Considering the fact that professional wrestling is predetermined, while MMA is pure competition, it's surprising how many people overlap between the two. While many professional wrestlers come from combat backgrounds, it's strange to think of them going from the scripted, yet still dangerous, the world of Professional wrestling to stepping into an Octagon with highly trained fighters. Many wrestlers have competed for various MMA companies, like UFC and Bellator, both during and after working as professional wrestlers with various levels of success.
On the one hand, wrestlers like Brock Lesnar were able to cross over to the UFC and became huge stars for the promotion. Other professional wrestlers like Jake Hager, Shinsuke Nakamura, and Bobby Lashley also have winning records in MMA. However, not everyone that crosses over from professional wrestling to MMA experiences success. While most fans will remember CM Punk's unfortunate spell in UFC, Alberto Del Rio also has a mixed MMA record, including a loss to Tito Ortiz in the first round in their 2019 encounter.