When former Olympic wrestling gold medalist Kurt Angle got on a plane bound for Las Vegas in 2006, he was potentially about to embark on a new career path in mixed martial arts (MMA). Angle had already established himself as a prominent national name in the world of professional wrestling, but after a decade in the industry, he was interested in trying his hand at MMA. The UFC, the biggest MMA promotion at the time, reached out to Angle and even went so far as to offer him a contract. However, due to contractual obligations with Total Nonstop Action (TNA) wrestling, Angle had to turn down the offer. This was just one of three times Angle said the UFC had approached him with a contract, but each time, circumstances prevented him from stepping into the octagon.
While Angle never had the chance to try his hand at MMA, his achievements in athletics cannot be overlooked. He is a member of both the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and the WWE Hall of Fame. Angle was an NCAA heavyweight champion and, most notably, the 1996 Summer Olympics gold medalist in freestyle wrestling, achieving this incredible feat with a broken neck. Angle’s life will be chronicled in a documentary set to debut in September, which will primarily focus on his amateur wrestling career, with WWE taking up about 40 percent of the film.
Shortly after winning his Olympic gold medal, the UFC reached out to Angle for the first time. At that point in time, the promotion was not the multi-billion dollar company it is today, and Angle was offered a contract worth a mere $150,000 for 15 fights. Angle, however, deemed the offer insufficient and decided to pursue a career in WWE instead. The UFC began to gain mainstream popularity in the early 2000s, just as Angle was experiencing a stellar run in WWE, becoming a four-time WWE champion and a Triple Crown champion. While he felt a desire to venture into MMA, Angle chose to stick with the successful career he had already established.
In 2006, Angle’s hopes of joining the UFC were dashed due to his contract with TNA wrestling. However, when his time with TNA came to an end, Angle and the UFC had another opportunity to discuss a potential partnership. The plan was for Angle to compete on The Ultimate Fighter reality show in 2009, with the promise of a UFC contract if he participated. Despite the tempting offer of $500,000, Angle, then 41 years old and having endured five broken necks, realized that his prime fighting days were behind him. With a heavy heart, he had to decline the opportunity.
Kurt Angle’s influence extends beyond his own career. When future UFC heavyweight and light heavyweight champion, Daniel Cormier, sought advice on his future, Angle encouraged him to pursue MMA. Cormier followed Angle’s advice and went on to achieve remarkable success in the UFC, becoming the first fighter to hold titles in two weight classes simultaneously. While Angle believes Cormier would have excelled in WWE as well, he admires the career his protégé carved out in the world of MMA.
Occasionally, Angle ponders what could have been if he had taken the UFC up on any of the offers presented to him. He watches fights and wonders how he would have fared in the octagon, seeing the success of his friend Brock Lesnar, another former amateur wrestling champion, who became a UFC heavyweight champion. However, when reflecting on his life and career, Angle acknowledges that he had a “pretty stellar” run in professional wrestling, and he doesn’t regret the path he chose.
In the end, while Kurt Angle missed out on the opportunity to compete in MMA, his legacy as an Olympic gold medalist and WWE champion solidified his status as one of the most iconic figures in the world of professional wrestling. His influence on the careers of others, such as Daniel Cormier, further demonstrates the impact he has had on the combat sports world. Although the thought of “what if” may linger in Angle’s mind, it is undeniable that he left an indelible mark on the wrestling industry and will always be remembered as a true champion.
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