Lola Vice Reflects On MMA Past Ahead Of WWE NXT Battleground
Lola Vice had the chance to tap back into her MMA roots ahead of "WWE NXT" Battleground, emanating Sunday night from the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Vice, a former Bellator MMA fighter with a 4-1 record, will face former UFC fighter Shayna Baszler in an NXT Underground Match, appropriate for WWE and UFC's most direct crossover since their merger under TKO Group Holdings last year. TKO chronicled Lola Vice as she came to grips with the Battleground venue, as well as donning the UFC-branded gloves she said she'd always dreamed of wearing.
"Before [NXT Battleground] Superstar [Lola Vice] paid a visit to the UFC Apex, reconnecting with her MMA origins!" TKO posted to X.
Before #NXTBattleground, #WWENXT Superstar @lolavicewwe paid a visit to the UFC Apex, reconnecting with her MMA origins! 👊 pic.twitter.com/6vbxNWR0r5
— TKO (@TKOGrp) June 9, 2024
With the Apex playing host to Battleground, it's expected that there will be a large UFC presence during the event, specifically during Vice and Baszler's Underground match. This is the second time this year that Vice will compete under the MMA-based stipulation, having defeated Natalya at Spring Breakin' in April. Baszler will pose an entirely different challenge to the former Bellator fighter, however, given that "The Queen of Spades" defeated UFC Hall of Famer Ronda Rousey in an MMA Rules match at SummerSlam last year. UFC won't be the only WWE partner on display during tonight's event, with TNA Knockouts World Champion Jordynne Grace challenging Roxanne Perez for the NXT Women's Championship. That particular bout has since raised talk of interpromotional dream matches, with the companies reportedly open to keeping the so-called "forbidden door" ajar.