Derrick Lewis, a fighter for the UFC could become the next athlete to jump from the Octagon to the Squared Circle and become a WWE Superstar.

The 39-year-old Lewis, dubbed the 'Black Beast' boasts a 27-12 win/loss record in the Octagon, with one fight going to a no contest. Speaking at a recent Fight Night press conference ahead of this Sunday's contest with Rodrigo Nascimento, the UFC star was asked about a possible collaboration with WWE given that both companies fall under the TKO banner.

“Yeah, we are actually in talks right now and we’ve been talking for a few months now. I was supposed to go down there in February to check everything out.”

When asked about a potential finishing move, Lewis saw himself using the Stinkface made famous by WWE Hall of Famer Rikishi.

“It had to be something like Rikishi you know, you might see it man you know somehow I like taking off my shorts so we might see something like that.”


If Lewis does make the move, he'll hardly be the first UFC fighter to join WWE. Matt Riddle transitioned from the Octagon to wrestling and was part of the WWE roster from 2018 to 2023. Ronda Rousey made headlines in 2018 by joining WWE after the end of her UFC career saw back-to-back losses in the cage.

WWE and UFC came together in September 2023 in the culmination of a $9.3 billion deal that saw WWE acquired by Endeavor. Since then, WWE Superstars have been seen at UFC events and fighter Michael Chandler used the February 19, 2024 Raw to call out Conor McGregor.

The two companies will grow even closer this June when WWE NXT Battleground takes place at the UFC Apex in Enterprise, Nevada. The show will see the crowning of the first WWE NXT Women's North American Champion in a six-woman ladder match.