For much of their separate existences, mixed martial arts and professional wrestling have crossed paths on more than one occasion. In the early days in the UFC in particular, some of the promotion’s top stars went on to try their hands in various wrestling companies, such as Tank Abbott and Ken Shamrock making appearances in the WCW and WWE respectively. 

It was also during that formative time in the sport’s history that several prominent wrestling stars would begin to pave the way for future grappling stars to try their hands at MMA. In the early 1990s, prolific Japanese professional wrestlers Masakatsu Funaki and Minoru Suzuki helped to create one of the first major mixed martial arts organizations in Pancrase. This combat entity helped to shape the early careers of some of the country’s premier pioneers like Yuki Kondo and Bas Rutten. 

As the 2000s rolled on, more and more high-profile wrestling stars began to take up the four ounce gloves, with some of them reaching monumental heights. Leaving the glitz and glam of scripted combat behind them, for some only temporarily, these wrestling stars traded the ring for the cage and carved out their own legacies as elite fighting athletes.

 

These are four wrestling stars that tried their hands at mixed martial arts:

4. Wrestling Stars Who Tried MMA: CM Punk

A staple name of the WWE roster from 2005 to 2014, CM Punk, real name Phillip Brooks, dazzled audiences, winning multiple championships in the promotion, which included the World Heavyweight Championship (2002–2013 version) on three different occasions. However, following a nearly decade-long tenure as one of the hottest professional wrestlers on the planet, Punk made the decision to retire in 2014 due to burnout and disputes with management.

His departure from the WWE shook the wrestling world to its core, but when it was announced at UFC 181 that he would be competing in the Octagon later in 2015, all eyes were firmly fixated on the Illinois native as he sought to make a name for himself in mixed martial arts. To prepare for his upcoming match, Punk moved to Wisconsin to train under acclaimed coach Duke Roufus at Roufusport MMA Academy, where he began to work on his striking and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu game.

With lingering injuries initially delaying his debut until 2016, the former WWE champion finally made his first walk to the cage at UFC 203, facing off with the 2-0 Mickey Gall. While it was apparent in the lead up to the fight that he had been putting in the effort for this bout, the more experienced Gall swiftly took Punk down and submitted him in just two minutes. 

Taking almost two years off after his loss to Gall, Punk attempted to make his comeback fat UFC 225 against Mike Jackson, a fighter who had ironically also lost to Gall in the past. Despite his sophomore cage outing going the full three-round distance, Punk still was largely outmatched by Jackson, who took home the effortless unanimous decision. However, the win would eventually be overturned to a no-contest later on due to Jackson testing positive for marijuana. 

In the aftermath of his second UFC tilt, Punk opted to walk away from mixed martial arts in favor of returning to the realm of professional wrestling once more. Making sporadic appearances in several organizations, he ended up finding a home in AEW, where he would compete in for the better part of two years. Although his time in fighting was over, Punk’s fascination with the sport has continued to thrive over the years. At the time of this writing, he is currently a blue belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and has been a staple commentator under the Cage Fury Fighting Championships banner since 2018.

3. Wrestling Stars Who Tried MMA: Dave Bautista

As far as accolades go in professional wrestling, one will not find anyone more accomplished than Batista, real name Dave Bautista. Competing largely in the WWE from 2000 to 2010, he would go on to become a household-name, earning the company’s heavyweight strap four times. Participating in entertaining rivalries with other colossal figures in the business like Triple H and John Cena, Batista became a fixture of wrestling and pop culture, appearing in television shows like MTV Cribs and Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. 

In 2010, after a rough falling out with the WWE, Batista began to pursue his journey in mixed martial arts, getting into talks at first with Strikeforce. Unfortunately, those talks didn’t yield a contract, as the organization was bought out by the UFC in 2011. However, he was able to set a date for his debut match at the Rhode Island-based company Classic Entertainment & Sports MMA. Backed by an extensive history in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, he held a brown belt at the time, Batista made the walk to the cage in the main event at CES 13: Real Pain in 2012. Locking horns with Vince Lucero, the wrestling icon decimated the 40-fight veteran with a fantastic first round knockout. 

While his freshman outing in mixed martial arts was a resounding success, this would be Batista’s only fight ever. By this time, his relationship with the WWE had begun to improve, with him returning to the promotion in 2014. In that same year, the Washington D.C. native also became heavily involved in acting, landing a stellar role as Drax in the blockbuster Guardians of the Galaxy film, going on to make multiple appearances in other Marvel films in the 2010s.

