WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle has revealed new details about the multiple separate contract offers he received from the UFC, shedding light on one of combat sports’ most intriguing “what if” stories. Despite never stepping into the Octagon, Angle remains convinced that, had he made the move in his prime, he could have been a UFC champion.
How Close Was Kurt Angle to Making His UFC Debut After WWE?
Kurt Angle, an Olympic gold medalist in freestyle wrestling, was first approached by the UFC in 1996, shortly after his historic win at the Atlanta Games. At the time, the UFC was still in its infancy, and the offer, of $150,000 for a 10-fight deal, was not enough to lure Angle away from a budding professional wrestling career.
The US-born Kurt Angle ultimately signed with WWE in 1998, where he became one of the most decorated performers in the company’s history, winning six world titles and earning a place in the WWE Hall of Fame. As the UFC grew into a powerhouse, Angle’s name continued to surface as a potential crossover star. He said:
“That was quite lucrative at the time for the UFC, but I decided to go with the WWE. By the time we reached 2000 and the my career there really got going, the UFC was suddenly a really big company and Dana White had taken control of it. I started thinking ‘maybe I should go to UFC, but I’m having such a great career in the WWE’.”
In 2006, after leaving WWE, Angle met with White in Las Vegas and was offered a lucrative seven-year contract, which included a unique arrangement: only one fight, with the rest of the time spent as a high-profile presence at UFC events. However, Angle had just signed with TNA Wrestling and was told by White that he could not compete in both organizations, leading Angle to decline the offer.
“I met him at a penthouse hotel room, and he offered me a contract. It was a seven-year deal, just with one fight. The rest of the time, I’d be sat in the front row of the arena, waving to the fans. It was a lot of money offered.”
Could WWE Legend Kurt Angle Have Become a UFC Champion?
A few years later, Kurt Angle was again courted by the UFC, this time with a six-fight deal and a proposed appearance on The Ultimate Fighter reality show alongside Kimbo Slice. The offer reportedly reached $500,000, but by then, Kurt Angle was 41 years old and had suffered multiple neck injuries. After failing the required physical, Angle decided against making the transition, later reflecting that he was no longer in his athletic prime and would have struggled to compete at the highest level.
“Halfway through my TNA career, I was thinking about leaving, so I called Dana again, but I was 40 years old at this point. I was still seriously considering it, though. Dana offered me a six-fight deal for a substantial amount of money. He asked me to take a physical but I failed it because of my neck.“
Several WWE wrestlers have successfully made the jump to the UFC, most notably Brock Lesnar, who became UFC heavyweight champion after a storied WWE career. Other notable names include Dan Severn and Ken Shamrock, both of whom found success in the Octagon before or after their wrestling stints. CM Punk and Bobby Lashley also tried their hand at MMA, with varying degrees of success.
“I’d spent many years wrestling those huge monsters, and I wasn’t in the prime of my career. If I was in my prime, I believe I could have won a UFC title.”
As for Kurt Angle, he remains a respected figure in both wrestling and combat sports circles, his legacy defined by what he accomplished in the ring, and what might have been in the cage.
