Hulk Hogan branded UFC 'too violent' and rejected offer to get involved with MMA during its infancy
02/23/2025 09:08 AM
‘Hulkamania’ could’ve been running wild in a cage near you but the visuals of the sport were deemed to be off-putting.
Hulk Hogan remains one of the most identifiable entertainment stars on the planet regardless of whether he’s standing in a four-sided ring or not.
Since MMA became a real and recognised product, the sport has had ties to professional wrestling which has never been more true now that WWE and UFC are under the same TKO banner.
There have been multiple iconic names that have appeared in both worlds from Brock Lesnar to Ronda Rousey, along with several that came close to making the jump like The Undertaker.
Though Hogan did appear at the final UFC event of 2024 to walk out Colby Covington, the former face of sports entertainment doesn’t have the same love for the Octagon that he does for the squared circle.
Hulk Hogan once said that he was nearly involved in MMA but thought it was “too violent”
Hulk Hogan may not be the most beloved figure in present day but there’s no denying that ‘The Hulkster’ was an incredibly powerful brand all by himself for a long time.
The sport of MMA could have had a very different trajectory if the former WWE superstar had made the decision to attach his name to the UFC or another combat sports property.
In an interview with Australia’s Herald Sun in 2015, Hogan revealed that MMA was something that came across his radar at one point in the past but he decided not to pursue this as a business venture because he didn’t like the visual experience of watching it.
Whilst MMA fans have likely become somewhat desensitized to it at this point, for new eyes on the sport, the biggest hurdle will be the violence and that is particularly evident in one specific part of a fight.
Rather than a referee sending the fighter back to his corner and starting a 10 count like in boxing, Hogan wasn’t a fan of the athletes continuing to cause damage to their opponent until the referee steps in to wave the fight off.
"We looked at it and it was very violent and the referees weren't stopping the matches and letting guys get beat up when they should have been stopped,'' he said.
"So we just didn't want to have any part of it but it's become quite a phenomena.''
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Hulk Hogan isn’t always a reliable source on the history of Hulk Hogan
Anyone who has been in and around the world of pro wrestling will know that Hulk Hogan loves to tell stories from the past and they’re not always true.
Along with statements about matches that are either false or never even happened, ‘The Hulkster’ is famous for several stories about huge opportunities that just passed him by.
From nearly joining Metallica to being the original face of The George Foreman Grill, Hogan has plenty of these stories but one of his most well known involves MMA.
He has previously claimed that he was asked to join the UFC in 1993 along with saying that he used to beat former Pride fighters back in the 1970s, twenty years before the promotion was founded.
Suffice to say it’s worth taking comments from Hogan with a pinch of salt.
