UFC Hall of Famer Bas Rutten revealed he once turned down an offer to join WWE, citing the company’s heavy travel schedule as impossible to balance with his family life. The former UFC Heavyweight Champion shared the story in a recent interview with Heavy Sports, explaining that the approach from WWE came shortly after the birth of his daughter.
Rutten recalled his initial reaction, admitting he underestimated the workload. “I was contacted by the WWE one time and my daughter was just born. I thought it was maybe 20 shows a year or something. I was like, ‘Oh, sign me up.’ No, 220 [shows] and that’s without the traveling. So I go, ‘Yeah, I decline that,’” he said.
Although money was tight at the time, Rutten stressed that the decision came down to protecting his family life. “[It] was bad at that time because I needed the money, trust me. But, family time you can’t get back. It’s one of those things that once it’s gone, it’s gone, so I decided not to do it,” he explained.
The conversation also highlighted his admiration for professional wrestlers and the sacrifices they endure. “I had the utmost respect for all these pro wrestlers for what they’re doing. If you hear these crazy stories, eating raw potatoes like Stone Cold Steve Austin because it was the only thing they could afford, driving to the next state, that’s crazy. I always think there’s been this connection between the pro wrestlers and the fighters,” Rutten noted.
That respect stems from his own background in Japanese pro wrestling. Rutten revealed that, despite the scripted nature of the performances, he sustained more injuries there than in mixed martial arts. “I did a little bit of pro wrestling in Japan. I had way more injuries in pro wrestling than I did in real [fighting],” he said. His wife even urged him to return to MMA. “My wife was literally telling me to go back to real fighting because [I] never had so many injuries. That’s how hard it is. And those guys do 220 shows a year,” he added.
The proposal to Rutten, also a former King of Pancrase champion, came during an era when WWE was actively bringing in fighters from MMA. The company had already signed ex-UFC champions Ken Shamrock and Dan Severn. Decades later, both WWE and UFC now operate under the same corporate banner, TKO Group Holdings.