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Ex-WWE world champion Jack Swagger signs with Bellator MMA as heavyweight

Posted: Nov 13th 2017 By: Kevin Skiver - CBSSports.com

Swagger left WWE after 10 years and has been wrestling independently

Former WWE star Jack Swagger -- a one-time world heavyweight champion with the company -- has signed with Bellator MMA and will fight heavyweight in 2018, Swagger himself (real name Jake Hager) announced on "The MMA Hour" with Ariel Helwani.

Swagger said that the contract was finalized over the weekend, but the sides had been negotiating throughout the summer leading up to the contract.

Swagger was once a college wrestling star before joining the WWE. He set the Oklahoma single-season record for pins with 30 in 2006. He has not, however, fought MMA as an amateur or professional, although there is a tremendous amount of precedence for fighters jumping from wrestling to fighting (successfully) and vice versa.

"I'm glad I was able to come on 'The MMA Hour' and announce this," Swagger said. "I have signed with Bellator, and I will be fighting heavyweight them in 2018."

According to Swagger, whose 10-year stint with WWE ended in March, he made the jump because he wasn't getting the same things out of the WWE that he could fighting.

"It's funny, everyone asks me that -- why did you leave WWE -- and for the longest time, I'm very thankful for my career there. I mean, an average career up there is three years I was able to go 10 years up there and -- you know -- for the longest time I was like why did I leave? And I think it becomes very obvious this is why I left the WWE. I wasn't allowed to really compete up there, even though I felt like I could take anyone in the locker room. And now it's such a popular time to be a pro wrestler, to be in combat sports, to be an MMA fighter -- where you can really take your opportunity and put it in your hands, your own hard work, and that's really why I left."

Swagger also said that he and his team reached out to Bellator about signing, and Bellator ultimately made the offer. "We have been working and talking with them through the summer," he explained. "We started negotiations and whatnot and it literally got finalized this weekend where we came to terms, and we're excited and the next step would be to set a date."

Swagger seemed to be excited upon making the announcement, adding, "I'm a little in shock still -- a little surreal but I'm very excited about it. Something I've wanted to do for a long time and let's be honest it's been a part of me so, it makes sense right?"

There is no date set for Swagger to begin fighting, though it will not be until the next calendar year. Swagger's jump will undoubtedly be a big event, and he'll be joining the ranks of Bellator which include Ryan Bader, Julia Budd, Darion Caldwell and Ilima-Lei MacFarlene.

Bellator doesn't have a heavyweight champion, but it's hoping it just added one.

Supplemental Information

Spotlight in History

1981 Super Destroyer def. Jim Garvin for the MSW Louisiana Champion
2016 Skylar Slice def. Nikki Knight for the MSWA Ladies Champion
2021 Fuel def. Derek James for the UWE Heavyweight Champion

