Alberto Del Rio Comments On MMA Return, Training, Overcoming Doubts, & How He Recently Tapped Out A Black Belt Jiu-Jitsu Coach

TMZ Sports recently caught up with Alberto Del Rio and the former WWE Superstar talked about the seriousness of his current MMA run.

“Everybody knows I went through some difficult times and when you go through things like that, it makes you stronger. Now that all of those bad moments, bad experiences, are in the past I started feeling humbly when it comes to doing stuff that I used to do like fighting and every time I’m here doing combates, I see those young fighters going toe to toe, trading punches, kicks, everything, I get excited. I get goosebumps sometimes. I kept saying, ‘I’m gonna do it. I’m gonna do it,’ so I finally decided to go back to the gym. I was always training; but, I was always training just to look good in front of the mirror, in front of the camera; but, for the first time after nineteen years, I started doing some sparrings with my boxing coach and my jujitsu coach and I was like, ‘Damn, I think I can do this again.”

Del Rio was asked if he could still go in there and beat one of the young guys that often compete in mixed martial arts.

He responded:

“That’s a perfect question amigo because I question myself with the same words. The first day I went back to the MMA gym I said, ‘Fu*k no, I’m not sure if I really want to do this.’ I went home slept it over and then the next day in the morning, I opened my eyes, got up from bed and was like, ‘Fu*k yes.’ I want to go back there and those kids moving me around yesterday, I want to kick their ass today and I couldn’t do it the second day. I couldn’t do it the second day either; but, after three weeks of training and getting my cardio back, my stamina back, my endurance back, just two days ago the jiu-jitsu instructor, who is also a black belt in jiu-jitsu…. I tapped him out two days ago. I’m doing this for the right reasons, to prove something to myself, to prove me that I’m back, to prove me that I still have it, to prove to my children that dad is a fu*king super hero.”

(Transcription Credit: Michael McClead, WrestleZone)

Readers interested in watching Del Rio’s interview in full may do so below:

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