The fruits of the merger between the UFC and WWE are already starting to become apparent. During Monday Night Raw, the company’s biggest weekly show, lightweight contender Michael Chandler made a surprise appearance and, in true professional wrestling style, took the microphone to publicly challenge Conor McGregor.

This was a move that no one saw coming, and if McGregor accepts the challenge, then we might see the biggest name in MMA appear on the biggest wrestling promotion in the world. But could the reason behind it all be WWE’s decision to cancel the Rock vs. Roman Reigns fight? Let’s dive in a bit, shall we?

WWE boosting WrestleMania ticket sales

For months, there has been a lot of talk about the possibility of Michael Chandler and Conor McGregor facing off. It all started when they were both trainers on the final season of The Ultimate Fighter, and it looked like they were going to fight at the end of 2023, but it wasn’t to be. There was also the option of them facing each other at UFC 300 or sometime throughout 2024, but there are still questions about that. But now that Chandler has challenged the Notorious, it sure has created a lot of buzz, and if McGregor arrives at WrestleMania, then it surely would be a major boost for ticket sales.

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And that is exactly what the WWE is probably aiming for. Their decision to accept Cody Rhodes as the challenger for Roman Reigns at the Showcase of the Immortals was surely the right move considering the public backlash following the Rock’s announcement as the challenger instead of Rhodes. But in hindsight, in terms of ticket sales, the battle between the cousins surely would’ve been the bigger draw.

And a change in the plans isn’t possible now since, in the latest edition of SmackDown, Roman Reigns made his appearance with the Bloodline and introduced The Rock as its newest member. Thus finally turning the People’s Champ heel. The Rock blamed the WWE Universe for ruining his match against Roman Reigns at WrestleMania and assured that Cody Rhodes would surely lose another title fight.

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This appearance of a UFC fighter is the product of the merger with WWE to form TKO, and, in addition, thanks to this agreement, both companies have celebrated UFC 298 and RAW at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. And possibly looking forward to boosting the hype around the main event.

And if there is the right time to pull off such a move, it is now. Because the merger between the two brands involves the sharing of talent, Cain Velasquez, Floyd Mayweather, Shaquille O’Neal, and Donald Trump himself have all been non-wrestling characters who have appeared in WWE to be involved in rivalries. In turn, several Endeavor superstars have appeared on UFC shows, such as CM Punk and Liv Morgan. Although Michael Chandler did not specify what the possible confrontation would be, WrestleMania seems like the most likely event now. What do you think? Will we get to see the two UFC stars at the grandest stage of them all? Let us know in the comments!

“Fight at Mania”: Conor McGregor & Michael Chandler Encouraged by Fans to Battle at WrestleMania After WWE Raw 2/19 Appearance