8 MMA Fighters Who Failed In Pro Wrestling
1. Cain Velasquez
While it may be a little premature to label Cain Velasquez's brief foray into professional wrestling a failure, few would've expected the former UFC Heavyweight Champion's run in the WWE to be over after just one competitive TV outing.
After all, Velasquez is still considered one of the greatest heavyweights in the history of MMA, having pummeled Brock Lesnar to capture the UFC belt, and defended it against some of the biggest names in the sport before injuries curtailed his career.
Rather surprisingly for someone who was struggling to compete biyearly in MMA due to an accumulation of injuries, in 2018 Cain announced he would be making the switch to pro wrestling, and signed with Mexican promotion AAA the following year.
Despite still carrying the injuries that plagued his MMA career, Velasquez looked every bit the pro wrestling prospect when he made his debut as a luchador, demonstrating the athleticism that had made him an unstoppable force in the Octagon.
Velasquez would go on to sign a bumper contract with the WWE, though he would be jobbed out in one-sided fashion to old-foe Lesnar in his only TV appearance, before being released earlier this week.