The recent shock announcement of UFC 5 has sent the franchise's community into a frenzy, with a more detailed reveal of the title being expected for this September. While a lot of potential news can still break for the game, the in-game roster for the release is one of the largest points of interest.
Of course, it is expected that UFC 5 will boast a range of the most recognizable fighters from the combat sport, but the title should look to other rosters to truly bolster its playable characters. In particular, it seems smart that UFC 5 should include some of the most popular and iconic fighters from WWE, especially given some of the recent business decisions between the two entities.
The Recent Developments Between WWE and UFC
Some news recently broke between both the UFC and WWE that is set to change combat sports in a massive way. Breaking in April, it was announced that UFC and WWE will be merging to form a currently unnamed entity that will be the face of both franchises.
Endeavor, the company behind UFC, is set to purchase WWE to create a company estimated to be worth $21 billion. This would make the new entity one of the highest-valued sporting franchises, and will of course create a significant link between the UFC and WWE.
While the companies will likely continue to operate in similar ways, this partnership opens the door for some fascinating crossovers between the two combat sports, both physical and virtual. These partnerships have particular potential within the video game franchises of both entities, with WWE 2K and UFC perhaps seeing some interesting crossovers in the near future.
Potential WWE Fighters in UFC 5
There is already an established bond between WWE and UFC, with the huge crowds that both sports share leading to some overlap throughout the years. For example, WWE wrestler Brock Lesnar is one of the most famous figures from the WWE, while also possessing a long history with UFC and fighting extensively in both disciplines.
More recent links between WWE and UFC come down to the likes of Logan Paul, whose growing fame in the WWE gave life to the recent hydration partnership between UFC and Paul's energy drink company Prime. Because of this, Logan Paul may appear in UFC 5, and there is no reason that other iconic WWE fighters couldn't also appear in the release.
With this merger making collaboration between WWE and UFC much easier, some of the most famous names in wrestling could come to UFC 5 to appeal to a much wider audience. The likes of John Cena and The Undertaker would make an excellent addition to UFC 5's content, and could lead to some fascinating in-game match-ups.
It also seems very important that both companies begin the process of warming fans to the reality of the merger, and collaborations such as this would be the perfect way to do so. Including some household WWE names as playable fighters within UFC 5 would set a clear precedent for the new reality of combat sports, as well as a confident indication of how the two franchises want to collaborate in the future.
Of course, this could work both ways, with future WWE 2K titles potentially including UFC stars like Conor McGregor. With just how impactful the WWE and UFC merger is set to be, it only seems right that UFC 5 include some of the biggest WWE names to make the most of the scope of collaboration that both franchises now share.
UFC 5 is currently in development.