7 Wrestlers You Didn't Know Did MMA

6. Taka Michinoku

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxYDTZEdAIk The inaugural WWF Light Heavyweight champion Taka Michinoku is highly regarded in his home country of Japan. After an underwhelming five year run in the WWE, Michinoku has returned to Japan and led a fantastic career. But just before signing with the WWE, Taka Michinoku made a go of it at MMA, competing in the longstanding Pancrase promotion, which has been known to promote shoot fights, as well as worked-shoot fights. Michinoku participated in the former, taking on MMA journeyman Keiichiro Yamamiya, losing in under 8 minutes to a double wristlock. Michinoku would never fight again, but his opponent would go on to defeat the likes of Chael Sonnen, Nate Marquardt, Dennis Kang, Chris Lytle, Yuki Kondo, Ikushi Minowa, and others on his way to an 88-fight career in which still continues today, even at 41 years old. While Michinoku is remembered for his diminutive size, he was actually a middleweight by MMA standards.