WWE rumored to bring NXT Battleground event to The UFC APEX in Las Vegas on Sunday, June 9

WWE rumored to bring NXT Battleground event to The UFC APEX in Las Vegas on Sunday, June 9The WWE is looking to bring its NXT brand to the UFC APEX in Las Vegas this summer. According…

WWE rumored to bring NXT Battleground event to The UFC APEX in Las Vegas on Sunday, June 9

The WWE is looking to bring its NXT brand to the UFC APEX in Las Vegas this summer.

According to a report from Wrestle Votes, the NXT Battleground event originally scheduled for May 26 in Savannah, Georgia, may be shifting to June 9, 2024, in Las Vegas. Furthermore, the show is rumored to go down inside The APEX which is owned by the WWE’s business buddy, Ultimate Fighting Championship.

WWE heading to the UFC Apex

The UFC and World Wrestling Entertainment were merged under the TKO Group Holdings banner last year.

While the two organizations have operated independently of one another since the merger, recent reports suggest that the two brands may start touring cities together in the near future to create a series of destination events. WWE’s move to The APEX for its first premium NXT event following WrestleMania XL may be a trial run of sorts.

WWE heading to the UFC APEX

Last month, former Bellator MMA champion ‘Iron’ Michael Chandler made an appearance on the pro wrestling empire’s flagship show to call out Irish megastar Conor McGregor.

With both organizations answering to the same business daddy, it’s just a matter of time before they begin blurring the lines and maximizing their crossover opportunities. We’ve already seen a slew of former UFC fighters make their way to the world of sports entertainment, including Matt Riddle, Ronda Rousey, and Brock Lesnar — though in Lesnar’s case, he was a WWE Superstar before becoming the UFC heavyweight champion.

WWE heads to Philadelphia for its 40th anniversary of WrestleMania

On Saturday, April 6, and Sunday, April 7, WWE presents its 40th anniversary of WrestleMania, live from Lincoln Financial Field in Philly, PA. The big story of the event will be the return of Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson who is scheduled to team up with his real-life cousin and reigning Undisputed WWE Universal Champion, Roman Reigns. The two will take on the team of Cody Rhodes and Iowa’s own Seth freakin’ Rollins.

Also featuring on the card will be YouTuber turned WWE Superstar Logan Paul who put his WWE United States Championship on the line in a triple threat match against Kevin Owens and Randy Orton.

Logan Paul as WWE U.S. Champion

Check out the official trailer for WrestleMania XL below:

Ronda Rousey slams ‘evil, unethical, slimeball’ Vince McMahon amid slew of vile assault allegations

Ronda Rousey slams 'evil, unethical, slimeball' Vince McMahon amid slew of vile assault allegationsFormer UFC and WWE Superstar Ronda Rousey absolutely shredded pro wrestling’s “Emperor Palpatine” Vince McMahon in her upcoming memoir….

Ronda Rousey slams 'evil, unethical, slimeball' Vince McMahon amid slew of vile assault allegations

Former UFC and WWE Superstar Ronda Rousey absolutely shredded pro wrestling’s “Emperor Palpatine” Vince McMahon in her upcoming memoir.

Officially set for a release on April 2, Our Fight will give fans of the women’s MMA pioneer a glimpse into her journey from an Olympic medalist, to a UFC champion, to one of the biggest names in all of sports entertainment. Unfortunately, it wasn’t glitz and glamor, particularly during her post-UFC stint as a member of the WWE roster.

Ronda Rousey memoir Our Fight

From 2017 to 2023, Rousey was an active member of the WWE Universe — aside from a period of inactivity during which her daughter was born. During her time in the spotlight, ‘Rowdy’ was one of the biggest names in the game and even broke barriers by being one of the first women to ever headline WrestleMania.

Ronda Rousey

Last year, Rousey walked away from the promotion, leading many to believe that she was gearing up for a return to MMA at UFC 300 on April 13.

We now know that’s not the case, but it appears that there was a far darker reason for her decision to walk away, as seen in an excerpt from her book.

“NXT was founded by and under the control of Triple H, real name Paul Levesque,” a section of Rousey’s memoir read.” In addition into being my in-ring WrestleMania nemesis, he is arguably one of the best professional wrestlers in history and one of the better people on the business side. He is married to Stephanie McMahon, who is the daughter of WWE’s Emperor Palpatine, Vince McMahon. Vince took over the company from his father in the early 1980s and spent the better part of forty years playing a real-world pro-wrestling version of Monopoly, buying up and absorbing smaller promotions until he basically owned them all.

“It’s hard sometimes to know where the evil, unethical, slimeball character of Vince McMahon played out for the camera ends and the actual questionably ethical, many times sued, and multiple times accused of sexual misconduct Vince McMahon begins. That blurred line between character and reality is a recurring theme within the WWE Universe” (h/t BJPenn.com).

