It’s a strange time we’re living in today when the real meets the reel! Just last year, WWE and UFC merged to form TKO Group Holdings, a deal worth $21 billion that saw the two sporting juggernauts come under the ownership of one parent company. This, of course, gave rise to the possibility of potential crossovers between professional wrestling and the MMA promotion, and one of the prime candidates for a potential UFC to WWE jump is Conor McGregor.

There isn’t anyone quite like ‘The Notorious’ in MMA, similar to how invaluable Muhammad Ali is to boxing history. The man’s done it all – become a UFC champion, become the first fighter to hold two belts simultaneously, and has had the biggest of the biggest fights when it comes to box office. So what’s stopping him from going to WWE? He’s an entertainer, after all.

Conor McGregor is no stranger to entertainment

The former ‘champ-champ’s trash-talking prowess is unmatched, and that’s been the case for most of his career. That, in addition to his fighting accomplishments, made Conor McGregor one of the biggest icons of pop culture, and the same would later usher him into the world of entertainment, starting with a blockbuster in Hollywood.

Conor McGregor was apprehensive when the prospect of transitioning to Hollywood was first presented in the late 2010s. When he did decide to do a movie, while dawning the role of a villain in the 1989 cult-classic remake of ‘Road House’, he knocked it out of the park. The Irishman seemed to even outshine his co-star and Academy Award nominee, Jake Gyllenhaal.

His capability to entertain is one of the key facets of professional wrestling, and the undisputed WWE Champion has suggested that maybe McGregor should lean towards his entertaining side rather than his fighting side.

Cody Rhodes’s invitation to ‘The Notorious’ ahead of WWE’s move to Netflix

Just like Mike Tyson, Conor McGregor has also earned a recognizable spot in combat sports history. But unlike Tyson, who made just a handful of WWE appearances, Cody Rhodes wants the former UFC champion to test the waters on a complete shift from actual sports to sports entertainment because he’s been at the helm of some of the greatest fights in UFC history.

“I’ll say that one person I’d love to see just dip his toes in the WWE would be Conor McGregor… I think Conor should give it a try,” Cody Rhodes told ‘The Schmo’. “Someone like him, who’s competed at the highest level in so many incredible fights, maybe it’s time to explore the more entertainment side of sports. I think he’d be great at it.”

Besides, it’s exciting times for wrestling fans because of the new creative regime, led by Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque. The former 14-time world champion has taken WWE to new heights under his leadership, hinting at a certain level of edgier product in the coming months since WWE is moving to Netflix after signing a $5 billion deal.

If we know Conor McGregor, he likes to talk trash and sometimes it’s not very kid-friendly. He might need to tone down a bit, but Netflix could give a pass now and then to keep his UFC persona intact, which is the reason that he amassed so many fans in the first place. That’ll only smell box office because McGregor could take some inspiration from another former UFC star who made waves in WWE not too long back.

Conor McGregor could replicate or even surpass Ronda Rousey’s WWE success

Even though her departure was a rather unceremonious one, Ronda Rousey proved why Dana White considers her to be the greatest athlete he’s worked with. Her first WWE match, which took place at WrestleMania 34, was so well received that she earned boatloads of praise from the wrestling community. Moreover, ‘Rowdy’ also became one of the first three women to ever main event a WrestleMania event, just like she used to in UFC, and that’s something that even Conor McGregor is acquainted with as well.

Out of the top 10 highest-selling bouts in UFC history, more than half of those involved Conor McGregor. Also, who can forget the biggest fight in history against Floyd Mayweather? The man has been a money-making machine for the UFC and still is, although he hasn’t competed for a while. But maybe that’s a sign that he might consider making the move to WWE and blow up the professional wrestling scene. Besides, McGregor had hinted about potentially coming to WWE when he replied to Cody Rhodes, writing, “See you soon.”

In the MMA community, people are doubtful about how well McGregor can perform if and when he comes back for his next outing. Three years is a long time, and there have been instances when such long layoffs have proven costly to several fighters, including former champions. So, moving to WWE could be a great option for the 36-year-old since the financial prospects are bright in this day and age of professional wrestling/sports entertainment.

What are your thoughts? Drop them in the comments down below.