Why Bryan Danielson Never Joined UFC Before AEW Revealed

AEW's Bryan Danielson is widely regarded as one of professional wrestling's best grapplers. "The American Dragon" has poured his life into the art of professional wrestling, making to sure start with his technique on the mat, and it's been a wonder why he never once had a foray into competitive grappling. However, Brie Garcia revealed that Danielson had actually considered making the jump to UFC during an interview with ESPN's Marc Raimondi (h/t Fightful for quotes). 

"He really wanted to years ago and I said no," she revealed, further justifying her decision by saying, "My husband is incredible at grappling training. I mean, he's worked with some of the UFC guys, but when you have a husband who's had a lot of concussions, that's the last place you want to see him." 

His wife wasn't the only pushback for Bryan Danielson when it came to fighting in the UFC, as Garcia would also recall a medical team backing her argument. She said that her focus was on his long-term health. Danielson was forced into retirement through concerns over his concussions in 2016. He miraculously returned to the ring in 2018, joining AEW in 2021 at the end of his WWE contract and announcing that he's entering his final year of full-time competition earlier in 2023. Danielson is scheduled to compete in the Continental Classic — AEW's round-robin tournament a la the G1 Climax — as part of the Blue League block. He is drawn alongside and will face Andrade El Idolo, Daniel Garcia, Eddie Kingston, Brody King, and his own Blackpool Combat Club teammate Claudio Castagnoli.