Jake Hager, formerly known as Jack Swagger from his days in the WWE, is preparing to make his pro-MMA debut and it’s right around the corner.
Hager has signed a contract with Bellator MMA and will make his debut when he takes on J.W. Kiser at the upcoming Bellator 214 event. While doing a recent interview with TMZ Sports, he spoke about the reasons he will do better in the MMA world than former WWE Champion CM Punk did.
After Punk had a successful career in the WWE, he later took his talents to the Octagon in the UFC. The former WWE Champion fought Mike Jackson in a welterweight bout at the UFC 225 pay-per-view event in June 2018, at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. As seen in the fight, Jackson was able to pick up the unanimous decision win. He lost in his MMA debut against Mickey Gall at UFC 203 in September of 2016 by first round submission.
“I’m different for so many reasons. I’ve been wrestling since I was five years old. I have over 150 Division I college wrestling matches, and I’m gonna rely on that as my amateur MMA and boxing career to help when the anxiety kicks in.
“I think the biggest thing that you’re gonna see in the difference between me and him is that I am prepared. I am 100 percent prepared to take this fight, to go into that Octagon, go in that cage and inflict my will on anybody.”
Bellator 214 goes down on Saturday, January 26, 2019 at The Forum in Inglewood, California. The main card will air on Paramount Network and DAZN at 9:00 PM EST.
H/T to Bleacher Report for the transcript