Ronda Rousey

Ronda Rousey takes a dig at McMahon’s deal with Saudi Arabia

In January, a former WWE employee named Janel Grant filed a lawsuit against McMahon, alleging that the WWE founder had sexually assaulted her multiple times in 2021 and trafficked her to other employees within the organization. McMahon allegedly pressured Grant into signing an NDA to secure her silence in exchange for $3 million. However, after the initial $1 million payment, no further payments were ever made prompting Grant to file the suit.

McMahon stepped down from his role with the WWE and as a chairman of its parent company, TKO Group shortly after the allegations were first reported in The Wall Street Journal.

“[Pay-per-views are] held in major cities like New York, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia, as well as twice a year now in Saudi Arabia,” the memoir continues. “A nation that restricts the rights of women in a way that I’m certain Vince McMahon wishes he could.”

Vince McMahon and Donald Trump

Video – Tai Tuivasa chugs beer in shoey at WWE Eliminator Chamber event ahead of UFC return next month

Tai Tuivasa chugs beer in shoey at WWE Eliminator Chamber ahead of UFC return next monthUFC heavyweight Tai Tuivasa did a shoey in front of a cheering WWE crowd last night.  Alongside WWE wrestler…

Tai Tuivasa chugs beer in shoey at WWE Eliminator Chamber ahead of UFC return next month

UFC heavyweight Tai Tuivasa did a shoey in front of a cheering WWE crowd last night. 

Alongside WWE wrestler Grayson Waller, Tai Tuivasa drank one of his now synonymous shoeys, in which someone pours a drink, usually beer, into the shoe and drinks it. Check out the clip below.

Tuivasa is due to fight in just a couple of weeks against fellow contender, Marcin Tybura. The 30-year-old brawler is currently on his third loss in a row, all of which have come within the distance. 

The Australian is a fan favourite, but he cannot rely on that forever and must start producing results should he wish to continue to fight in the UFC. However, Tuivasa does have that all important equalizer and is a dangerous opponent for any anyone on his day. 

Tai Tuivasa becomes latest UFC star to appear on WWE

With the monumental merger of the UFC and WWE to form the TKO Holdings Group, it was expected that cross-over promotion was going to begin to crop up. Michael Chandler was ringside at a WWE show earlier this week and took the opportunity to further call out Conor McGregor

“Two minutes before, they said, ‘Hey, they’re going to put the camera on you.’ I said, ‘Why don’t you give me that microphone?’”  Chandler said of his WWE promo. “And they said, ‘Hold on, let me run it up the flagpole real quick.’ And then about a minute later, they said, ‘Hey, you’re going on in a minute and you’re going to get the microphone if you want the microphone,’ and then magic happened…less than five minutes [of notice]. There was nothing prepared. Nothing. I was thrown into the fire. Smacked myself a couple of times and then we went.”

Who do you think will be next to appear on a WWE broadcast after Tai Tuivasa?

Video – Tai Tuivasa chugs beer in shoey at WWE Eliminator Chamber event ahead of UFC return next month

Tai Tuivasa chugs beer in shoey at WWE Eliminator Chamber ahead of UFC return next monthUFC heavyweight Tai Tuivasa did a shoey in front of a cheering WWE crowd last night.  Alongside WWE wrestler…

Tai Tuivasa chugs beer in shoey at WWE Eliminator Chamber ahead of UFC return next month

UFC heavyweight Tai Tuivasa did a shoey in front of a cheering WWE crowd last night. 

Alongside WWE wrestler Grayson Waller, Tai Tuivasa drank one of his now synonymous shoeys, in which someone pours a drink, usually beer, into the shoe and drinks it. Check out the clip below.

Tuivasa is due to fight in just a couple of weeks against fellow contender, Marcin Tybura. The 30-year-old brawler is currently on his third loss in a row, all of which have come within the distance. 

The Australian is a fan favourite, but he cannot rely on that forever and must start producing results should he wish to continue to fight in the UFC. However, Tuivasa does have that all important equalizer and is a dangerous opponent for any anyone on his day. 

Tai Tuivasa becomes latest UFC star to appear on WWE

With the monumental merger of the UFC and WWE to form the TKO Holdings Group, it was expected that cross-over promotion was going to begin to crop up. Michael Chandler was ringside at a WWE show earlier this week and took the opportunity to further call out Conor McGregor

“Two minutes before, they said, ‘Hey, they’re going to put the camera on you.’ I said, ‘Why don’t you give me that microphone?’”  Chandler said of his WWE promo. “And they said, ‘Hold on, let me run it up the flagpole real quick.’ And then about a minute later, they said, ‘Hey, you’re going on in a minute and you’re going to get the microphone if you want the microphone,’ and then magic happened…less than five minutes [of notice]. There was nothing prepared. Nothing. I was thrown into the fire. Smacked myself a couple of times and then we went.”

