The connection between MMA and professional wrestling goes back decades, long before WWE and UFC officially merged under the TKO banner in 2023.
When Dana White appeared on the big screens at Allegiant Stadium during last year’s WrestleMania, the reaction from the crowd wasn’t exactly warm.
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This year, WrestleMania is back in Vegas at the same venue, where Brock Lesnar is also set to make his return to action.
But Lesnar won’t be the only ex-UFC champion stepping into a WWE ring over the weekend.
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Josh Barnett Set to Face Yuji Nagata at GCW Bloodsport During WrestleMania Weekend
Las Vegas will be buzzing with wrestling events around WrestleMania, giving fans plenty of shows to choose from outside the main event.
One of those is the latest edition of Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport, which takes place on April 17 at the Horseshoe, with the former UFC heavyweight champion headlining the event.
Dana White once wondered what Barnett might have accomplished if his title run hadn’t ended so soon after his win over Randy Couture at UFC 36.
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Barnett will be stepping back into the ring for the first time since facing Fedor Emelianenko in London last September, this time against Japanese legend Yuji Nagata.
Also on tap is a match between former UFC and WWE star Shayna Baszler and current WWE roster member Nattie Neidhart.
The card includes other well-known names from both WWE and technical wrestling. Pete Dunne, Timothy Thatcher, Charlie Dempsey, and Zack Sabre Jr. are all set to appear. Over the years, Bloodsport has featured several fighters with MMA backgrounds, such as Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson, Matt Riddle, and Frank Mir.
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