MMA – The Dangerous Liaisons Between WWE And The UFC

These are two sports activities and two federations which might be opposed to one another. Yet wrestling and WWE have performed a significant position within the improvement of the UFC and the emergence of its stars. Explanations.

Between WWE and the UFC, the connection has by no means been good. Some athletes like Brock Lesnar and Ronda Rousey have had success on each side. But a number of fighters UFC and Dana white himself ,, didn’t hesitate to publicly criticize the faux aspect of the largest wrestling federation on the earth. Which in flip earned them some insults and provocations from the WWE Superstars. Yet with out WWE and the gimmicks of its wrestlers, the UFC and a few of its stars may not be the place it’s at the moment. Here is an inventory of UFC fighters who’ve drawn inspiration from WWE all through their careers.

Conor McGregor and the Billion Dollar Walk

Everyone is aware of the well-known gait, shoulders and arms ahead, which Conor McGregor earlier than getting into the octagon. This strategy will not be, nonetheless, unique. Those who spent their Thursday evenings in entrance of RTL 9, then NT1, observed that Vince mcmahon, president of WWE, was already strolling like this even earlier than the Irishman signed to the UFC. But the WWE President wasn’t McGregor’s solely catchesque inspiration.

“The Nature Boy” Conor McGregor

Although fairly often virulent in public with WWE, Conor McGregor didn’t hesitate to attract from her to construct her legend. And it is not nearly Vince McMahon’s strategy. We comprehend it, Notorious is a flamboyant character. Who speaks loudly and badly in entrance of the cameras and who phases his jet journeys, events stuffed with lovely ladies, massive automobiles and costly garments. Doesn’t that remind you of something?

Long earlier than the arrival of Instagram, the wrestling legend The Nature Boy Ric Flair had the same character. The self-proclaimed Limousine Ridin, Jet Flyin, Kiss stealin, Wheelin dealin, Son Of A Gun, made this excessive-profile, smug and seductive character fashionable in the course of the 80s and 90s on the wrestling rings. The robust bond between the 2 characters was additionally talked about by Flair in 2016. In response to a pique from McGregor in the direction of WWE, The Nature Boy tweeted this:

Coming from a man who constructed a profession copying my persona, I anticipated the kind of class we get from Ronda or Anderson. pic.twitter.com/iVoC0Xva5g

– Ric Flair® (@RicFlairNatrBoy) August 7, 2016

---

Coming from a man who constructed his profession by copying my character… I might have appreciated to have had the sort of class we had from Ronda (Rousey) and Anderson (Silva).

---

Colby Covington’s Heel Turn

WWE and wrestling generally work with two varieties of characters: Faces, who’re the great guys, and who behave in a approach that places the general public within the pocket. And the Heels, the unhealthy guys who cheat throughout fights and insult the viewers microphone in hand. Like what WCW did with Hulk hogan in 1996, it’s not unusual for a great man to show unhealthy to breathe new life into his profession. And this frequent wrestling situation will encourage Colby Covington.

We are in 2017. Covington makes the final battle of his UFC contract in Sao Paulo in opposition to the Brazilian Demian Maia. Even although he was effectively positioned within the welterweight standings, Covington was undecided he can be prolonged by the federation. So to relaunch his profession, Chaos will behave badly. And it began in his put up-match interview, after his victory over Demian Maia.

I ought to have knocked him out… Brazil is a rubbish can. All the filthy animals right here worry! I simply have one factor to say now. Tyron Woodley (Editor’s notice: Welterweight champion on the time), I’m coming for you and should you do not open the door for me, I’m going to smash it to take what’s mine, the Welterweight title!

This controversial outing went very badly in Brazil. But by the admission of Chaos, she has “Saved his career”. Since, Covington was prolonged by the UFC. And he adopted a pro-Trump character. He walks all over the place with a cap “Make America Great Again”, and he grew to become near Donald Trump’s sons. Covington even visited the now ex-president of the United States within the White House, with the interim title of UFC Welterweight Champion. Covington has pushed his vice to take very proper-wing positions politically. He criticized the Black Lives Matter motion and LeBron James’ societal positions. We find it irresistible or hate it, however we discuss it. Colby Covington is among the greatest-identified fighters within the UFC at the moment.

Colby Covington’s entry music.

It’s not simply character adjustments that encourage Covington in wrestling. The Republican fighter enters the octagon utilizing the identical music as Kurt Angle. Olympic champion in freestyle wrestling in 1996, the native of Pittsburgh then branched out into wrestling by becoming a member of WWE in 98. And his profession was topped with success there since he gained all of the titles doable. Without contest, Kurt Angle was one of many biggest wrestlers of the 90-2000 many years.

Besides his unimaginable in-ring expertise and hilarious promos, the legend of Angle was additionally written by his entry music. Every time he heard it, the viewers resumed the air of the tune by singing “You Suck” ! And that is in all probability what impressed Colby Covington. As if to incite the UFC viewers to insult him, Covington makes use of the identical music as Angle. And in fact, again within the days when audiences have been allowed in theaters, it was efficient.

In brief…

Despite some fleeting provocations, the UFC and WWE are much more complementary than you would possibly assume. To open up past fanatics, fight sports activities federations should add a dose of spectacle. And what higher approach to do this than to be impressed by the reference within the area, wrestling?

Idriss Ahamada