Week of Sun 04-28 to Sat: 05-04

04-28 1954 Red Berry def. Whitey Whittler for the TSW Tri-State Champion
04-28 1976 Ted DiBiase & Dick Murdoch def. Buck Robley & Bob Slaughter for the TSW United States Tag Team Champion
04-28 1980 Kevin Von Erich def. Toru Tanaka for the WCCW American Heavyweight Champion
04-28 1989 The Simpson Brothers (Steve Simpson & Shaun Simpson) def. Beauty & The Beast (Terrance M. Garvin & The Beast [2nd]) for the WCCW Texas Tag Team Champion
04-28 2000 Heather Savage def. Jenna Love for the OPW Oklahoma Womens Champion
04-28 2002 Summer Rain became the OCW Oklahoma Womens Champion
04-28 2007 Eric Rose def. Jersey Devil for the UWF06 Light Heavyweight Champion
04-28 2007 Joe Herell became the UWF06 Violent Division Champion
04-28 2017 Brandon Groom def. Sam Stackhouse for the BPPW Oklahoma Champion
04-28 2018 Dusty Gold def. Wesley Crane for the UWE United States Champion
04-29 2006 AWOL def. Michael York for the TPW Heavyweight Champion
04-29 2006 Natural Born Sinners (Appolyon & El Lotus) def. Pretty Young Things (Cade Sydal & Mitch Carter) for the ACW Tag Team Champions
04-29 2006 Rexx Reed def. Carnage for the ACW Hardcore Champion
04-29 2006 Carnage def. Rexx Reed for the ACW Hardcore Champion
04-29 2007 Aaron Neil def. Tyler Bateman for the MSWA Oklahoma Champion
04-29 2007 Brad Michaels def. Ryan Davidson for the MSWA Mid-South Heavyweight Champion
04-29 2007 Bad Boy & Outlaw became the MSWA Mid-South Tag Team Champion
04-29 2011 The Unknown & Johnny USA def. Michael H & Mr. Big for the NCW Tag Team Champions
04-29 2011 Mr. Big became the NCW Heavyweight Champion
04-29 2012 Sam Stackhouse def. Prophet for the BYEW Heavyweight Champion
04-29 2012 Rage Logan became the MSWA Mid-South Heavyweight Champion
04-29 2012 Nemesis (Damien Morte & Damon Windsor) became the MSWA Mid-South Tag Team Champion
04-29 2017 Aaron Anders became the ComPro Oklahoma X Division Champion
04-30 1954 Frenchy Roy became the TSW Oklahoma Junior Heavyweight Champion
04-30 1955 Ricki Starr became the TSW Oklahoma Champion
04-30 2004 Shadow of Death def. Terry Montana for the TPW Hardcore Champion
04-30 2011 Ryan Reed def. Rolling Thunder for the UWE United States Champion
04-30 2011 Ray Martinez def. Ryan Reed for the UWE United States Champion
04-30 2016 Ray Martinez became the SRPW Heavyweight Champion
04-30 2022 Clayton Bloodstone def. Ky-Ote for the NCWO Choctaw Nation Champion
04-30 2023 El Gallardo/El Vaquero def. Cappuccino Jones for the BPW Lion Heart Champion
04-30 2023 Heavyweight Grappling (Dan Webber & Morrison) def. Subject To Death (Cade Fite & Leo Fox) for the BPW Oklahoma Tag Team Champion
05-01 1981 Super Destroyer def. Jim Garvin for the MSW Louisiana Champion
05-01 2016 Skylar Slice def. Nikki Knight for the MSWA Ladies Champion
05-01 2021 Fuel def. Derek James for the UWE Heavyweight Champion
05-02 1964 Mike Clancy & Al Lovelock def. Karol Krauser & Stan Pulaski for the TSW United States Tag Team Champion
05-02 1969 Johnny Valentine def. Fritz Von Erich for the WCCW American Heavyweight Champion
05-02 1977 Stan Hansen def. Dick Murdoch for the TSW North American Champion
05-02 1984 Krusher Khrushchev became the MSW Television Champion
05-02 1984 The Rock-N-Roll Express (Ricky Morton & Robert Gibson) def. The Midnight Express (Bobby Eaton & Dennis Condrey) for the MSW Mid-South Tag Team Champion
05-02 2009 Ozzy Hendrix def. Shank for the SWCW Luchadore Champion
05-02 2015 Gail Kim became the IWR Diamonds Champion
05-02 2015 Kareem Sadat became the BCW Independent Hardcore Champion
05-02 2021 Drake Gallows def. Blade [2nd] for the AIWF National Champion
05-03 1973 Rip Tyler & Eddie Sullivan def. The Hollywood Blondes (Jerry Brown & Dale Valentine) for the TSW United States Tag Team Champion
05-03 1985 Ted DiBiase & Steve Williams def. The Rock-N-Roll Express (Ricky Morton & Robert Gibson) for the MSW Mid-South Tag Team Champion
05-03 2003 El Sufamilico def. Ichiban [1st] for the TPW Heavyweight Champion
05-03 2008 Damon Windsor def. Havoc for the SWCW Heavyweight Champion
05-03 2008 Miss Sheila def. Kareem Sadat for the SWCW Hardcore Champion
05-03 2014 Sam Stackhouse def. Steven Sterling for the ComPro Showtime Champion
05-04 1953 Mike Clancy def. Karl Von Poppenheim for the TSW Oklahoma Junior Heavyweight Champion
05-04 1968 Danny Hodge & Skandar Akbar became the TSW United States Tag Team Champion
05-04 1969 Jerry Miller & Jim Osborne def. Danny Little Bear & Frank Dalton for the TSW Louisiana Tag Team Champion
05-04 1973 Blackjack Mulligan def. Jose Lothario for the WCCW Texas Heavyweight Champion
05-04 1986 Kerry Von Erich & Lance Von Erich & Steve Simpson def. The Fabulous Freebirds (Terry Gordy, Michael Hayes, & Buddy Roberts) for the WCCW World 6-Man Tag Team Champion
05-04 1986 The Von Erichs (Kerry Von Erich & Kevin Von Erich & Lance Von Erich) became the WCCW World 6-Man Tag Team Champion
05-04 1987 The Fantastics (Tommy Rogers & Bobby Fulton) became the WCCW World Tag Team Champion
05-04 2003 Ichiban [1st]/Rocco Valentino def. El Sufamilico for the TPW Heavyweight Champion
05-04 2013 Tim Rockwell def. Daemon Storm for the UWE United States Champion

