Roman Reigns‘ appearance at UFC Freedom 250 has drawn plenty of attention, and one former WWE star believes the reaction has been overblown.
Roman Reigns was among several notable WWE figures in attendance at the event, held on the South Lawn of the White House. While some fans reacted negatively to seeing the reigning World Heavyweight Champion at the show, Ryback came to The Tribal Chief’s defence by posting on his Twitter account. The former Intercontinental Champion said Reigns’ presence at the event should not have come as a surprise, given WWE and UFC now operate under the TKO Group umbrella.
“WWE and UFC are under the same company. If one of the biggest stars in WWE is invited to a major UFC event, it shouldn’t surprise any of us that he’d attend,” Ryback wrote.
He also pushed back against attempts to draw wider conclusions about Reigns based solely on his attendance.
“Going to an event doesn’t suddenly define someone’s character or mean we know everything they believe.”
Ryback went on to criticise what he sees as a growing tendency for people to attack others online without understanding the full situation.
“The bigger issue is how quickly we’ve become to judge and tear each other down over things that have nothing to do with how we treat people,” he continued. “There’s already enough negativity in the world without adding to it.”
Roman Reigns has always been one of the most respectful, professional people I’ve known in this business. He’s a family man and someone who’s done a lot of good for a lot of people.
WWE and UFC are under the same company. If one of the biggest stars in WWE is invited to a major… pic.twitter.com/15YCZ90UsW
— RYBACK (@Ryback) June 17, 2026
Roman Reigns, Triple H & Numerous Other WWE Executives Attended UFC Freedom 250
Roman Reigns was shown on the UFC broadcast alongside WWE Chief Content Officer Triple H and several other high-profile attendees. The event also featured a notable WWE presence throughout the weekend, with numerous WWE stars participating in related fan activities ahead of the show.
The appearance marked another crossover moment between WWE and UFC following the formation of TKO Group Holdings, which brought the two combat sports brands under the same corporate umbrella.
