Reports: Ex-UFC star Matt Riddle signs with WWE

Bengaluru, Auguat 1: Ex-UFC star Matt Riddle has signed a contract with WWE, according to reports from Ringside News.

The news that the former UFC athlete has joined WWE broke after Riddle had reportedly canceled many appearances and pulled all items from his online store.

According to BodySlam.net's Cassidy Haynes, Riddle has signed a three-year deal, and is expected to make his debut as a spectator at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn 4 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, on August 18.

The 32-year-old Riddle has fought in several independent circuits and is the current champion at Evolve - a company that has had a partnership with the WWE for some time. Riddle even took part in a tryout for the WWE early in his career but was turned down.

Apart from being the current title holder in Evolve, Riddle was the inaugural WWN champion as well. Plus, Riddle also won the PWG Tag Team Championships with partner Jeff Cobb.

This gonna be awesome!!! @WWNEVOLVE is running 4 shows in 4 different cities and the BRO will be at all of them. Come check out what everyone has been talking about #kingofbros #stallion #splx #wwn #evolvewrestling pic.twitter.com/pb6FjQHtQC

— matthew riddle (@SuperKingofBros) July 31, 2018

The independent wrestling companies he has performed for since making his professional debut in 2014, include Evolve, WWN, PWG, CZW, Revolution Pro Wrestling and Progress Wrestling.

Along with wrestling, Riddle has a mixed martial arts background as he went 8-3 as a professional with two no-contests due to the fact that he tested positive for marijuana after the fights.

Although he is considered ex-UFC, Riddle's only fights in the MMA promotion occurred when he took part in the seventh season of The Ultimate Fighter.

The addition of Riddle will be a big boost to NXT, who plan to build the show around him and Keith Lee for the next few years, like they did with Finn Balor and Samoa Joe back in 2015.

Riddle will hope to emulate the likes of Ken Shamrock, Brock Lesnar and Ronda Rousey when he makes the inevitable move to the biggest pro-wrestling promotion in the world.