WWE Star Recalls Previous Interest In UFC Run

WWE/UFC

A WWE star has reflected on his past interest in pursuing a career in the UFC prior to his tryout with the company.

Speaking to Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful, Baron Corbin revealed that after his career in the NFL ended in 2011 he contemplated competing on UFC’s reality series The Ultimate Fighter.

However, Corbin’s existing fandom for the WWE as well as a connection to the company led to the former Golden Gloves boxer down the Sports Entertainment path.

Corbin explained:

“I know that in the early stages of Ultimate Fighter, I was looking at going and being on the one with Rashad Evans and all those guys, but I had a football scholarship, and I was going to college, so I couldn’t do that.

“When I was done playing football, I was asked at a table, I was sitting there with a guy who was a manager of a rock and roll band. He’s like, ‘What do you want to do if you’re done playing football?’

“I was like, ‘Man, I think I am done. My passion is not there for it.’ He’s like, ‘Do you want to do UFC?’

“I said, ‘I either want to do UFC or WWE. So I’ve always been a massive WWE fan.’ He’s like, ‘I have a connection with WWE.

“It’s Neil, the music guy. Let me put a call into him, go see if you’d like it.’ Because that was the thing, it was like, I’m either gonna try to fight in the octagon, or I’m gonna go to WWE, and I had the opportunity for WWE first, and then that’s where they’re at.”

Despite his success in WWE, Corbin revealed that he does still get an itch to fight.

Hinting at a crossover fight with Jake Paul, Corbin continued:

“I still get that itch, though. I still am like, man, ‘Should I go try to do like a new NAGA Ju-Jitsu Tournament?

“Should I try to fight in the Golden Gloves again, or should I try to fight Jake Paul? It’s one of those things.”

The WWE and UFC brands are now under the same umbrella following the official closure of the TKO merger on September 12.

UFC President Dana White recently addressed the chances of ‘crossover’ between WWE and UFC now that they are connected through TKO, which you can read about right here.

Transcript courtesy of Fightful

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• baron corbin
• ufc
• wwe

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