Former UFC fighter turned professional wrestler Matthew Riddle recently spoke with the Orlando Sentinel’s Jay Reddick. Riddle talks about his MMA career with UFC and other promotions, his transition into professional wrestling, and more. You can read a few excerpts below:
Matthew Riddle talks about his path to MMA:
“The guys in WWE were so big. I was 6-2, 189 pounds, so I just wasn’t big enough. When I was in college, UFC got really popular and I threw my hat into that ring. It seemed a little more realistic.
Once I started training for MMA, I realized how good I was. I decided to see how far I could take this, and I took it pretty far. I think I did pretty decent.”
Riddle comments on starting his pro wrestling career:
“It felt just like starting MMA for the first time. It felt right. I’ve been watching long enough, and it’s not like I hadn’t been practicing all the moves growing up. When I trained in jujitsu, I was always joking around putting people in armbars and stuff. I just never thought it would get me here.”
Riddle on transitioning his moveset from MMA to pro wrestling:
“I had to learn to ease up. I was used to grappling intensely, using my body weight and holds to exhaust guys. Another big thing was learning to telegraph my moves – in a real fight, obviously you don’t want to show what’s coming, but now it’s all about setups and fakes, cocking your arm back before you throw a punch so the crowd anticipates what you’re doing.
In MMA, if you get kicked in the face, it’s your job not to show any expression. If you usually smile, keep smiling; if you usually mean-mug, keep mean-mugging. If you make a face, you know something’s wrong. In pro wrestling, if somebody throws a move, it’s my job not to get hurt, but also to sell the move and make it look like I’m dying.”
Riddle responds to reports he is in talks with WWE:
“I haven’t heard anything. I’ve heard the rumors, and I’d love to do it, but I don’t know. Right now, I’m too focused on EVOLVE, and ecstatic to see what comes next.”
