When it comes to live entertainment, ball sports tend to stand victorious, but is there a spectacle more exciting than combat sports? Mixed martial arts have been around for a long time, but its been in the last decade that it has really started to become a worldwide phenomenon.
So far, the Ultimate Fighting Championship, which hosts the most-viewed MMA bouts, is more popular than boxing itself. Arguably, the UFC even helped put boxing back into mainstream conversations after Conor McGregor faced Floyd Mayweather Jr. in a boxing ring. Yet, while the UFC is the leading organization when it comes to combat sports, others tend to disagree, opting for another organization: the WWE.
Unlike the UFC, the WWE has been around for many decades, under different names. Though the pro wrestling company is scripted, there’s no doubt that the slams and the hits are real. WWE stars get hurt all the time, but that hasn’t stopped UFC and MMA fans from criticizing the company. Even with such criticisms, though, the WWE and its roster of wrestlers have undoubtedly become international superstars. Names like the Undertaker, Triple H, The Rock, and Hulk Hogan are known worldwide by all generations. But so are names like Chuck Liddell and Fedor Emelianenko.
Indeed, when it comes to the WWE and the UFC, fans go all out - and never more than when the two organizations are put against each other. A few tweets here and there tends to get the ball rolling, but other fans find more creative ways to prove a point. And that’s memes.
Here are 24 WWE Vs. UFC Memes Only True Fans Will Understand.
CM Punk Is Scared Of Ryback
Back when CM Punk was in the WWE, there wasn’t a rivalry as entertaining as CM Punk vs. Ryback. This meme captures the sentiments of many fans, as many thought that CM Punk left the WWE in fear of losing to Ryback, again.
The two wrestlers have defeated each other plenty of times in the past, but there’s no denying that Ryback has had the higher win record.
What if Ryback all of a sudden decided to give MMA a try and make the switch to the UFC? It’s seems this meme has an idea: CM Punk wouldn’t be happy.
Match Times
What’s made the industry of pro wrestling, and specifically the WWE, a household name in the world of entertainment are its exaggerated matches in events such as Summerslam and Wrestlemania. As great as they are, those events don’t usually come at a cheap price to watch.
If we speak about the UFC, it seems the WWE has the upper hand when it comes to Pay-Per-View matches. Summerslam and Wrestlemania tend to last for many hours, but the main card in a UFC event could last as little as 16 seconds, like this meme has pointed out.
Brock Lesnar Feels Real Pain
When it was announced that Brock Lesnar would quit the WWE to pursue a career as a mixed martial arts fighter many thought he was insane. Sure, pro wrestling has its share of fake scenarios, and while it’s also dangerous, it doesn’t compare to the seriousness of the UFC.
There are no fake punches in the octagon.
As seen on the meme, JBL thought that match against the Big Show brought pain to Brock Lesnar, but Lesnar was in for much more pain when he made the switch to the UFC.
Samoa Joe Can Submit Conor McGregor
The UFC hasn’t had a personality like Conor McGregor since the days of Anderson Silva in his prime. The Irish fighter became an MMA juggernaut very quickly and even went along in securing two UFC championships. McGregor likes to go all out, so it wasn’t unexpected when he started calling out fighters from different disciplines. He didn’t skip the WWE, either.
The fans didn’t take McGregor’s comments lightly and hence, this meme was born. If there’s someone who can take McGregor out, it’s definitely Samoa Joe. Particularly since McGregor’s only three losses have come via submission.
Goldberg's Final Choice
Everyone knows who Bill Goldberg is. The pro wrestler became a international sensation when he conquered the WCW back in the 1990s. When he made his WWE debut in the early 2000s, it completely changed the company forever.
Goldberg made a name for himself in the ring as one of pro wrestling’s greatest heavyweights. Then rumors started circulating that the champ was considering making the switch to mixed martial arts.
Goldberg never fought inside the octagon and only served as a color commentator. Yet, we can all agree that he has it so much better on The CW hanging around with the Flash. Indeed, it’s much safer in a television set than in a ring.
