Jake Hager, known as Jack Swagger in WWE, made a successful mixed martial arts debut.
This past Saturday night (Jan. 26), Hager stepped inside the Bellator cage for the first time. Standing across from him was J.W. Kiser. It didn’t take long for Hager to score a takedown. Kiser never got back up to his feet and Hager locked up an arm triangle choke to force the tap in the opening frame.
Jake Hager Talks Fighting Future
Hager spoke to reporters at the Bellator 214 post-fight press conference. He said that having found success in his debut, he’s ready to take his game to higher levels (via MMAJunkie.com):
“I was having a lot of fun. I felt like I was going to worry about people looking at me a little bit, and that was going to affect my game plan. But my team, my coaches did a great job beforehand. I felt very focused. I felt zero’d in on my opponent. And when I went out there, it was almost like quiet to me. That was surprising, because usually with a wrestling match, you’re trying to remember every superkick you have to do. I want to make this my main focus. I’d like to fight again very soon. I know I got a lot of work to do. So, after tonight, I’m very eager to get with my coaches and my team and get back to work.”
MMA News brought you live coverage of Bellator 214. Peep the homepage for results, highlights, and post-fight tidbits.
How do you think Jake Hager will fare once the competition gets tougher?
