From the MMA/WWE Rumor Mill: Jack Swagger to make his MMA debut this year end.
What's the story?
According to veteran MMA Journalist Ariel Helwani, former WWE Superstar Jake Hager (Jack Swagger) will make his MMA debut in a Bellator event towards the end of this year.
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Going by Helwani's tweet, we can look forward to seeing Jake inside Bellator by the fourth quarter of this year. This is one of the most anticipated MMA debuts this year for Bellator as it can bring a lot of new viewership for the promotion.
In case you didn't know...
Jake Hager started wrestling training at the age of three and was a two-sport athlete in high school, competing in wrestling and American football.
Earlier, In an interview with Ariel Helwani, Jake disclosed about his Bellator MMA debut plan to the world. He was always an MMA fan and was going through intense training after becoming a free agent from WWE.
The heart of the matter
Jake Hager, 36, has a legit wrestling background from the heartland of modern wrestling, University of Oklahoma.
Heavyweights generally have a longer career in MMA which usually extend up to their mid-forties. Going by the stats, he has around 10 solid years to work on other aspects of the game and reach his prime game.
Bellator has a heavyweight division which is stacked with killers and the addition of Jake Hager will add more colour to it.
What's next?
Jake Hager has previously expressed his love towards the Bellator MMA promotion and has described it has an organization which values its fighters.
So the possibility of an upgrade from Bellator to UFC later is very doubtful as of now. He has also stated that he will still appear on independent professional wrestling events when he is not in training camp. Jake is a man of sheer will and is profoundly motivated, he had clear intentions when he left WWE.
He has a good team to back him throughout his training, given some time he can shock the combat world.
Author's take
Jake Hager, unlike his counterpart CM Punk has been way more prudent in choosing his transition strategy from Pro-Wrestling into the MMA world.
Punk had no real martial arts background and chose to compete in the most elite MMA promotion (UFC) in the world. Jake, who has some legit wrestling background made the right decision by signing up with Bellator for his debut. Bellator will find the right matchup for his debut and will play a crucial role in his evolution into a complete martial artist
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