David Posted October 2, 2011 Share Posted October 2, 2011 UFC president Dana White was willing to give Kurt Angle an opportunity in the UFC.However, the 1996 Olympic gold-medal wrestler and WWE/TNA wrestling performer wasn't being targeted for a pay-per-view fight with Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson.According to UFC president Dana White, Angle simply was offered a slot on the heavyweights-only 10th season of "The Ultimate Fighter" a few years back.In recent interviews, Angle has talked about White's supposed offer for a PPV slot. But White said that's simply not true.Not surprisingly, they first discussed a deal seriously when fellow WWE vet Brock Lesnar moved to MMA and made a splash with the UFC. Lesnar went on to win the UFC heavyweight title and has become one of the organization's top pay-per-view draws."I like Kurt Angle," White said. "He's a nice guy. I've never had any problems with Kurt Angle. Good guy. Kurt Angle was calling me to fight in the UFC. He wanted to fight in the UFC. He wanted to come over here and whatever, especially after Brock got in."White carefully chose his words as he discussed the situation, and he said he didn't it to sound like he was bashing or disrespecting the 42-year-old."What I offered him was, I said, 'Come over here. I'll put you on 'The Ultimate Fighter,''" White said. "The season Kimbo Slice was on, I was going to put him on 'The Ultimate Fighter.' He wanted to do it."We worked out a deal, but he didn't pass the medicals."And thus ended Angle's brief flirtation with the UFC. "TUF 10" took place in 2009. With Ferguson, four NFL vets and a former IFL champion, the season shattered ratings records and remains the highest rated in the series' seven-year history. Ferguson, a former EliteXC headliner and YouTube street-fighting star, lost a first-round matchup to Roy Nelson and flamed out of the UFC soon after.White isn't sure how Angle took the "TUF 10" offer to mean anything more. "That's it," White said. "That's all I'm saying. I never set up a pay-per-view fight for him. I never told him, 'You're fighting Kimbo Slice on pay-per-view.' Kurt, you're a good guy, but that's not true, and that never happened. "I thought it would be interesting, and I thought it would be cool, but never once did I say, 'We're going to set up a pay-per-view match with you and Kimbo.' That is not true."I always thought that getting clearance from any athletic commission is what would scupper any chance Kurt had of competing in the UFC, and it appears to be true.A shame as well, as a fit & healthy Kurt Angle would undoubtedly have been an interesting addition to the heavyweight or light-heavyweight division. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Egg Shen Posted October 2, 2011 Paid Members Share Posted October 2, 2011 Angle is going to one of those great 'what if's' for MMA. It's pretty clear from other Olympian's/top wrestlers that he would have had some success in MMA. It all feels like it was left too late though. These days Angle just seems to say stuff about MMA just to keep his name in the press. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members wandshogun09 Posted October 2, 2011 Paid Members Share Posted October 2, 2011 Might be an idea to re-word the thread title David . It's an interesting article but the title reads like it's a new story on an upcoming TUF.As for Angle, I don't think he'd have done well on TUF 10 myself. Aside from the obvious outstanding wrestling skills he's unproven in all other areas, over 40 and has had a shitload of pretty serious past injuries. And that season was full of huge fuckers, some good wrestlers and some really heavy hitters. Could have ended badly for Kurt, losing to some scrub like McSweeney or something would have been shit. A TUF with both Kimbo and Kurt Angle would have done massive ratings though. That season already holds the ratings record for TUF with the Kimbo/Nelson episode.Besides all that if he was ever gonna give MMA a bash I think he'd have been too small for heavyweight anyway. 205 would be a much better fit for him imo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Posted October 2, 2011 Author Share Posted October 2, 2011 Angle is going to one of those great 'what if's' for MMA. It's pretty clear from other Olympian's/top wrestlers that he would have had some success in MMA. It all feels like it was left too late though. These days Angle just seems to say stuff about MMA just to keep his name in the press.Yeah, it is a shame that when he won the olympics in '96 that the UFC wasn't anywhere near the level it is now. Back then he was around 26 years old and at the peak of his physical abilities.When you look at the likes of Matt Lindland, Matt Hughes and Frank Trigg you can only imagine that Angle would have been a real force.Might be an idea to re-word the thread title David . It's an interesting article but the title reads like it's a new story on an upcoming TUF.You don't like the old "sensationalist" thread title, no? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 2, 2011 Share Posted October 2, 2011 Going by body size, angle would be a tiny heavyweight compared to the other guys on that series's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members wandshogun09 Posted October 2, 2011 Paid Members Share Posted October 2, 2011 Might be an idea to re-word the thread title David . It's an interesting article but the title reads like it's a new story on an upcoming TUF.You don't like the old "sensationalist" thread title, no? Haha, got my hopes up. I thought we were gonna be seeing a red, white and blue ass kicking on the next TUF or something. It's true, it's true. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fugaziuk Posted October 2, 2011 Share Posted October 2, 2011 Anybody seen 'Warrior" with Tom Hardy and Angle as russian MMA fighter. Great film - its the closest angles going to get to being in the octagon thought - nobody would pass him on a medical. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members wandshogun09 Posted October 2, 2011 Paid Members Share Posted October 2, 2011 That's better David. At least now no-one else will wrongly and callously have their hopes raised Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Posted October 2, 2011 Author Share Posted October 2, 2011 That's better David. At least now no-one else will wrongly and callously have their hopes raised That was never my intention, of course Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loligan Posted October 3, 2011 Share Posted October 3, 2011 Anybody seen 'Warrior" with Tom Hardy and Angle as russian MMA fighter. Great film - its the closest angles going to get to being in the octagon thought - nobody would pass him on a medical.Just went to see it tonight, it's a frigging amazing film. Highly recommended!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanchiz Posted October 3, 2011 Share Posted October 3, 2011 If its true that he was unable to pass the required meicals for UFC in 2009, surely he wont be able to pass the required medicals for his supposed Olympic tryouts for 2012 (I would assume they have those) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Posted October 3, 2011 Author Share Posted October 3, 2011 He won't be competing at the Olympics. Simple as that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swift89 Posted October 3, 2011 Share Posted October 3, 2011 He won't be competing at the Olympics. Simple as that.He may go to the try-outs though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Posted October 3, 2011 Author Share Posted October 3, 2011 He won't be competing at the Olympics. Simple as that.He may go to the try-outs though.What's the point? If he can't get medical clearance he's going nowhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Southside crew Posted October 4, 2011 Paid Members Share Posted October 4, 2011 He won't be competing at the Olympics. Simple as that. He may go to the try-outs though. What's the point? If he can't get medical clearance he's going nowhere. Â Â Have to admit I never thought for a minute that he would be competing in London next summer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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