Brock Lesnar, Bobby Lashley, and CM Punk all made the transition from pro wrestling to MMA and before you blast us we remind you that Alberto Del Rio competed in mixed martial arts before he stepped in to a WWE ring and not after. That’s why he’s not in that sentence. Okay, moving on. There is another former WWE champion getting ready to throw 4 ounces of leather for the first time in the Bellator organization according to Scott Coker.
On Jan. 26 in Los Angeles, the “All-American American” @RealJackSwagger makes his MMA debut. pic.twitter.com/N8vxWGxzBm
— Scott Coker (@ScottCoker) December 3, 2018
Swagger has a legitimate wrestling background setting the record for most pins in a season while attending college at the University of Oklahoma. Look, we can all probably name at least a dozen fighters that were terrible strikers starting out but their wrestling made them successful. It’s not really a stretch to say that the 6’7″ heavyweight will get his arm raised more often that not in his first string of fights. He’s big, agile, and aggressive which makes for a formidable opponent to just about anyone without a good takedown defense or solid submission game.
On January 26, 2019 we will see him step in to the cage to try and start a new career and earn the respect of fans. CM Punk has left a very bad taste in everyone’s mouth by making his debut in the UFC without any amateur fights to his name and then losing badly. Somehow hearing that Swagger, real name Jake Hager is making his debut in Bellator isn’t as offensive to people as it was with Punk. The MMA world can be fickle I guess.