Batista Finds Out UFC Is Real
Dave Bautista right now is one of the most active A-list actors in Hollywood. From films like Guardians of the Galaxy to Blade Runner 2049 to his most recent, Hotel Artemis, Bautista always gives impeccable performances.
He had the same intensity when he made a name for himself in the WWE fighting alongside Triple H, Ric Flair, and Randy Orton as a member of Evolution. He caught everyone by surprise when he became an MMA fighter in 2012.
He only fought once in his MMA career and even though he won, perhaps the punches were a little too real for the former pro wrestler, as this meme implies.
WWE Fans vs. MMA Fans
In the comic book world as well as in the film world, there isn’t a rivalry as crazy as the one between DC and Marvel fans. Yet, that rivalry doesn’t compare to how intense WWE fans and UFC fans get when they are put against each other. Indeed, sometimes this rivalry can get a little too intense, leading to some nasty confrontations.
One of the main topics this rivalry debates is the “realness” of pro wrestling, as the meme clearly presents.
It’s good to note that the WWE is not entirely fake, as many wrestlers have received serious injuries from their acrobatic abilities. Some have also sadly passed away while in the ring.
CM Punk Loses First UFC Fight
One of the most well-known WWE personalities who made the switch to the UFC is CM Punk. While Brock Lesnar left many surprised when he quit the WWE for the UFC, CM Punk left the wrestling world with their mouths wide open.
CM Punk didn’t leave the WWE on a happy note, so many of his wrestling fans were eager for him to make a name for himself in the UFC.
Punk’s first fight came along in UFC 203 against Mickey Gall. Unfortunately for Punk and his fans, the fight only lasted one round, with Punk losing via submission.
The Lesnar Irony
Before Conor McGregor and Ronda Rousey, the UFC had a very different fighter acting as the face of the company. That fighter was Brock Lesnar, albeit briefly.
Lesnar’s transition to the MMA organization came at a time when the rivalry between the UFC and the WWE was at its peak. Not long before Lesnar had his first MMA fight, many UFC personalities were calling out the WWE for being fake.
After Lesnar retired from MMA for a few years following his loss to Alistair Overeem in UFC 141, UFC President Dana White called out the WWE for being fake. Many WWE fans responded with memes just like this one, reminding him of Lesnar.
Roman Reigns vs. Conor McGregor
Conor McGregor is known for his skills inside the octagon, but also for his carefully selected words when speaking about other fighters. He knows exactly what to say to get his opponents fired up, but perhaps he went a little to far when he called out the entire WWE roster.
One WWE superstar that didn’t take McGregor’s words lightly was Roman Reigns. The pro wrestler took to Twitter, responding directly to McGregor with “You are the size of my leg. Shut up.” The tweet made UFC and WWE fans erupt. Many were demanding an official fight to happen.
While nothing came about, at least this meme captured the heat of the moment quite nicely.
The Undertaker Is Next On McGregor’s KO List
Conor McGregor is undoubtedly the most iconic UFC fighter of all time. He has defeated some of the best fighters in his division, including Jose Aldo and Dustin Poirier. After winning the UFC Lightweight Championship from Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205, McGregor became one of the few fighters two hold two championships from two different divisions. Yet, it seems none of those accomplishments are enough to satisfy some fans.
As this meme implies, it’s not legit until McGregor defeats the Undertaker.
Essentially, what the meme is saying is that McGregor is such a good fighter that he can take the WWE’s best, and that’s the Undertaker.
Ronda Rousey Quits The UFC for the WWE
Ronda Rousey quickly became a mixed martial arts icon after her transition to the UFC from Strikeforce. In UFC 157, she defended her Women’s Bantamweight Championship title from Liz Carmouche, winning by submission. Rousey kept the wins coming, but unfortunately, all came to a halt when she lost the title to Holly Holm. Rousey’s career in the UFC then seemingly ended after she lost her following match to Amanda Nunes by TKO.
Rousey then shocked the MMA world when she announced that she was joining the WWE. She eventually started winning matches, but that didn’t help put some smiles on UFC fans’ faces.