05-01

Prince Maivia May 1st Today!
Kari Wright May 2nd
Americos May 2nd
Barrett Brown May 2nd
Nightmare [1st] May 2nd
Big Bossman May 2nd
Don Fields May 2nd
Johnny Humble May 3rd
Lily McKenzie May 3rd
Lester Welch May 3rd
Bull Schmitt May 4th
Malik Mayfield May 4th
El Hijo del Mascara Sagrada May 4th
Shane Rawls May 5th
Miss Diss Lexia May 5th
Maria Brigitte May 5th
Pat O'Dowdy May 5th
Princess Victoria May 5th
El Matador Dos May 5th
El Gallardo May 5th
Olivier Vegos May 5th
Bill Watts May 5th
Zane Morris May 5th
Claire Watson May 6th
Hercules May 7th
Richie Adams May 8th
Jake Danielsson May 9th
Sunny War Cloud May 10th
Tito Santana May 10th
Jerry Brown May 10th
Rook Tyler May 10th
Billy Brown May 10th
Charming Charles May 11th
Big J May 11th
Psycho May 11th
Brock Baker May 12th
Sol Yang May 12th
Sensei Jamo May 12th
Bill Howard May 12th
Dave Ryda May 13th
Karl Krupp May 13th
Prince Mahalli May 13th
Maggie Rae May 13th
Little Boy Blue May 13th
Lars Manderson May 13th
Pete Maguire May 13th
Stan Kowalski May 13th
Danny Hodge May 13th
Payton Scott May 13th
Shawn Bragan May 14th
C. M. Burnham May 14th
Robert Fuller May 14th
Tommy Rogers May 14th
Scott Irwin May 14th
Steve Williams May 14th
Big Van Vader May 14th

1981 Super Destroyer def. Jim Garvin for the MSW Louisiana Champion
2016 Skylar Slice def. Nikki Knight for the MSWA Ladies Champion
2021 Fuel def. Derek James for the UWE Heavyweight Champion

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Current Champions

New Class Wrestling Organization

Choctaw Nation Champion
Malik Mayfield

Heavyweight Champion: The Gatekeeper
Women's Champion: Olivier Vegos
Tag Team Champions: Stage Dive Mafia
Oklahoma Champion: Tino Valentino
United States Champion: Dominik Whiteheart

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