When ESPN’s Marc Raimondi talked to a number of UFC fighters about the crossover possibilities that could potentially multiple now that Endeavor is going to merge UFC and WWE into a single company, the reactions ranged from excitement to skepticism. Anyone who’s followed the career of UFC Middleweight Champion Israel Adesanya knows that he falls in the former group.
Adesanya has made no secret of his love of professional wrestling, which has spilled over into some of his trips to the Octagon over the years. The most memorable time came during his walk to the cage at UFC 276, when he went full-on Undertaker, complete with wide-brimmed hat and an urn with opponent Jared Cannonier’s name on it.
(In case you’re wondering, The Dead Man gave Adesanya his seal of approval on social media that night.)
Last summer, Adesanya said WWE was something he wanted to “try my hand at later on.” His manager, Tim Simpson, told Raimondi that Izzy’s stance hasn’t changed in that regard, it just won’t be any time soon because he’s so locked in on MMA.
“It’s on his bucket list, for sure,” Simpson said to ESPN. “He wants to [do a match]. He’s been very disciplined. We’ve had acting opportunities turned down. He’s been very disciplined about being an athlete. Because he knows that’s all in his future. So, I can’t see him doing it while he’s still competing. But in the future? Definitely bucket list.”
While the time it takes MMA fighters to feel comfortable in a pro wrestling ring certainly varies, Adesanya wouldn’t figure to need much help with the entertainment aspect of the business. A natural showman and gifted trash talker, cutting promos and promoting angles would probably come easy to him.
It’s possible that some dabbling in WWE could have been on the horizon had he lost at UFC 287 but considering he’s wearing gold again after his vicious KO of rival Alex Pereira, his MMA career is back on track. Even if it takes a few years, though, the guess is that Adesanya will have a lot of fun checking pro wrestling off his bucket list, and fans of both MMA and pro wrestling will enjoy it too.