It seems that it's become a trend for professional wrestlers to move over to the world of mixed martial arts (MMA) at one point or another.
Stars such as Batista, CM Punk, and now Jack Swagger have made the move over to the world of legitimate fighting. Batista's appearance inside the cage was a success, however, it turned out to be a one-off event. CM Punk made his MMA debut for the UFC last year and suffered a first round submission defeat to welterweight prospect Mickey Gall.
Now, after recently being released by WWE upon his own request, former WWE World Heavyweight Champion Jack Swagger has signed a multi-fight deal with the Bellator MMA organization. It's expected that he will make his fighting debut sometime in 2018.
Swagger has a legitimate wrestling background from his years at The University Of Oklahoma and was a standout competitor there. Now after signing with Bellator MMA he will be competing in a heavyweight division that features some big names such as Fedor Emelianenko, Roy Nelson, Matt Mitrione, Chael Sonnen, and even former WWE Superstar Bobby Lashley.
When asked about competing in the division with all of these names, including Lashley, Swagger had this to say (quotes via Rajah):
"Man, they really do have some great names. Big Country has been on the scene really making a name for himself. I just like that he has this different body type, but he can get in there and go and never gets tired.
"It’s really cool to see Feodor being a part of this. He is like a household name when it comes to MMA. I’ve been really impressed with Matt Mitrione.
"He’s a big guy but he moves very well and has great footwork. King Mo is another guy who wrestled at Oklahoma then went on to be an All-American for Oklahoma State but was a couple years ahead of me or around the same time.
"It’s really exciting to be a part of it and I think Bellator is doing a great job of marketing it and making it seem like a big fight feel.
"You add Chael Sonnen to anything and it’s going to kind of explode. It’s really cool and I am very excited to see what Chael Sonnen and guys like Ryan Bader can do in the Grand Prix.
"They are giving up a lot of weight, but they are in it and I’m sure they’re ready and they know what the game plan is.
"I think before I have any fight it’s hard to say what my dream fight would be or which one of those guys I would like to face first.
"I know I’m ready to fight so I am more looking forward to a date. Give me a date and the line starts here."
What are your thoughts on the possibility of Swagger facing off against Bobby Lashley in MMA? And how do you think Swagger will actually stack up against the elite names the division has to offer? Do you think it's possible that Swagger can lead a successful career in fighting? Have YOUR say in the comments section below, and the fourth episode of GiveMeSport’s WWE podcast is here!
Check it out via this link: https://soundcloud.com/user-818579649/gms-wwe-podcast-money-in-the-bank-fallout
Do YOU want to write for GiveMeSport? Get started today by signing-up and submitting an article HERE: http://gms.to/writeforgms