To continue the trend of professional wrestlers going to MMA, former WWE star Ryback may be next in line.
In August, WWE and Ryback officially announced that they parted ways. However, the two sides appeared to be done in May, when contract negotiations fell apart. The Big Guy has since been developing his own brand.
Well, it seems his next step may not be with wrestling, as Ryback told X1075 in Las Vegas that he’s “open” to doing MMA, and is talking with Bellator about joining them. The Into The Octagon Podcast tweeted this news out.
BREAKING: @Ryback22 in talks with @BellatorMMA, "open to the idea". Full interview heard on @X1075 Las Vegas.
— RBR Into The Octagon (@IntoTheOctagon) September 26, 2016
If this comes to fruition, Ryback would be joining a growing list of professional wrestlers who have transitioned to the octagon. The latest one had been his WWE rival in and out of the ring, CM Punk. The former Straight Edge Superstar made his MMA debut at UFC 203, but got soundly defeated by Mickey Gall. It’s unknown when his next fight in UFC will be, if ever.
Ironically, Ryback may be following a similar path as Punk, despite their dislike for each other. They both left WWE before their contracts expired, were involved with each other throughout 2012 and 2013, and ventured into MMA. That’s if the former Intercontinental Champion performs the latter.
Brock Lesnar returned to MMA two months before Punk’s debut. The Beast Incarnate competed at UFC 200 after a five-year hiatus, and defeated Mark Hunt in one of the night’s marquee fights. There isn’t word if or when he’ll compete for UFC again.
Other wrestlers who have tried MMA include Alberto Del Rio, Bobby Lashley, and Shinsuke Nakamura. Independent wrestling star, Matt Riddle is a former UFC fighter, too.
So, we’ll see if Ryback makes his way to Bellator MMA in the coming months. Do you think he could succeed inside the octagon, if given the chance?
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