Jake Hager attempts NSFW heel turn after submitting beef plant worker in Bellator fight
One of the more bizarre MMA fights in recent memory ended with the victor celebrating ... bizarrely.
Jake Hager, the Bellator fighter formerly known as Jack Swagger during his time with WWE, needed little time to defeat opponent T.J. Jones at Bellator 221 on Saturday. The 37-year-old won the fight almost two minutes into the first round with an arm-triangle choke to improve his MMA record to 2-0.
Of course, very few people doubted Hager would have any trouble with Jones, as Jones is a part-time fighter who spends most of his working hours at a Springfield, Missouri beef plant. Between that hometown and Jones’, um, physique, it was basically the Drederick Tatum-Homer Simpson title fight come to life.
So Hager got his win and Jones got the biggest stage of his MMA career. Jones was a good enough sport to help declare Hager the winner once the decision was announced.
💪@RealJackSwagger gets the W tonight via submission.
Our main card continues on 📲 @DAZN_USA!
and @SkySports in the 🇬🇧. pic.twitter.com/ARQyXqoPxy— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) May 12, 2019
And now we go to the former wrestler reacting to his win in a fight that some outlets had him as a -2000 favorite.
🗣 "I'm rock hard right now with emotion ..." -- @RealJackSwagger.
... Sir, this is a @BellatorMMA post-fight interview 😳 pic.twitter.com/XKClhHXdSX— DAZN USA (@DAZN_USA) May 12, 2019
“Y’all can boo me all you want because you’re not in here right now,” Hager said. “I'm rock hard right now with emotion. I’ve got a boner.” The video then quickly cuts to black.
As predicted, Hager was loudly booed as he walked out of the ring, and likely not just because of his heel turn. Some fans had an issue with how long Hager maintained his choke hold on Jones after Jones tapped out (though Jones seemed fine with it after the fight).
What a time to be alive.
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