Who do you think will be next to appear on a WWE broadcast after Tai Tuivasa?

‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin has two UFC fighters he would love to see crossover into the WWE

Steve AustinWWE Hall of Famer ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin would love to see two of the UFC’s biggest stars cross…

Steve Austin

WWE Hall of Famer ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin would love to see two of the UFC’s biggest stars cross over into the world of sports entertainment.

With WWE and the UFC merged under the TKO Group banner, the barrier between professional wrestling and mixed martial arts is thinning. That much was apparent on Monday night when former Bellator MMA champion ‘Iron’ Michael Chandler showed up on RAW and cut a promo on Conor McGregor. Following the appearance, rumors began circulating that the two fighters could end up involved in some type of feud culminating at the 40th anniversary of WrestleMania, which just so happens to go down one week before UFC 300.

Asked for his opinion on which UFC stars could potentially cross over into the WWE, Attitude Era icon Steve Austin immediately had two names in mind.

“If I’m going right now, I’m going Sean Strickland,” Austin said in an interview with ESPN’s Marc Raimondi. “I like Sean Strickland. Boy, he stays economical in the Octagon. But what a promo!

“Then I go Colby Covington. All the trash talk talk, all the athletic ability. Guy never runs out of gas, he’s always in shape. Talks a mean streak and can back it up. He’s very exciting, he has that X factor that you always look for. He’s double tough.”

Colby Covington would likely make a perfect addition to the WWE roster. After all, he’s been perfecting his ‘Chaos’ persona for years in front of UFC fans. Strickland however, would likely present a PR nightmare for Triple H and Co. Something the WWE certainly wants to avoid these days.

Of course, fans have already seen plenty of stars crossover through the years. After successful runs in the UFC, both Ronda Rousey and Matt Riddle moved to professional wrestling and found further fame. On the flip side, WWE Superstars Brock Lesnar and CM Punk decided to test their mettle inside the Octagon after becoming two of pro wrestling’s biggest names. Brock Lesnar went on to become the UFC heavyweight champion, defeating Randy Couture at UFC 91. He would defend successfully the title against Frank Mir and Shane Carwin.

Punk, on the other hand, went 0-2 inside the Octagon, though his sophomore appearance against Mike Jackson was ultimately overturned to a no-contest after Jackson tested positive for marijuana.

Video – Michael Chandler unleashes promo on Conor McGregor at WWE event: ‘We have unfinished business, boy’

Michael Chandler issues promo to Conor McGregor at WWE event we have unfinished businessFormer lightweight championship challenger, Michael Chandler has unleashed another scathing promo on former two-weight champion, Conor McGregor – this…

Michael Chandler issues promo to Conor McGregor at WWE event we have unfinished business

Former lightweight championship challenger, Michael Chandler has unleashed another scathing promo on former two-weight champion, Conor McGregor – this time from the barricade alongside the WWE universe, urging the UFC star to finally make good on his return to the Octagon.

Chandler, the current number five ranked lightweight contender, has himself been sidelined from the Octagon since he featured on the main card of UFC 281 back in 2022, slumping to an eventual third round rear-naked choke submission loss to common-foe, Dustin Poirier in the pair’s high-stakes clash.

As for McGregor, the summer will mark three years since the Dubliner’s most recent outing, having fractured his left tibia and fibula in a first round doctor’s stoppage TKO loss to the aforenoted, Poirier in the pair’s trilogy rubber match.

And expected to fight Kill Cliff FC staple, Chandler in his long-anticipated return to the Octagon, McGregor – who called for a June return during International Fight Week at UFC 302, has been denied as hasty a return as he wishes, with UFC CEO, Dana White claiming things are far from concrete on his comeback.

Michael Chandler calls for Conor McGregor at WWE event

Continually chasing a fight with the ex-two-weight champion, Chandler attended a professional wrestling event with the WWE – now-under the TKO Group banner alongside the UFC banner, before issuing a massive promo, calling for a fight with McGregor to much fanfare.

“Hey, what’s up, Anaheim?” Michael Chandler said. “You are now in the presence of the most entertaining UFC fighter on the planet. Now, there’s a man from Ireland that’s been making me wait for way too long.”

“And I still got one dude on my mind,” Michael Chandler. “Conor McGregor, get your candy-ass back to the Octagon, we got some unfinished business, boy. God bless. I’ll see you at the top.” 

Do you think we ever see Conor McGregor fight Michael Chandler?