Shawn Michaels Encounters UFC Legend Forrest Griffin Backstage At WWE NXT Battleground
WWE Hall of Famer met former UFC star Forrest Griffin backstage at "WWE NXT" Battleground, with the two legends of their respective sports complimenting each other.
This past Sunday's Battleground Premium Live Event took place at the UFC Apex arena, with it being the first time that a pro wrestling event was held in the venue. Backstage, Michaels — the creative head of "NXT" – was seen shaking Griffin's hand, congratulating him on his Hall of Fame career in the UFC. He also told the former UFC star that he "set the bar" inside the octagon.
.@ForrestGriffin 🤝 @ShawnMichaels
A meeting of two LEGENDS at the @UFC APEX for #NXTBattleground! pic.twitter.com/fPhTP9fIzD
— WWE (@WWE) June 10, 2024
After retiring from MMA, the former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion has been a part of the UFC Performance Institute. Griffin has previously appeared in a WWE ring when he chased Grayson Waller at a WWE live event in Las Vegas last December. The event at the Apex is the first collaboration between UFC and WWE since the two companies merged under the TKO banner. UFC President Dana White recently revealed that the two promotions work separately, but stated that a few members of his team have worked with WWE.
Sunday's Premium Live Event was headlined by Trick Williams and Ethan Page, where Williams retained his "NXT" Championship. The show also saw the crowning of a new "NXT" Women's North American Champion, as Kelani Jordan walked away with the newly-minted championship. Battleground also saw one pro wrestling-MMA crossover match, where Lola Vice and Shayna Baszler — both with experience in MMA — faced each other in an "NXT" Underground match, won by Vice.