While WWE and UFC may seem like entirely different entities, they may actually be a lot more similar than you might have thought. They aren't exactly twin brothers but they're not strangers, either, and there are plenty of reasons as to why this is the case.
Today, we're going to try and take a look at what can only be described as the strangest of relationships between these two companies that represent the pinnacle of professional wrestling and mixed martial arts - or, so they suggest.
P.S: yes, you can like both in equal measure, that's not exactly frowned up these days.
10 Vince & Dana
Vince McMahon runs the show for WWE and Dana White runs the show for the Ultimate Fighting Championship. That dynamic shouldn’t be all too difficult to understand, mainly because they’ve both been the faces of their respective companies for so many years now.
Their styles and methods have been compared quite a bit as the years have gone on, and rightly so. Neither is overwhelmingly popular in the modern day, even though fans are obviously grateful for the impact they’ve been able to have in the past and continue to have to this day.
9 All Of The Crossovers
Shayna Baszler, Ronda Rousey, Brock Lesnar, Cain Velasquez, CM Punk, Ken Shamrock – and the lists go on and on.
When there are so many examples of people taking part in pro wrestling and mixed martial arts, it’s sort of impossible to ignore it. There must be some level of crossover appeal to lure all of these people in, especially when you consider the fact they were all good at both.
Well, there’s an argument to be made for Punk, but at the very least there would’ve been potential if he was a few years younger.
8 Fans As Media Members
For some reason media members within WWE and the UFC fall into the same trap: they take on the role of becoming fans before remembering that their actual role is to be a media member.
We can understand the logic behind it because you’re meeting people that you’ve grown up loving and idolizing, but there comes a point where you need to put all of that to one side in order to construct and inevitably conduct a strong interview.
Otherwise, it all just comes across as being a little bit unethical.
7 Diehard Fans
There are so many diehard fans of these two companies that it is legitimately too hard to keep track. They’re passionate, they’re loud, and most of the time they aren’t actually all too pleasant to deal with on social media.
We understand their passion for the product, but taking a step back for a minute and trying to have a moment of self-reflection would probably do them the world of good.
WWE fans are probably worse than UFC fans if we’re splitting hairs between the two, but it’s incredibly close either way.
6 Larger Than Life Events
The UFC has the ability to put on two consecutive pay per view events that are awe-inspiring for two completely different reasons: UFC 243 because over 57,000 people were in attendance, and UFC 244 because it was held at the World’s Most Famous Arena aka Madison Square Garden.
WWE, on the other hand, has WrestleMania. It’s well known for being the showcase of the immortals and boy oh boy does it live up to that in terms of the spectacle. Both like to add as much drama as they possibly can to proceedings, and they tend to succeed.
5 Both Very Physical
You may not think it, but there is indeed a physical element to both of these practices. MMA is obviously very tasking on the body as a direct result of being hit, kicked and wrestled to the ground, so that much is clear.
Pro wrestling, however, involves a whole lot of bumping and a whole lot of trials and tribulations. The pain that they endure purely from bumps is enough to make anyone feel sore, and we dare any critics to give it a go – because it’s not as easy as it looks.
4 They Can Help Each Other
The UFC can teach WWE how to make matches feel more like a sporting event as opposed to a scripted piece of theatre, whereas WWE can teach UFC how to make the most of their entrances and really make their characters feel unique.
If they were ever able to work together in those two departments then we’re pretty sure it would make them both a whole lot more money. More so for the UFC, as we all know what great characters can do for business (we’re talking to you, Mr. McGregor).
3 Both Very Successful
The UFC was sold for over $4 billion a few years back and if we were going to estimate how much WWE would sell for, we’re going to go ahead and assume it would be for much, much higher than that.
There’s something to be said for how well they’ve both done to create such a dynamic and diverse product, to the point where they’ve been able to sell for such a large amount of money. Within their own fields, nobody else has come close to matching them, which is a testament to their success.
2 Issues With Pay
Some UFC fighters on the prelims will make around $15,000, and when you gradually make your way up the card, it soon becomes clear that there are many fighters who should probably be paid a whole lot more than they actually are.
The same is evidently true for WWE who allow their performers to go by the name of independent contractors, and also seem to dramatically underpay the guys and girls when it comes to what they should actually be earning. Something needs to change because it’s rapidly becoming a toxic culture.
1 Attempting To Regain Momentum
WWE’s prime came during the Attitude Era, and the Ultimate Fighting Championship enjoyed their major boom period during the mid-noughties – and then briefly again in 2016 when Conor McGregor was at the pinnacle of his powers and UFC 200 went down.
Now, though, they’re both taking steps towards trying to regain their momentum. They’re still successful based on what they’re doing on a week to week basis, but there’s always more you can do. There’s a reason why they both have a few million fans less than they did just a matter of years ago.