With the UFC and WWE set to complete their merger into the new company TKO Group next week, fans of both promotions have been wondering about the possibility for crossovers in the near future. EA Sports officially confirmed the release date details and dropped its reveal trailer for EA Sports UFC 5 on Thursday and Fightful’s Sean Ross Sapp asked developers whether or not WWE wrestlers might be featured in the game at some point as DLC. The franchise has dabbled with adding non-MMA fighters in the past and Mike Tyson, Muhammad Ali and Bruce Lee will all be available in the new installment.ย
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“EA UFC developers confirmed that they did ask if that was possible, but were told that until the merger is complete, it isn’t likely something that will even be really heavily discussed,” Sapp wrote on Fightful Select on Thursday. Endeavor (the UFC’s parent company) and WWE put out a joint press release on Thursday stating the merger is expected to be finalized by Sept. 12.
Plenty of current WWE stars have MMA experience, including former UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar, UFC Hall of Famer Ronda Rousey, Matt Riddle, Shayna Baszler and Bobby Lashley. Lesnar has previously been available in five licensed UFC games, including as the cover athlete of UFC Undisputed 2010 and as DLC for EA Sports UFC and EA Sports UFC 4.
UFC Sports UFC 5 will be released on Oct. 27 on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. The game will be the first in the series to have an “M for Mature” ESRB rating.
Could Brock Lesnar and Ronda Rousey Return to the UFC?
There’s been growing speculation that two former UFC Champions and current WWE stars, Brock Lesnar and Ronda Rousey, could step back inside The Octagon in the near future to promote the merger between the two companies. UFC president Dana White has denied both rumors in recent interviews.
“Brock looks good, doesn’t he? He always does. I think Brock’s done,”ย White toldย Sports Illustratedย last month.ย “I don’t think he ever comes back.”
“There’s no shot. She’s accomplished everything she set out to do. Her dream was to win a UFC championship, then win a WWE championship, and she’s done it,”ย White toldย SI.ย “Now she’s starting a family. Ronda has made so much money, and she’s still making a lot of money in sponsorships.”
