A WWE Fan’s Hopes for the WWE – UFC Merger

Written By – WWE Guy

This year the combat sports world was turned upside down when Vince McMahon and Ari Emanuel announced that WWE and UFC were joining forces and merging to form a new publicly traded company, TKO Group Holdings ("TKO"). This new company, which Endeavor Group Holdings owns 51% and WWE shareholders own the other 49%, officially began trading on the New York Stock Exchange last month, and with that, two worlds became one. Perhaps great for business but what does this mean for the fans?

Not in all cases but, commonly, fans of the WWE do not care for the UFC (and vice-versa). I happen to fall into this camp. I love the WWE, always have and always will, but the UFC has never been my thing. However, I wonder if the merger will change this … I know that’s one of the many goals for the executives at TKO. That said, what would it take to get a guy like me interested in the UFC? Well, I have some thoughts …

Conor McGregor Showing up in WWE

Look, I’ll be honest, I don’t know much about Conor McGregor as a fighter. As previously mentioned, I just never cared for the UFC … but if he showed up in WWE … it could pique my interest. He’s got the personality and, eerily, the same Vince McMahon-esque power walk. Prior to the merger, WWE fans, myself included, were already wondering if and when Conor would make the transition from the octagon to the squared circle … but now it seems destined … so what could this look like?

Let’s say McGregor is promoting his next UFC fight … it now makes all of the sense in the world for him to make an appearance in WWE. When I say appearance, I don’t simply mean just grabbing the microphone to boast, but also actually getting in the ring for some crossover action. Maybe Conor shows up on Monday Night RAW and takes down someone like Chad Gable? This seems like a win-win for everyone. McGregor gets to promote his UFC match while building his WWE brand (and sure that means more money), and TKO starts planting seeds to get fans of both brands invested in the other. I certainly would be more inclined to follow McGregor on the UFC front if he showed up in WWE. By the way, the crossover concept isn’t new. While not exactly the same, we’ve seen this succeed before with Brock Lesnar and Ronda Rousey, and McGregor seems primed to be the next one.

UFC Utilizing WWE Talent on Their Shows

Now that the companies have merged, the pool of talent has increased enormously. I already wrote about wanting Conor McGregor to show up on WWE programming … but what about WWE Superstars showing up on UFC programming?

There are more than enough WWE Superstars who could be interested in getting into the octagon for a fight. You might be thinking … I know John Cena is ripped but can guys like him actually fight? While the wrestling is fake … the athleticism and prior fighting experience for some of the talent is very real. There have even been a number of WWE Superstars over the years who have made the jump to the MMA/UFC world, including Bobby Lashley, Shinsuke Nakamura, and Batista to name a few (along with the previously mentioned Brock Lesnar). That’s not even taking the account people who came to WWE after beginning their careers in MMA like Shayna Baszler, Ken Shamrock, and Dan Severn (along with the previously mentioned Ronda Rousey). So, it’s not inconceivable that these men and women could make the transition and do so with some WWE flair, which could be pleasantly surprising for existing UFC fans. As long as the fighting remains 100% legitimate, this could be a viable strategy to generate additional interest.

Fights Between UFC Commentators

One thing that has been a fun aspect of WWE’s product over the years is the commentators don’t always get along! Their characters clash and occasionally it can lead to matches – Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler for example, who fought each other at WrestleMania 27.

Now imagine that kind of tension made its way to the UFC commentary table – Joe Rogan and Jon Anik. Thinking out loud here but picture this…

• Anik jumping Rogan while he’s recording his podcast and have to be dragged out of the studio!

• Security having to stand in between these two when they interact during UFC shows because they can’t stand each other!

• After all of the buildup, these two men get in the ring (either in UFC or WWE) and duke it out!

I would love to see something like this … it can be a fun and seemingly easy way to build the drama. It’s also worth noting that Joe Rogan is one of the most influential members of the media world, so the more he can buy-in and build hype, the better.

Joint WWE – UFC Shows

If TKO wants to play to both fanbases and increase cross-conversion, then they should consider putting on tentpole shows, featuring both WWE matches and UFC fights. By combining the scripted and the unscripted into one show, fans would be exposed to both products. The writers and producers could schedule the show in such a way to optimize viewership. For example, if I’m tuning into a show to see my Tribal Chief Roman Reigns defend his Title, and, on that same show, Stipe Miocic happens to be fighting right before Roman’s match, I’ll gladly watch Stipe’s fight because I don’t want to miss a second of Reigns. Hell, I may even get invested in the fight! And isn’t that the goal?

Conclusion

This is just the start but there are endless possibilities. I have to imagine Vince McMahon and Ari Emanuel are spending time thinking about all of this (and I’m here to help … just kidding … but not really!) … there’s too much money at stake. I don’t think it will be easy, but I have faith that a room full of creative geniuses can figure it out! So, with that, I’ve got to say I’m wildly interested to see how the next few months play out and what heights both WWE and UFC can reach during this new endeavor (no pun intended).