Dwayne Johnson is one in a million stars who made it big both in Hollywood as well as professional wrestling. He has made a place in his fans’ hearts worldwide. Not just this but when it comes to wrestling, ‘The Rock’ was a big part of the attitude era during the late 1990s and early 2000s. However, very few people know that he once considered trying his skills in MMA but that didn’t materialize as planned.
The recent episode of The Joe Rogan Experience #2063 podcast featured Dwayne Johnson. During the podcast, ‘The Rock’ opened up about his career and how he once thought of leaving WWE and joining Pride MMA. He said,
“I start talking to Ken Shamrock, who was wrestling with us. I run into Mark Kerr, and I start talking to him. He tells me a little bit about Pride, and I have this idea in my head – well, maybe I should train for MMA and go to Pride, make real money.”
He went on to explain that Pride MMA was paying more as compared to what he was earning with WWE. This made him consider the transition from WWE to MMA.
It is important to note that even if Dwayne Johnson had shifted to MMA, he would have excelled in the sport. This is because he was known for his extraordinary Greek God physique and athleticism. However, Johnson further revealed that he was stopped by Vince McMahon from leaving WWE and joining Pride MMA. He expressed that McMahon wanted to bring him back and see how things could work out.
Why didn’t Dwayne Johnson join MMA?
The thought of switching his career to MMA and trying new waters is not new for ‘The Brahma Bull’. Johnson has had such thoughts even before and has been vocal about it even in the past.
‘The Rock’ once replied to a tweet by Sports Center and expressed that he considered joining the UFC. However, he later realised that it isn’t his cup of tea as he hates getting punched in the face. He said,
“Fun for journalist to dream up the scenarios if I had competed in @ufc (there was a point in 1997 where I considered going to Japan to train to begin an MMA career when my wrestling career was failing miserably). Realized quick I actually hate being punched in the kisser.”
He went on to express that even after considering his options he didn’t make a transition. According to him, he soon realised what a combat fighter has to go through in a larger picture.
Even though the star didn’t join the UFC, he still contributes to the sport by all means. He does help various struggling athletes financially, like recently he helped the UFC fighter Themba Gorimbo. With this it is safe to say that Dwayne Johnson is a big fan of UFC and MMA.
