Don’t worry, Shinsuke Nakamura isn’t headed to UFC

The question of Brock Lesnar’s future is still up in the air, although his being booked into a Universal title match for No Mercy and the uncertain status of potential UFC opponent Jon Jones probably means exiting WWE for the Octagon won’t happen until next Summer at the earliest.

You probably weren’t worried SmackDown’s Shinsuke Nakamura would leave WWE, despite his mixed martial arts experience in Japan during the aughts. But, hey, we didn’t think CM Punk would leave any (eventually) show up on UFC pay-per-view (PPV) either.

During a recent interview with Hindustan Times, Nak seeks to put our minds at ease about, even as he explains that at one point, UFC was interested in bringing him in:

“Around 2005, UFC offered me a chance to fight for them. But, at that moment, I was under contract with NJPW and I decided to stay in pro-wrestling. It was a good opportunity, but I don’t regret my choice.

You have to understand that I am 37-year old now. It has been a long time since my last proper MMA training and although I still train in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, it will take me at least one year to be ready for a proper fight. That is not something I want to do as I am happy in WWE.”

Despite some rumors to the contrary, and a few critical fan interpretations of his booking, WWE seems happy with the man they call The Artist, too.

Relieved?