Dana White Discusses Possibility Of UFC Fighters Wrestling In WWE

Dana White has said he is open to UFC fighters crossing over to WWE following last year's merger into TKO. UFC and WWE were brought under the same umbrella when Endeavor closed its acquisition of the latter from Vince McMahon and co., structuring them as two branches of the same tree under TKO Group Holdings. Derrick Lewis scored an emphatic TKO victory over Rodrigo Nascimento at this weekend's UFC event, and as someone who has been tipped to make the transition to WWE, the question was put to Dana White in the post-event press conference about whether he would facilitate such a move. 

"I would do anything for Derrick Lewis," he said. "I really like Derrick Lewis. Listen, some of the fighters who fight here have always dreamed about doing a WWE match, or whatever it is, and I don't have a problem with that. I didn't have a problem with that when Vince [McMahon] was consistently f***ing me for no reason. And now that's not the case anymore. I, obviously, would absolutely do it."

White was asked if he would be interested in being a special guest referee in WWE, but he poured cold water on that sentiment. There have been a number of WWE stars to make the transition to MMA and vice versa over the years. Notably, Brock Lesnar is only name to fight for UFC while still actively with WWE, when he fought Mark Hunt at UFC 200 in 2016. Matt Riddle and Tom Lawlor have made their way into professional wrestling after leaving UFC, while current WWE star CM Punk had an infamously short stint after departing WWE in 2014.