WWE legend Kurt Angle has revealed the three different UFC contracts he was offered and explained why he never competed in the Octagon.
An Olympic gold medalist in freestyle wrestling despite suffering a broken neck at the 1996 Games in Atlanta, Angle signed with WWE two years later and made a seamless transition to the wrestling world.
He enjoyed had a Hall of Fame career in WWE, winning six world titles prior to his departure in 2006. But ahead of penning his WWE deal, Angle turned down a 10-fight contract offer from UFC, which was only in its infancy at the time and yet to become the global powerhouse it is today.
UFC would go from strength to strength under Dana White's tutelage and though Angle did ponder making the switch, he remained in the wrestling ring.
Advert
"Before I signed with the WWE, the UFC approached me and offered $150,000 for 10 fights; that's only $15,000 a fight and I wasn't going to sign that contract, it wasn’t enough," Angle told SPORTbible exclusively, on behalf of casino.org.
"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' - so I carried on."
Dana White offered unique contract in meeting with Kurt Angle
UFC came calling for Angle again in 2006 when he ended his first spell in WWE. He met White in a Las Vegas penthouse and received another big-money offer which was a seven-year deal but only had one fight as part of the contract.
But because he continued to wrestle for TNA, a rival promotion to WWE, White would not allow him to do both.
"In 2006, when I left the WWE, Dana White called me and invited me to meet him in Las Vegas," Angle added.
"I met him at a beautiful 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.
"Immediately after leaving the WWE, though, I signed with the TNA. I asked Dana if I could do both, and he said 'absolutely not - you either wrestle, or you fight'."
The relationship between Angle and White was still strong, to the point where a six-fight deal was offered a few years later when he was 40.
After suffering five broken necks, Angle failed the physical test which was part of the mandatory requirements and concedes that he would have been a legitimate contender.
However, the 56-year-old still believes that he could have matched former rival Brock Lesnar in becoming champion had he been in his pomp.
Angle continued: "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. I wasn't able to do it, so I carried on with the TNA.
"Dana was very cool and respectful. He wanted me to join, but it just couldn't happen. I look back and I'm glad I didn't do it, because when I was 40, I was so beat up. I'd had five broken necks, and my upper strength was diabolical. I couldn't bench 135lb for 5 reps. I would have had my ass handed to me.
"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, yeah, I believe I could have won a UFC title."
WWE and UFC are now under the same umbrella as TKO after merging in September 2023, with White continuing to serve as CEO.
Both companies are worth more than $1 billion and have capitalised on crossover opportunities to promote both brands.
Topics: Kurt Angle, WWE, UFC, Dana White, Spotlight
Josh Lawless