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What's the story?
Well, as we reported at the end of November, Jack Swagger has been training with Batista ahead of his MMA debut. Batista took to Instagram to tell the world what Swagger gave him for Christmas.
In case you didn't know...
Jack Swagger recently signed with Bellator MMA after parting ways with WWE. He’s set to compete in the MMA organization’s Heavyweight Division.
Batista - while now being known more as a Hollywood star, has previously competed in MMA, and constantly trains in the art of Muay Thai and MMA.
Batista previously posted a photo on IG and stated that the pair were training together at Ybor City Jiu-Jitsu Club in preparation for Swagger’s debut fight for Bellator MMA.
The heart of the matter
It's no secret the pair are good pals, but so close that Batista would post what Swagger gave him for Christmas on Instagram? Well, it seems so. And it may not be exactly what Batista had in mind...
This only adds to the point Batista previously made about Swagger being a "monster" when asked about how he'll measure up in the MMA world.
The Animal had also congratulated Swagger on his new career and urged him to give hell to the Bellator Heavyweight Division.
Swagger, now known as Hager, had previously said he pitched a shoot fight while in WWE as he felt he was the toughest guy in the locker room, but this was obviously rejected.
What's next?
Well, the date of Swagger's MMA debut is not yet confirmed but we can only assume it will be sometime in 2018. It'll be interesting to see what comes of Batista in 2018. He's currently one of the biggest stars in Hollywood having appeared in movies like Spectre and Guardians of the Galaxy - but there are always rumours of him returning to MMA, and he has more recently said he'd welcome the idea of going back to WWE - but only if he was on a full-time schedule, rather than for a one-off.
Author's take
Well, the wrestling world is always buzzing when a wrestler ventures into the MMA world, so I think everyone will be behind Swagger and encouraged by Batista's words - and the shiner. For the amount of criticism the wrestling industry gets - most recently from Conor McGregor and Daniel Cormier - we always love to see a pro wrestler go out and prove their toughness in the MMA world. Swagger has an incredibly impressive amateur background, so we can't wait to see how this one plays out!
