10 WWE Superstars Who Competed in MMA

Several former WWE wrestlers have found themselves in a competitive ring or cage fighting and mixed martial arts bouts. Some started out as MMA fighters, while other transitioned from wrestling like Bautista. Here are 10 WWE Superstars who competed in MMA.

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Batista

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WWE superstar, Batista squared off with the ultra-tubby Vince Lucero in his first ever pro-MMA fight. It was ugly, but Bautista earned the technical knockout in a sloppy and embarrassing showing.

Sean O'Haire

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Sean Haire, or Sean O'Haire as he was known as in the pro wrestling world, was a decent MMA fighter in his time. Haire stepped in the ring and cage with notable names such as Shungo Oyama, Min-soo Kim and Eric Esch (aka Butterbean). The striker owned three knockout wins and a guillotine submission victory. 

Nathan Jones

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Nathan Jones was a horrible wrestler, and unfortunately, he was not an accomplished mixed martial artist either. A guy who was awkward and green in the ring, Jones called it quits in MMA after a 0-1 career. That loss was a keylock submission defeat to Koji Kitao, who was a sumo wrestler.

Giant Silva

Paulo Cesar Silva, aka Giant Silva, is best remembered in the WWE world as a member of the Oddities in the late '90s. He did not make much impact in the WWE, nor did he in the MMA world. Silva was well under .500 with both wins coming over sumo wrestlers Akebono Taro and Henry Miller by kimura. His biggest loss came to a man who was 200 pounds lighter than him, when he was knocked out by Ikuhisa Minowa.

Dan Severn

As the most experienced MMA fighter who was a WWE Superstar, Dan "The Beast" Severn spent more time as a fighter than an entertainer. Severn was part of the WWE for a short time, but was also in the NWA and other organizations longer. He is a UFC Hall of Famer with well over 100 fights to his name.

Alberto Del Rio

Believe it or not, Alberto "Dos Caras" Rodriguez, aka Alberto Del Rio, was a pretty good amateur wrestler and mixed martial artist. A veteran of the Pride and Deep promotions, Del Rio stepped in the squared circle against the likes of Mirko Cro Cop, Kazuhiro Nakamura and Brad Kohler.

Ken Shamrock

UFC Hall of Famer Ken Shamrock was successful as a fighter and wrestler. His list of accolades speaks for itself. Shamrock took to WWE in the prime of his fighting career, which may have hurt him as a fighter. Either way, he owns victories over Dan Severn, Bas Rutten and Masakatsu Funaki.

Bart Gunn

Bart Gunn, known by his real name Mike Plotcheck, was the winner of the Brawl for All tournament in the WWE, which was a shoot tournament that had WWE wrestlers fight. After the WWE, Plotcheck had a brief MMA career. He won by TKO over Wesley Correira in his debut, before losing a decision to Ikuhisa Minowa. 

Bobby Lashley

As a talented amateur wrestler, Bobby Lashley took to MMA after gaining a solid push from both the WWE and TNA. Lashley lived up to his "Dominator" nickname in his first five fights, destroying the likes of Jason Guida, Bob Sapp and Wes Sims. He faltered in two fights, due to a lack of gas tank, but he has shown to be a tough out for anyone.

Brock Lesnar

Brock Lesnar was an amazing amateur wrestler who transitioned to MMA very well. The former WWE champion had a run as the UFC champion, earning the title just four fights into his career. He defended the title twice, but diverticulitis likely ended what could have been a long, illustrious career.

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