Jack Swagger gets date, opponent for second Bellator MMA fight
Former WWE World Champion Jake Hager (aka Jack Swagger) was successful in his Bellator MMA debut, and already has a date and opponent for his follow-up.
Hager (1-0) will face T.J. Jones (1-1) at Bellator 221 in Rosemont, IL, on Saturday, May 11, as part of the undercard for lightweight champion Michael Chandler vs. featherweight champion Patricio “Pitbull” Frieire.
The 36-year-old Hager submitted J.W. Kiser in the first round of his pro debut in late-January, using his wrestling to take minimal damage for the easy submission win. Jones is younger than Hager (29), but has not fought since October 2017 when he picked up a submission win in less than a minute. Before that, he competed in 2015 and was defeated in just 46 seconds.
Airing exclusively on DAZN, Bellator 221 will also feature the next round of the welterweight Grand Prix with Douglas Lima taking on Michael “Venom” Page.
Since 2011, Josh has been a contributing editor to Wrestling Observer/F4WOnline.com and also hosts the Punch-Out podcast. He has also written for Fight Magazine, Bloody Elbow, Bleacher Report, and other websites. He's a 2000 graduate of the University of Maine, worked in pro sports, and once was an indie ring announcer.