Wrestling icon Hulk Hogan once came tantalisingly close to swapping the squared circle for the UFC octagon during a proposed event in Australia. However, the legendary grappler ultimately chose a different path, famously dismissing the NFL as "boring" while embracing Australian Rules Football instead.
The UFC Opportunity That Almost Was
During the UFC's early expansion into international markets, promoters approached Hogan about competing in a special event Down Under. The crossover would have marked one of the most spectacular transitions from sports entertainment to legitimate combat sports.
"They wanted me to come fight in Australia when UFC was just getting big," Hogan revealed in a recent interview. "But I had other ideas about where real excitement lived in sports."
Why Hogan Fell for Australian Rules Football
The wrestling superstar became enamoured with AFL during his visits to Australia, contrasting it sharply with American football. "AFL players are proper athletes - they run all day, take massive hits, and keep going," Hogan explained. "The NFL? Those guys stand around for 30 seconds between plays. It's boring compared to Aussie Rules."
Hogan's admiration for the sport grew so strong that he seriously considered transitioning to AFL late in his career, despite being in his 40s at the time. "Those guys were tougher than anyone in wrestling," he admitted.
The Legacy of Hogan's Combat Sports Connection
While the UFC bout never materialised, Hogan's near-miss with MMA remains one of combat sports' great "what if" scenarios. His public preference for AFL over NFL also sparked ongoing debates about the relative merits of different football codes.
Today, Hogan's comments serve as a fascinating time capsule from an era when combat sports and traditional athletics were beginning their global crossover - with Australia at the centre of this sporting evolution.
