While some former UFC stars have also achieved great things in professional wrestling, this crossover hasn’t always produced amazing results.
By the time that he arrived in the UFC after already becoming a big star in WWE, Brock Lesnar had cemented himself as a major draw.
Lesnar had true crossover appeal and there have been several other notable names who have tried to capitalize on similar circumstances.
Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson tested the waters in several other fields while continuing to be one of the most iconic figures in the sport.
While Jackson’s move towards the big screen didn’t sit well with Dana White, after his initial run in the UFC came to an end, he stepped into pro wrestling where a long-time rival followed shortly behind him.
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Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson and Tito Ortiz became a part of TNA ahead of their Bellator fight
In 2013, Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson signed a multi-year deal to compete in Bellator but the contract didn’t just end with MMA.
The former UFC champion also appeared in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, or TNA, where he aligned himself with stars like Kurt Angle and Sting as part of the ‘Main Event Mafia’.
There were several teases during Jackson’s short time in the promotion which warned TNA stars about August 1 before on this day in 2013, everything was revealed in fairly underwhelming fashion.
The reveal ended up being Tito Ortiz but the surprise wasn’t carried out all that well, with ‘The Huntington Beach Bad Boy’ awkwardly standing and staring at the stars in the ring via the entrance ramp for far too long.
Not only were professional wrestling fans not all that excited about throwing Ortiz into the mix, the writing was on the wall that both men were there to promote Bellator.
Both Jackson and Ortiz were pulled from TNA programming by Bellator several weeks later.
The Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson and Tito Ortiz TNA storyline had one major flaw the entire time
After Tito Ortiz appeared to align himself with the ‘Main Event Mafia’, this eventually led to TNA’s big ‘Hardcore Justice’ event on August 15 where Ortiz turned on the group by attacking ‘Rampage’ Jackson to give the rival faction the win.
At the time, the former training partners had already been announced to be main eventing Bellator 106 on November 2, which meant that every fan saw it coming that Ortiz would make the turn rather than teaming with his upcoming opponent.
The two former UFC champions somehow never met inside the Octagon and after their Bellator showdown was cancelled due to an injury to Ortiz, their paths never crossed again.