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Since the huge merger between the Ultimate Fighting Championship and World Wrestling Entertainment in 2023, fans of combat sports were left wondering just how things might look when the newly combined company, TKO, decides to put its own stamp on the UFC. With the UFC’s president, Dana White, now its chief executive, and the company still reeling from the Vince McMahon scandals, UFC fans are wondering what the future might hold for their sport.
Make no mistake about it: as WWE fans have witnessed over the years, McMahon’s showman legacy is still all over the brand and those involved are capable of enhancing any event. Fans will still be able to witness brutal fights in the Octagon, but some of the biggest bouts to come, such as Jon Jones against Stipe Miocic, will perhaps include some features that WWE fans are familiar with. Sure, fans will still have explosive press conferences, UFC Embedded YouTube series to watch, and they can back their favorite fighters for the win when assessing UFC odds, but there could be even more to come with World Wrestling Entertainment now involved in proceedings.
Will fighter pay increase?
WWE stars are paid handsomely, but many UFC experts and fans feel that fighters don’t get enough of a financial reward. When the newly combined company, TKO, was formed, many UFC fighters took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to ask what this meant for their pay. So far, fighter pay has stayed the same in the UFC, although the WWE could look to change that in the future and offer the type of money that their wrestlers tend to receive. It’s certainly one to keep tabs on.
The event production could change
While the UFC has hosted some magnificent events over the years, they don’t come close to some of the WWE’s biggest shows. As we’ve already seen with some of the biggest events of the year so far, the UFC could look to match massive global occasions like WrestleMania. WrestleMania has had some mightily impressive features over the years, be it a huge entrance ramp leading to the ring or some spectacular lighting. If the UFC is to grow further, we could see something similar come to fruition in the near future.
Entrances could be epic
Another inclusion that could really enhance some of the biggest events on the UFC calendar would be fighter entrances. In the WWE, we’ve seen some unforgettable entrances, such as Roman Reigns being led by several pianists and a pyro display, plus Logan Paul making his way to the entrance ramp from the rafters. Whether or not UFC fighters would be open to such an entrance remains to be seen, but it could be on the agenda.
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Could we see tag teams?
While there is a strong chance this next option won’t happen, there have been some members of the UFC community who would like to see it. While tag teams are unorthodox in the MMA world, it’s something that could help bring more attention to the sport. As WWE fans have seen over the years, tag teams are epic and serve up plenty of entertainment. Could the UFC experiment with it in the future? Stranger things have happened in the world of sport.
More UFC fighters could join the WWE
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Over the years, we’ve seen a number of UFC fighters join the WWE and vice versa. Both professional wrestling and MMA have rubbed shoulders for decades, but we can see an increasing number of UFC fighters ditching the cage for the wrestling ring with this new collaboration, particularly for fighters who are in the latter stages of their careers.