know what? I had a pretty stellar career in pro wrestling, so I can’t regret that.”

Chael Sonnen Discusses “Best In The World” Fighter Who Didn’t Gain Recognition

In a recent video for his YouTube channel, former UFC middleweight and light heavyweight contender Chael Sonnen discussed money fights vs. title fights. “The Bad Guy” explained that championship success doesn’t always guarantee fame a…

In a recent video for his YouTube channel, former UFC middleweight and light heavyweight contender Chael Sonnen discussed money fights vs. title fights. “The Bad Guy” explained that championship success doesn’t always guarantee fame and recognition. On the flip side, there are fighters with huge personalities and appeal who draw major audiences despite being out…

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The Eight Most Bizarre MMA Fights In Modern History

Editor’s Note: “Modern History” is being loosely defined as the post-formative years of MMA, when the sport became more widely and thoroughly regulated. Every so often, a fight comes along that’s just so bizarre it causes you to…

Editor’s Note: “Modern History” is being loosely defined as the post-formative years of MMA, when the sport became more widely and thoroughly regulated. Every so often, a fight comes along that’s just so bizarre it causes you to squint at the TV, shake your head, and quietly whisper to yourself; “What the hell am I…

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Dada 5000 Reflects on Kimbo Slice Fight: ‘I Died Twice In That Ring’

Dada 5000Dada 5000 has opened up about the aftermath of his fight against Kimbo Slice. Dada 5000 and Slice met in the main event of Bellator 149. Given the street fighting background of both men and their supposed rivalry with one another, many were expecting a knock-em-down, drag-em-out war between the two. The reality could not […]

Dada 5000

Dada 5000 has opened up about the aftermath of his fight against Kimbo Slice.

Dada 5000 and Slice met in the main event of Bellator 149. Given the street fighting background of both men and their supposed rivalry with one another, many were expecting a knock-em-down, drag-em-out war between the two. The reality could not have been any further from expectations.

In what has since been crowned one of the worst fights in MMA history, both men were visibly exhausted after the first 2 minutes. The rest of the first involved either slow, one punch exchanges or one fighter simply lying on top of the other. The bout was mercifully stopped in the third round when Slice was awarded the TKO.

Immediately afterwards, Dada 5000 was loaded onto a stretcher and rushed to a nearby hospital. It was later reported that he suffered a cardiac arrest during the fight.

Now, five years after the infamous bout, Dada 5000 spoke openly about what he went through after the fight in an interview with Jimmy Smith of Fight Nation.

“When I went down, my heart stopped, you know, a heart stops for five minutes. Then they brought me back. Then it stopped again for eight. So I had no heartbeat for 13 minutes, you know, and the hospital, you know, they was literally that ready to give up on me, but I was inside of a homeless stage, but I heard everything and, you know, I just love one fight to start another fight,” Dada 5000 said (h/t MiddleEasy.)

“So at that point I was fighting for my life. You know what I’m saying? And I refuse, I refuse to lay down, you know? And, uh, I broke through, you know, thanks to God, and my will to pull through. Everything shut down and my heart was the last one to go, but I just refused to stop fighting. I swung until I had nothing left, that fight could have went anyway, because I had him on the ground on all fours in one round, I just didn’t have it in me to finish it.”

The fight would serve as the last in both men’s careers. Dada 5000 would retire from the sport afterwards, while Slice would tragically pass away after suffering a heart attack of his own at age 42.

Dada 5000 Reflects On ‘Dying Twice’ Against Kimbo Slice

Dada 5000 has taken the time to recall nearly dying twice following his bout with Kimbo Slice. Back in 2016, Dada 5000 and Slice settled a grudge under the Bellator banner. The fight was largely viewed as being lackluster at best. Slice initially won t…

Dada 5000 has taken the time to recall nearly dying twice following his bout with Kimbo Slice. Back in 2016, Dada 5000 and Slice settled a grudge under the Bellator banner. The fight was largely viewed as being lackluster at best. Slice initially won the fight via third-round TKO but the bout result was changed […]

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[ARCHIVES] Masvidal Reminisces On Street Fights With Kimbo’s Protege

[MMA NEWS ARCHIVES] We all know that Jorge Masvidal got his break into this sport through streetfighting. Today, he even has his own bare-knuckle fighting organization. Here is a story we ran two years ago to this day with “Gamebred” reflecting on his humble beginnings. [ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED OCTOBER 24, 2019, 12:15 PM] Jorge Masvidal has […]

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[MMA NEWS ARCHIVES]

We all know that Jorge Masvidal got his break into this sport through streetfighting. Today, he even has his own bare-knuckle fighting organization. Here is a story we ran two years ago to this day with “Gamebred” reflecting on his humble beginnings.

[ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED OCTOBER 24, 2019, 12:15 PM]

Jorge Masvidal has come a long way since his days fighting in the streets, but he isn’t one to forget where he came from.

Masvidal will headline UFC 244 when he meets Nate Diaz in a welterweight clash. The bout will be contested for the one-time-only BMF championship. Just two years ago, Masvidal suffered a unanimous decision loss to Stephen Thompson inside Madison Square Garden. Two years later, he’s a main eventer inside the same venue.

Jorge Masvidal Talks Street Fights With Kimbo’s Protege

Part five of Masvidal’s The Diaries Of A Street Fighter has been released. In this edition, “Gamebred” discusses how two street fights with Kimbo Slice’s protege helped shaped him into the competitor he is today (via MMAFighting.com).

“We threw down in those scraps like dogs, like f—king animals and nothing but love. Both times, the first and the second time and I respect that,” Masvidal said about his opponent from back in the day.

“It was a soul-searching moment. It was tough. It wasn’t easy. There’s no time limits on that and we’re just going, going and going.”

“That rematch was tough, but it let the world know who you had in here,” Masvidal said.

Masvidal has won two straight bouts by brutal knockout. He knocked Darren Till out cold in enemy territory back in March. Then in July, he iced Ben Askren with a record-setting KO via flying knee.

Continue Reading [ARCHIVES] Masvidal Reminisces On Street Fights With Kimbo’s Protege at MMA News.