Jake Hager AKA Jack Swagger Talks Preparing For Bellator MMA Fight

Jake Hager, formerly known as Jack Swagger, is ready to step inside the MMA cage for Bellator. The former WWE World Heavyweight Champion spoke to the Tampa Bay Times about missing competitive grappling, training in Jiu-Jitsu, and more. Below are some highlights:

Hager On Getting Ready For His MMA TV Debut:

“I have a lot of experience with the lights on bright — a lot of people watching and performing on live television.”

“But this isn’t only amateur wrestling,” he said. “It’s mixed martial arts. There are many disciplines I need to be good at.” They include jiu-jitsu, kickboxing, and boxing, but I’m ready.”

Hager On Missing Competition:

“I didn’t realize how much I missed the competition until I started training again. It has reignited a lot of passion in me. I’m loving it.”

Hager On The Best Advice He’s Been Given In Pro Wrestling:

“One of the best pieces of advice I ever got in professional wrestling was: use the exposure from cable’s number one rated television show to transition and move on to what you want to go into next.”

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Jake will make his MMA  debut 9 p.m. Jan. 26 for Bellator on a show televised on Paramount. The former ‘Real American’ will take on John Kisner, who has a record of 1-1-0.