Though pro-wrestling and MMA are separate entities, that fact hasn’t stopped some of the biggest names making the switch.
CM Punk will become the latest athlete to cross the border when he takes on Mickey Gall at UFC 203 this weekend.
Here, we look at six other men to have competed across MMA promotions and in the WWE.
Which do you think made the greatest impact in both sports and how do you think Punk will fare in the UFC?
Have your say by commenting below, using #360fans on Twitter or getting in touch via Facebook.
KEN SHAMROCK
‘The World’s Most Dangerous Man’ was the first to etch his name across both sides of the divide. He joined the WWE in 1997 and would go on to referee the famous Bret Hart vs Steve Austin match at Wrestlemania 13 before challenging for the belt. Of course, in MMA he’s one of the pioneers of the sport and is a UFC Hall of Famer. Shamrock took part in the inaugural UFC event – UFC 1 – and went on to form some of the greatest rivalries the company has seen against Royce Gracie, Dan Severn and Tito Ortiz. In the WWF, Shamrock claimed the Intercontinental and Tag-Team titles.
BROCK LESNAR
His MMA legacy is somewhat tainted after two failed doping tests, but few can deny the ‘Beast Incarnate’ has found most success in switching promotions. At 25, he was the youngest WWE champion in history and when he made the shock switch, went on to join an elite list of UFC champions to defend the heavyweight championship twice. He is currently a part-time member of the WWE locker room, where he has won four World Championships, the 2002 King of the Ring, 2003 Royal Rumble and last year became the only man to beat The Undertaker at WrestleMania.
ALBERTO DEL RIO
Del Rio actually spent nearly a decade in MMA before entering the pro-wrestling circuit. Success did not come easy for Del Rio MMA but he did find it in the WWE. He won the latter’s World Heavyweight, WWE and United States titles twice apiece, while also winning the 2011 Money in the Bank and Royal Rumble matches. Del Rio may not have found championship glory in MMA but did finish with a 9-5 record and competed in the feverishly popular promotion Pride, where he suffered defeat to the legendary Mirko Filipovic. A spat with the WWE recently saw him leave the company.
DAVE BAUTISTA
Now the star of Hollywood blockbusters, Batista was one of the most over wrestlers in the WWE from the moment he showed up in 2002. He went on to headline numerous WrestleManias and picked up the World Heavyweight championship (four times), WWE (two) and tag-team (four) titles as well as winning the Royal Rumble during his time with the WWE. After leving the company in 2010, it took two years for Batista to show up in his one and only MMA encounter. He signed up with Strikeforce where he was due to take on Rashid Evans but ended up fighting 40-fight veteran Vince Lucero. Batista won the bout by TKO at 4:05 in the first round.
BOBBY LASHLEY
Franklin Robert “Bobby” Lashley cuts an impressive figure and it is little surprise that he crossed the divide. After joining the WWE in 2005, he initially showed immense promise and bludgeoned his way to the United States title in next to no time. Lashley would eventually claim the ECW World Championship twice before leaving the company before entering the world of MMA. He fought in a number of MMA promotions, including Strikeforce, Bellator, Titan Fighting Championship and Shark Fights. He ended up with a record of 14 wins from 16 fights and claimed the Shark Fights and XFN heavyweight titles during his foray. Lashley is now back in wrestling as the dominant force in TNA.
BART GUNN
As one-half of the Smoking Gunns, alongside kayfabe brother Billy Gunn, Mike Polchlopek won two tag-team titles in the WWE as Bart Gunn. But it was in the now much derided Brawl for All that Gunn saw his greatest success in the company and led to his MMA career. He won that one and only Brawl for All tournament, a victory that saw him take on Eric “Butterbean” Esch at WrestleMania XV. Unfortunately for Polchlopek, he was knocked out in 35 seconds and released by the WWE shortly afterwards. His MMA career was equally short-lived, culminating in two fights in 2006; a win over Wesley Correira in ROTR Beatdown 1 and a decision loss Ikuhisa Minowa at Pride – Bushido 13.
