Fans are calling out The Rock over past claims about a potential MMA career.
The debate reignited after a fan shared a clip from an old interview between Dwayne Johnson and Joe Rogan. During the conversation, The Rock reflected on his early days in WWE and admitted there was a period when he questioned his future in professional wrestling.
According to the former multi-time WWE Champion, the combination of low pay and negative crowd reactions led him to seriously consider pursuing opportunities in Japan’s Pride Fighting Championships.
“At that time I was making $150,000 wrestling 235 days a year,” The Rock said.
“Do the math of that and how much you’re making per match.”
The Rock noted that he was aware of the money being earned by fighters in Pride FC through conversations with Ken Shamrock and Mark Kerr.
“These guys over in Pride are making 250, 350, 500,” he said.
At the time, The Rock was still trying to establish himself in WWE and believed his career might not take off.
“I don’t think I’m going to make it in WWE, people are booing me out of the arenas,” he recalled.
“Maybe I should train to MMA and go to Pride and make money, real money.”
“These fans are booing me over here for 150 grand.”
The Rock says he was making $150,000 wrestling 235 days a year and nearly left WWE for MMA
— Arslan (@0xarslan) June 18, 2026
"at that time I was making $150,000 wrestling 235 days a year"
"do the math of that and how much you're making per match"
"these guys over in Pride are making 250, 350, 500"
"I don't… pic.twitter.com/247OT47vKM
Fans Question The Rock’s MMA Prospects
The comments quickly generated discussion online, with many fans expressing doubt that The Rock would have found success in MMA.
One fan bluntly wrote, “Does he realize the MMA fights are real?”
Another dismissed the story entirely, commenting, “I don’t think The Rock ever considered going to Pride. I think that’s a bit of a stretch.”
The user acknowledged that Pride frequently booked larger-than-life athletes and personalities, even if they lacked extensive fighting experience.
“On the other hand, Pride loved huge guys and they signed guys just for their look in a lot of the mismatch or freak show fights. He could have probably got a fight or two alone off his look.”
Some fans compared the story to other larger-than-life claims often associated with wrestling legends.
“Rock is going through his deluded Hogan phase then,” one commenter joked.
Meanwhile, several fans pointed to the level of competition in MMA during that era and predicted The Rock would have struggled inside the cage.
“He would have got destroyed. Especially early days of MMA when he started,” one fan wrote.
While The Rock ultimately never left WWE for MMA, the decision worked out well for him as he went on to become one of the biggest stars in professional wrestling history and later achieved mainstream success in Hollywood.
Ironically, although he never pursued a fighting career himself, The Rock recently got the opportunity to portray Mark Kerr in The Smashing Machine. His performance in the biographical sports drama earned praise from many critics, who highlighted it as one of the strongest acting performances of his career. However, despite the positive reviews, The Smashing Machine struggled commercially and failed to make a significant impact at the box office.
READ MORE: Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson Reacts to Missing Oscar Nomination For ‘The Smashing Machine’
