Ex-Bellator champ, UFC fighter Will Brooks tries out for WWE

Former Bellator champion Will Brooks is trying his hand at the world of professional wrestling.

In a recent press release, WWE revealed that Brooks (20-5-1 MMA) was among more than 40 athletes to partake in a recent tryout. The tryout was the WWE’s final of 2019. The week was overseen by WWEPC head coach Matt Bloom.

The tryout took place at the WWE performance Center in Orlando, Fla., and featured numerous other athletes, TV personalities, celebrities, military heroes, and more. Amateur fighters Kara Lazauskas and Lainey Nations were the only other tryout hopefuls who shared MMA backgrounds with Brooks.

Brooks isn’t the first UFC veteran to try out for the WWE in recent memory. In December 2018, UFC middleweight Eric Spicely took advantage of the opportunity to wrestle in front of WWE scouts. Additionally, former UFC champions Ronda Rousey and Cain Velasquez are currently members of the WWE roster.

In 2017, Brooks traded in his Bellator lightweight title for a pair of UFC gloves. After winning his promotional debut against Ross Pearson, Brooks lost three straight fights en route to a UFC release.

Brooks is one of the few athletes in MMA history to have competed in the UFC, Bellator, and PFL. After an unsuccessful PFL 2018 season, Brooks most recently fought Gleison Tibau at Battlefield FC 2 in July 2019.