It is not a hidden fact that Dwayne Johnson is one of the most sports entertainment stars of all time. Recently, ‘The Great One’ revealed that in 1997, he wanted to pursue a career in the realm of mixed martial arts when he was starting out in WWE. This confession in the Joe Rogan podcast certainly sparked the attention of his fans.

With this being said by the 51-year-old, it becomes interesting to discuss if this was possible. And if yes, could he have achieved the same amount of success in the UFC that he gained in the WWE? Let’s discuss.

Was it possible for Dwayne Johnson to enter the realm of MMA?

Getting into the combat sports industry was certainly in the genes of ‘The People’s Champ’. The father of Dwayne Johnson, Rocky Johnson, was a former professional wrestler and everybody knows that the actor comes from a wrestling family. Johnson followed in his father’s footsteps and excelled in the world of professional wrestling. Not only that, Johnson also revealed that his father was an accomplished amateur boxer who won the Golden Gloves in Canada.

He also revealed that his dad used to train with the likes of Muhammad Ali and George Foreman. Well, before entering into any MMA promotion, specifically UFC, Johnson could have remembered the greatness of his dad and could have taken that step as well. Moreover, he was athletically gifted, and as revealed by him in the podcast, he didn’t want to smile for the audience in the WWE; thus, he could have been his own self in the UFC. And given how athletically sound he was, it was possible for him to end up joining MMA.

Achieving stardom in the UFC could have been an uphill climb for Johnson

Fighting in the realm of MMA is indeed a different ballgame altogether. Although The Rock’s work ethic and determination could have given him a shot at making a mark in the MMA world, he couldn’t have left the same impact as he left in the WWE. The fact that he is a showman would have given him clout in MMA, but he’d have to work from the bottom to build skill.

Read More – Deep Dive Into Fan Website Urging Dwayne Johnson to Run for President

Although the likes of Bobby Lashley, Batista, Brock Lesnar, and even CM Punk got into mixed martial arts, only one among them was able to make waves inside the Octogan, and that was Lesnar. Moreover, the amount of success that Johnson gained in the WWE propelled him towards the film industry as well. And consequently, he became an even bigger star there.

Had he been in the UFC, he might not have gained the same stardom. Thus Johnson could have achieved success inside the octagon but perhaps not as much as he gained in the WWE. What do you think? Let us know in the comments.

Watch This Story: Joe Rogan and Chael Sonnen’s most iconic moments in the UFC