2. Wrestling Stars Who Tried MMA: Bobby Lashley

Even before he rose to prominence as a world-famous wrestler, Bobby Lashley, real name Franklin Lashley, had already racked up many amazing accomplishments in the ring. During his time at Missouri Valley College, the future global star won the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics National Wrestling Championship three years in a row from 1996 to 1998. Going to join the United States Army in 1999, he also earned several more titles, such as the CISM Armed Forces Championships Senior Freestyle Gold Medalist. 

Joining the WWE in 2005, Lashley became an instant fan-favorite wrestler, notably securing the ECW World Championship twice. He also accrued multiple reigns as a title-holder of many different belts in the company, including the WWE Championship, WWE Intercontinental Championship, and the WWE United States Championship. 

In 2008, Lashley began to branch out into mixed martial arts, making his debut in the heavyweight division, training under accomplished fighter Josh Barnett. Over the course of the next year, he wound up winning four bouts in a row, taking down opponents like Jason Guida, brother of UFC veteran Clay Guida, and Bob Sapp. His greatest challenge came in 2010 in his first match in Strikeforce in a much-anticipated scrap with Ultimate Fighter alumni Wes Sims, who Lashley proceeded to knockout in the first round.

Ending his career in 2016 with an astounding professional record of 15-2, Lashley had easily recorded one of the greatest mixed martial arts tenures of any WWE athlete. Officially hanging up his gloves in 2022, “The Boss” continued to remain an active competitor in professional wrestling, where he currently resides on the AEW roster as of 2026.

1. Wrestling Stars Who Tried MMA: Brock Lesnar

Throughout practically his entire life, Brock Lesnar’s life has always seemed to revolve around wrestling. First beginning his time in the singlet during his high school days, where he would place third in his state as a senior, he then gained national prominence after a magnificent competitive tenure at the University of Minnesota. There, Lesnar netted several prestigious accomplishments such as becoming a two-time NCAA All-American, and a two-time Big Ten Conference Champion.

Joining the WWE in 2000, Lesnar went on to become one of the faces of the entire organization. With his signature aggressive persona and cartoonishly-muscular physique, the South Dakota native became a fixture of the main roster, notching wins over legends like The Rock and Hulk Hogan. He also became the youngest WWE champion at just 25-years old after trouncing the former at SummerSlam in 2003. 

In 2006, while still being active on the Japanese wrestling circuit after leaving the WWE, Lesnar stated his desire to compete in mixed martial arts. Starting his training with venerable Midwest coach Greg Nelson at the Minnesota-based gym Minnesota Martial Arts Academy, he eventually made his debut at Dynamite!! USA, decimating his adversary Min-Soo Kim in just over a minute. 

Entering the free agency pool soon after his first match, Lesnar was quickly picked up by the UFC in 2008. Beginning his journey with the promotion at UFC 81, the WWE icon suffered a swift first round submission loss to Frank Mir, almost immediately bringing the hype of his signing to a screeching halt.

Learning from his past mistakes, however, the defeat would kick off a run of domination for Lesnar, as he proceeded to win his next two bouts in a row, knocking out the veteran Randy Couture at UFC 91 to become the UFC heavyweight champion. Going on to defend the strap two times against Mir in a runback and undefeated phenom Shane Carwin, his legacy as one of the greatest fighters in the 265-lb division had been firmly secured. 

His time at the top wouldn’t be very long, as Lesnar ended up dropping his title in dramatic fashion following a one-sided blitzing from American Kickboxing Academy standout Cain Velasquez. A subsequent stoppage setback to previous K-1 titan Alistair Overeem ultimately saw him retire from fighting in 2011, opting instead to resign with the WWE in 2012. 

For the next four years, Lesnar remained out of the cage. However, he would make a brief return to the UFC in 2016 when he was selected to co-headline the blockbuster UFC 200 event. Squaring off with kickboxing steamroller Mark Hunt, the American bulldozed “The Super Samoan,” controlling him with his superior grappling to take home the decision.

What was meant to be a triumphant homecoming for Lesnar ended up being soured, though, after he tested positive for clomiphene, resulting in him being suspended. While he did try to build hype for a possible fight with heavyweight apex Daniel Cormier in 2018, Lesnar would never compete again, with him making his way back to the WWE, where he still wrestles to this day.