Kurt Angle says he “smartened up” and realized MMA wasn’t an option for him in 2015.
As his run with TNA Wrestling was coming to a close, Kurt Angle was weighing his options for the next phase of his career. Part of that decision-making process involved Kurt Angle considering fighting for Bellator MMA. Ultimately, Kurt Angle decided to make appearances for Bellator but never participated in a professional fight.
Speaking on the latest episode of The Kurt Angle Show podcast, Angle said that, ultimately, he was too banged up to consider it, and at the age of 46, he decided that MMA would never happen for him.
“I was feeling it out. I didn’t know if I wanted to fight or not. I mean, I was 46 at the time. I know Randy Couture fought when he was 51. I just knew that I wasn’t at my best. With all the injuries and the strength of my arms because of my neck, I couldn’t even do eight push-ups at this particular time. I was not. I was not ready for any kind of MMA fights. So I knew I smartened up and said it’s never gonna happen. I just need to move on. So I did do the appearances for Bellator, but I didn’t decide to fight,” Angle said.
Kurt Angle would ultimately finish his career under the WWE banner, retiring on a loss to Baron Corbin at WWE WrestleMania 35.
Recently, Angle said he would be open to participating in cinematic matches as a way to still have a few more matches in his career. Read more here.
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