AEW's Jake Hager returns to the cage at Bellator 250 on October 29
Former WWE champ and current AEW wrestler Jake Hager is making a return to MMA under the Bellator banner next week.
Jake Hager is set to face Brandon Calton at Bellator 250, which takes place on October 29 at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. Hager's opponent Calton will make his promotional debut at Bellator 250, having notched up a pair of finishes on the regional circuit.
Jake Hager made his last appearance in the Bellator cage this past October at Bellator 231 in what was his third fight for the promotion. Hager won his first two contests and looked to make it three in a row against Anthony Garrett in October but he had to settle for a no-contest after an inadvertent groin strike left his opponent unable to continue. In his previous two fights, Jake Hager picked up submission finishes, using an arm-triangle to dispatch both his opponents.
Formerly known in the pro-wrestling world as Jack Swagger when he used to work in the WWE, Jake Hager left the company when he decided to pursue a dual career inside both the squared circle and the cage with AEW and Bellator respectively. As of now, the part-time pro-wrestler has been balancing both brilliantly. Ahead of his fight against Garrett, Jake Hager spoke to MMA Fighting about the challenges he is faced with while trying to juggle both careers.
“This is a very big chunk I’ve bit off and it’s big enough to scare me,” he said. “I wanted to prove to everybody who Jake Hager is. Now that the [AEW] debut has gone well, yeah, there’s more pressure on me not only to win, but to make a statement. This is where I rely on my background. This is where having been to the NCAA Division I championships and wrestling [in WWE] before 80,000 people helps out. It’s scary. I’ve got a lot on my plate, but I can handle it. Dealing with pressure is a good thing. It’ll make you work harder and make you focus even more.”