WWE and UFC performers who could crossover and thrive

No one exemplifies the connection between professional wrestling and mixed martial arts more than Brock Lesnar.

The larger-than-life personalities, the pageantry, the athleticism, the violence (real or implied). It's these traits that are a large part of the appeal of "sports entertainment", a phrase coined by the WWE that could easily apply to the UFC as well.

Lesnar went on a romp through the UFC's heavyweight division from 2008-2011, not only winning the title but becoming one of the biggest draws in the history of the sport.

After leaving MMA for another successful run with the WWE, Lesnar is set to return to the Octagon at UFC 200 on July 9.

The WWE had to sign off on the new deal and rumor has it that they're expecting the UFC to lend some of their personalities in return, most notably Ronda Rousey.

Should Lesnar's deal open the floodgates for future talent exchanges, here are some other athletes who could pull off a jump from one company to the other* (and vise-a-versa).

*Excluding champions and no performers with previous extensive experience in the other field (apologies to Josh Barnett, Tom Lawlor, Alberto Del Rio, and er, CM Punk)

Paige VanZant

The other name that has been thrown around in WWE rumors is budding strawweight star Paige VanZant. The 22-year-old's notoriety is growing with every fight, but her fame blossomed exponentially as a contestant on the most recent season of Dancing with the Stars.

It almost makes too much sense for the WWE to pursue VanZant. Her physicality and charisma all but guarantee her future as a moneymaking act.

Ben Rothwell

In wrestling parlance, "Big" Ben Rothwell is what is known as a "hoss".

Standing 6-foot-4 and close to 300 pounds with a bald head and messy facial hair, Rothwell is a menacing monster. His signature "gogo choke" finisher has induced tap outs from his fellow mammoths and he's also known for post-fight histrionics that are more suited to the squared circle than an MMA cage.

His infamous laugh is the perfect exclamation point to any promo:

John Dodson

What John "The Magician" Dodson lacks in height, he more than makes up for with his explosive fighting style and personality.

Admittedly, Dodson is so short he might bring back memories of the WWE's "mini wrestlers", but the former flyweight contender oozes charisma and has shown that he’s capable of some absurd athletic feats:

Big Show

Just picture the 7-foot, near 500 pound Big Show rumbling down to the cage. Even with no actual competitive combat sports experience, he'd be a daunting challenge to any fighter.

Now one major hurdle to this ever happening, is the fact that the UFC doesn't have a weight class for fighters larger than 265 pounds. Or 300 pounds. Or 400 pounds, for that matter.

Thus, any match with Big Show is much more likely to happen in the lawless realm of Japanese MMA, but should that day come, watch out.

Big Show has already proven he has legitimate knockout power, and against a current UFC fighter, no less!

Becky Lynch

If the WWE gets a female fighter, it's only fair that they send one of their standouts to the UFC. "The Irish Lass Kicker" Becky Lynch fits the bill nicely.

Already utilizing an armbar variation as her finishing maneuver, Lynch has trained with MMA veteran Seth Petruzelli and if she dedicated herself to the sport she could make an impact on the women's bantamweight division.

And speaking of exchanging talent, she may even help to lure her countryman Conor McGregor. The two follow each other on Twitter and Lynch sent him a tongue-in-cheek message to join the WWE when he teased his retirement last April: