WWE Hall of Famer Turned Down Half a Million Dollar Offer to Fight in the UFC

• Kurt Angle was approached by the UFC when he had just won an Olympic gold medal
• The WWE legend rejected the promotion on three occasions including when he was 41
• Angle went on to win 6 world titles in the WWE and was inducted into the Hall of Fame

The UFC has attracted a host of crossover combat stars over the years.

From kickboxers to Brazilian Jiu-jitsu black belts to freestyle wrestlers, many have wanted to try their hand at MMA as well.

WWE Hall of Famer, Kurt Angle recently revealed he almost joined the MMA juggernaut as well and actually turned them down three times, Bloody Elbow reported.

The Olympic gold medalist revealed the UFC first approached him before he joined the WWE.

"The first time was right after the Olympics in 1996. They came to me and they gave me their best contract, and it wasn’t a very good contract. It was ten fights for $150,000. That’s $15 000 per fight. And that was the highest they were giving to the fighters for the fights."

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Angle admitted that while he loved fighting, he didn't love it so much that he would get beat up for $ 15,000. He then joined the WWE.

UFC came calling again

The second time the UFC approached the former WWE champion was in 2006 when he had left Vince McMahon's company. He recalled meeting with Dana White and was offered a deal which he considered.

Angle had already signed a deal with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (now Impact Wrestling) at that stage and the UFC would not allow him to wrestle and compete, so he turned them down once again.

Third time unlucky for UFC

The UFC finally approached Angle a few years later when he was offered a chance to compete in The Ultimate Fighter.

"Dana said 'I’ll give you a half-million to be on the show and then I’ll give you this contract a six-fight deal regardless [of] whether you win [The Ultimate Fighter] or not. You’ll have a contract when it’s over'," Angle explained.

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The Olympic wrestler once again considered the offer, but at 41 and after training a bit for it, he realised he was past his prime and turned it down.

While fans will never know whether Angle would have succeeded in MMA, he was a success in wrestling.

As noted by the WWE, Angle was a six-time World Champion during his stint with the company. He also held many other titles in the business and was inducted into the Hall of Fame for both TNA and the WWE.

Brock Lesnar returning to UFC?

Imagine Brock Lesnar rejoining the UFC. The ex-heavyweight champion is currently contracted to the WWE but has been name-dropped for a potential return to the MMA juggernaut.

The promotion's marquee event, UFC 300, is coming up next year and the Beast Incarnate is a name that has been bandied about for a possible comeback, Sports Brief also reported.