SUMMARY
- Randy Orton was spotted in the stands for UFC St. Louis event on Saturday.
- During the show, The Viper shared a memorable moment with a UFC star.
Randy Orton is one of the greatest professional wrestlers of his generation, and his 14-time WWE Champion record proves it. The Viper has been a part of the company since the early 2000s and is still a full-time guy, as he currently performs on Friday Night SmackDown.
The Legend Killer is currently a part of The King of the Ring tournament and has already advanced to the second round. But in the midst of everything around his in-ring career, the 44-year-old superstar was recently spotted sitting on the ringside during Saturday’s UFC St. Louis at the Enterprise Center.
The Viper was also acknowledged by the commentary team when the veteran was shown on the screen. But in the later half of the show, Randy shared a wholesome moment with UFC’s Knockout Artist Joaquin Buckley, as they shared a hug after Joaquin’s victory in the co-main event of the event on May 11, 2024.
Joaquin Buckley hugged Randy Orton after his victory at #UFCStLouis ❤️
— FADE (@FadeAwayMedia) May 12, 2024
pic.twitter.com/fE4srU4KVN
Buckley defeated Nursulton Ruziboev via unanimous decision, and after being announced as the winner, the MMA artist ran towards the ringside. After making his way to Randy, the 30-year-old athlete hugged The Viper and thus showcased respect for each other.
Even though the hometown hero wasn’t able to win by knocking out his opponent on Saturday, he has a reputation for winning through KOs. Out of the 19 wins he has in his career, 13 have come through knockouts, and it shows the kind of dominance he has in the industry.
Among all his moves, his head kick, and spinning back kick are the most popular ones, but he has also won by knocking out people with punches. After winning via unanimous decision at the recent UFC event, the moment he had with Randy Orton ended up being a memorable part of the show, as it symbolized the mutual respect between both promotions.
Fans react to Randy Orton’s UFC appearance
As soon as the video of The Viper and Joaquin Buckley’s hug went viral, fans of the UFC and WWE started sharing their reactions to the moment. Pointing out how this happened due to Randy’s legacy in the Triple H-led promotion, someone said, “BEST IN THE WORLD.” (Via: X)
Sharing how this was the hometown hero’s way of showing his respect to the legendary pro wrestler, a fan wrote, “Real recognizes real.” “Everyone loves Randy,” another pro wrestling enthusiast commented after the interaction between the two combat sports stars in St. Louis.
Randy Orton once shared his thoughts about a potential shift to UFC
While fans’ responses to Randy’s recent appearance at the event in St. Louis have been wonderful, they’ve also been asking some questions about it. It’s obvious that The Viper is an MMA fan, and that’s probably why he went to Saturday’s show, but the WWE Universe has been wondering if Orton is ever going to move towards making a career in the company.
In this regard, it must be noted that Randy Orton once shared his thoughts about a potential shift to the UFC, and through them, he made everything clear about it. Responding to a tweet in September 2016, The Apex Predator shared his true views about a potential debut in the Dana White-led promotion.
I like making $. Over and over. Not once every 6 months….plus I’d prob fake punch the guy and get choked out. #lol https://t.co/xLXt01bzyf
— Randy Orton (@RandyOrton) September 13, 2016
The Legend Killer wrote, “I like making $. Over and over. Not once every 6 months….plus I’d prob fake punch the guy and get choked out.” With this, Randy clarified that he had no plans of joining the Ultimate Fighting Championship, and stood by his decision. But it remains to be seen if he ever turns aside from this viewpoint in the future or continues to make an impact in the professional wrestling industry.