McGregor Takes On The Entire WWE
We’ve established that Conor McGregor is as talented with words as he is inside of the octagon. When he called out the entire WWE roster on Twitter, saying that he could easily defeat them, many fans and pro wrestlers alike answered back with angry remarks. For many UFC fans, McGregor’s words felt like the truth. If there was an MMA fighter who could defeat a pro wrestler, that would definitely be McGregor.
By then, the Irish fighter still hadn’t officially booked his fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr., hence why this meme is predicting a McGregor win against the boxer, followed by the entire WWE roster.
Of course, we all know what actually happened in that boxing ring.
Chael Sonnen Schools CM Punk
In his time in the WWE, CM Punk proved to be one of the best pro wrestlers in recent history. His style and unique personality captivated fans around the world. He was most known for his tag team matches and his rivalry between John Cena. Just as memorable were his cage matches.
In general, WWE cage matches are some of the most exciting events the organization has to offer.
It’s no surprise, then, that this meme capitalizes on that. With CM Punk taking his talents to the UFC, he would’ve had to adapt to new rules and regulations. One of those rules, as this meme hilariously depicts, is that in the UFC there’s no such thing as winning by climbing out of the cage.
The UFC isn’t scripted
One of the main criticism the WWE gets is that it’s not real and that all matches are scripted. Indeed, the WWE is scripted television, with a plethora of writers creating storylines by the minute. That doesn’t mean the stakes aren’t real.
Wrestlers definitely feel pain when executing their special moves, but it seems that every title match and other key decisions are handpicked in the writer’s room.
This isn’t the case in the UFC. In the octagon only the best fighter ends up being the victor. CM Punk lost his first UFC bout and it seems fans are having a little too much fun pointing out distinctions.
Real Champs Have More Than Two Belts
Conor McGregor is one of the few UFC fighters to hold a championship title in more than one weight division, at the same time. When this happened in UFC 205, McGregor truly became a top echelon fighter, with many considering him the best pound-for-pound fighter in MMA history. Others definitely disagreed on that, but most fans were in unison appreciating McGregor as a double champion.
Those fans were only UFC fans, though. Fans of the WWE instead had this meme specifically prepared for Conor McGregor. Indeed, in pro wrestling real champs have more than just two belts.
Ronda Rousey’s Eureka Moment
When Ronda Rousey lost the UFC Women’s Bantamweight Championship to Holly Holm in UFC 193, fans couldn’t believe their eyes. Not because Rousey had lost, but by the way that she was defeated. Holm knocked out Rousey in spectacular fashion, hence marking the beginning of the end of Rousey’s UFC glory. Holm soon lost the belt to Miesha Tate, and soon after, Tate lost it to Amanda Nunes.
With Nunes as the champion, Rousey was given the chance to reclaim her belt. Unfortunately, this was Rousey’s last UFC fight to date, losing by TKO in only 48 seconds.
Eventually, Rousey signed with the WWE, so perhaps that was her eureka moment, as the meme hilariously portrays.
Chairs and Hammers Make WWE More Fun
One of the most recognized figures in the world of MMA is Fedor Emelianenko. Considered to be the best heavyweight MMA fighter in the world, he went undefeated for a considerable amount of time until his winning streak was broken, when he lost to Fabricio Werdum in 2010. Before that, Fedor was seen as a god, as he hadn’t lost in over nine years. WWE fans, though, had different ideas.
Triple H is known for using a sledgehammer to win matches unconventionally, which makes some WWE fights much more fun to watch.
Pit the former Dx member against Fedor, and Triple H would be the clear winner. At least that’s what pro wrestling fans say.
Amanda Nunes’ WWE Debut Would Be Dangerous
There isn’t a world where Amanda Nunes would ever consider going to the WWE. Yet, if Ronda Rousey made the switch, then anything is possible.
If this ever transpires, the WWE wouldn’t be the same.
This meme truly captures such an occurrence. Nunes is currently the UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion and has defended it three times already. She’s easily becoming just as famous as Ronda Rousey in her prime. So, it’s not unprecedented that if Nunes decides to follow Rousey to the WWE, Stephanie McMahon would probably just stick to the business side of things. A fight with Nunes always ends on Nunes’ terms.