Over the weekend, news broke of an impending acquisition of WWE to the parent company of UFC, with the combination of the mixed martial arts giant and pro wrestling company being confirmed on Monday. Understandably, fans of both entities and those involved with UFC betting are asking what the implications of this massive move will be. Here, we take a closer look at what this could mean for both UFC and WWE going forward.
Unlikely to impact UFC much
Right off the rip, it is important to note that the operation of UFC itself isn’t likely to change, at least in terms of what fight fans see on their televisions. We aren’t going to start getting WWE superstars into the octagon, as the attempts by former pro wrestler CM Punk showed us that a wrestler can’t just walk into the octagon and compete with actual mixed martial artists.
WWE is also not likely to get its talent into the real fighting business ever again, after they tried their own ill-fated legitimate fighting feature, the Brawl For All. That experiment went so poorly that Vice’s Dark Side of the Ring did an episode on all of the careers that it wrecked.
Could we one day get another fight from a current WWE competitor that has a history with UFC, like Brock Lesnar or Ronda Rousey? It can’t be ruled out, but it is unlikely, as both are well past their respective primes. Instead, the only changes that we should see on the UFC side are behind the scenes, though those might not be huge either.
Will UFC Fighters join WWE?
Where we might really see an impact from the consumer-facing side of these businesses is the potential for UFC fighters to show up on WWE programming. Odds are already out on which UFC fighter will be the first to join WWE. Those odds are as follows, with odds out on several other fighters not listed here.
| Fighter | Odds |
| Derrick Lewis | +400 |
| Tai Tuivasa | +500 |
| Molly McCann | +600 |
| Paddy Pimblett | +700 |
| Conor McGregor | +900 |
| Kamaru Usman | +1000 |
| Dustin Poirier | +1000 |
| Khamzat Chimaev | +1400 |
| Amanda Nunes | +1400 |
| Jon Jones | +2000 |
Now, it should be noted that some of these names would make for awful television. Molly McCann and Paddy Pimblett would be especially rough watches in WWE, as their heavy British accent and lack of legitimate fight credentials would combine for a less than stellar viewing experience. But some of these names would be plenty of fun, even if they do not seem all that realistic.
For UFC fighters to get involved with WWE, one would think that they would no longer be active in the octagon, as fluke injuries in wrestling are a possibility. But someone like Conor McGregor, who is at or near the end of their fight career, could be great in the squared circle even if it is an unlikely outcome.
Will UFC and WWE run an event together?
Another interesting question stemming from this merger of entertainment giants is whether they will run a co-branded event together. Betting odds are available for this as well, as bettors can wager on whether these two brands will run an event at the same venue over a one or two-day period with both promotions performing.
Yes: -140
No: EVEN
This is incredibly plausible, as both companies can run their own shows on back to back days, setting up their own rings for each of those days. The question would be whether UFC and WWE could have big enough shows in such a tight time frame to justify putting such a show together.
Other potential implications
There are some other questions stemming from this move for both sides in the future. Those questions include whether Dana White will get involved with WWE programming in any way, whether Vince McMahon will be back in a prominent role with WWE after his scandals, and whether Dana White’s slap fighting league will somehow weasel its way into this.
The answers to all of those questions will be coming soon enough, but one thing will be for certain regardless of what those answers are. No matter what happens with UFC and WWE in the near future, it will all be interesting to keep an eye on, and it will often be entertaining.
Disclaimer: Wagering on the outcomes presented in this article is not currently legalized in the U.S. Odds listed are for illustrative purposes only, and are gathered from overseas operators, where betting on such props is legal and regulated.
