Moves like Swagger
- Sean Covington
- Jan 21, 2019
- 2 min read
I was honored to interview (Check out the full interview with Jake Hager on MMATorch.com) Jake Hager aka Jack Swagger aka Jake Strong and get his thoughts on starting a new his new career in MMA ahead of his first fight at Bellator MMA 214 this Saturday.
Hager got the MMA bug in 2013 when he attended a mixed martial arts event live. Bellator accommodated his Indy dates well, waited until he was ready giving him the opportunity to make money; expanding his brand.
JW Kiser has a total of five MMA fights, four of them ametuer, one pro; says he’s a fan of Hager’s. Training for MMA was way harder than pro wrestling but MMA will make him a better wrestler and a good pro wrestler will make him a good fighter, according to Hager.
I wanted to get a feel for how Jake would fight and what made him so confident. He had been a wrestler since he was a very young child; the bright lights and big stage of the WWE have calmed his nerves, making him focused at the task at hand for what he must do in the cage.
“I’m a jab guy, not a job guy.”
That’s how he best described his style.
He knows that entering the world of mixed martial arts at the age of 36 is a little late but he had this to say on the conference call: “Yes I’m Late to the party but ur gonna find out that I am the party”.
I’m inclined to believe that! Being smart (about your training) and advancements in sports nutrition trump age according to Hager. Jake wants to compete wants to be tested; I asked him about facing Cheick Congo among other legendary competitors and he relished at the idea. Cheick Congo is definitely a man he has strong interest in facing very soon.
When it comes to Brock, Jack acknowledged their similarities saying, “We both have big teeth and no necks”. Hager is keenly aware of the comparisons between he and the former UFC champion but to Jack those comparisons stop after wrestling ability. If Hager has the hands he claims then this will be a walk in the park. In our interview he walked me through his outlook on how his inaugural fight should go. “Brock raised the bar but I have better hands, that people will be surprised about most”.
Jake Hager says he belongs on the main card maineventing, “people aren’t gonna like it; enough said”.
The man here to paid, the man is here for opportunity, the man is here to stay…
That’s the first thing you need to know about Jake Hager and his venture into MMA.
Sat. Jan 26 7:00 pm ET Paramount Network
Check out the full interview with Jake Hager on MMATorch.com
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