10 MMA Fighters Who Became Pro Wrestlers
5. Tom Lawlor
Filthy Tom Lawlor is a modern-day renaissance man. A three-time collegiate wrestling champion before ever stepping foot in the cage, the American light heavyweight would rise to prominence after featuring on the eighth season of The Ultimate Fighter. Lawlor proved to be unmissable TV during his stint on the show, being both hilarious and irritating to his opposing team in equal measure despite losing to eventual winner Ryan Bader in the first round of the competition.
After dropping down to middleweight following the show's finale, Lawlor embarked on mixed successes in the UFC, earning some notable wins but never managing to climb the mountain towards a title shot, before being released by the company following a doping suspension in 2018.
Much like fellow list member Matt Riddle, Lawlor has proved that even fighters who aren't the biggest stars in the UFC can go on to find success in pro wrestling. Lawlor has become one of the flagship stars of Major League Wrestling and enjoyed a run as the promotion's heavyweight champion in 2019.