Daniel Cormier goes from the Octagon to the squared circle as he is set to make an appearance at WWE Extreme Rules on October 8th.
‘The MMA Hour’ host Ariel Helwani broke the news on Twitter that Daniel Cormier would serve as the special guest referee for a ‘Fight Pit’ match at WWE’s latest premium event. The match is scheduled to go down between Iowa native Seth ‘Freakin’ Rollins and former mixed martial artist Matt Riddle.
“Breaking: Daniel Cormier will serve as guest referee for next Saturday’s Fight Pit Match between Matt Riddle and Seth Rollins at WWE’s Extreme Rules in Philly. Oct. 8. No, seriously. It’s really happening. Oct. 8. Incredible.”
Breaking:
Daniel Cormier will serve as guest referee for next Saturday’s Fight Pit Match between Matt Riddle and Seth Rollins at WWE’s Extreme Rules in Philly. Oct. 8.
No, seriously. It’s really happening. Oct. 8.
Incredible. pic.twitter.com/Ri8tHOTcU1
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) October 2, 2022
Airing live from Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Extreme Rules 2022 will be WWE’s 14th edition of the popular pay-per-view style event. The show typically presents fans with matches that include extreme stipulations. This year’s event will feature a strap match, a ladder match, an ‘I quit’ match, and the aforementioned fight pit match.
Daniel Cormier Will Referee The ‘Fight Pit’ Match Featuring Former UFC Fighter Matt Riddle
For those unfamiliar, the fight pit match is similar to that of a cage match with some variations. The ropes and turnbuckles are completely removed and the ring is surrounded by a steel cage. Unlike a traditional cage match, you cannot win by simply escaping the cage, nor can you win via pinfall. The only way to win is by submission or knockout bringing an element of MMA to the showcase.
The match will feature popular WWE Superstars Seth Rollins and Matt Riddle who UFC fans will likely remember from season seven of The Ultimate Fighter. On the show, he lost to Tim Credeur via second-round submission in the quarter-final round. Despite this, Matt Riddle was booked for the TUF Finale in January 2008. He defeated Dante Rivera in his UFC debut. From there, Riddle would go on to achieve a record of 7-3 with two no contests. In 2014, the UFC released Riddle after he was flagged for marijuana usage for the second time in a calendar year.
In 2014, Riddle began training in professional wrestling and made his debut on the indie scene in early 2015. With natural talent and charisma to match, Matt Riddle quickly became a favorite amongst independent wrestling fans. In 2018, he signed a deal with WWE, debuting on the promotion’s black and gold brand, NXT. Since then, he has held the NXT Tag Team Championship, the WWE Raw Tag Team Championship, and the WWE United States Championship.
