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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
Former WWE star Dave Bautista may actually make his MMA debut this May, according to a report from MMAWeekly.com, but it may not be coming in the U.S.
Per the report, Bautista is weighing offers from several promotions, including Strikeforce, who had been in contact with him throughout much of 2010, but that UK based BAMMA is in the lead to land his services for their card at Wembley Arena in May.
The 42-year-old began training MMA with Cesar Gracie's gym in California last year. There was a lot of talk about attempting to set up a bout between Bautista and fellow WWE alum Bobby Lashley, though nothing came to fruition. There's no word on an opponent yet should Bautista sign with BAMMA.
Penick's Analysis: I was never all that keen on seeing Bautista in Strikeforce. He's a 42-year-old with no background in combat sports, and though he brings a big name that would draw eyeballs for whomever he ends up fighting for, it was simply something I was not a fan of for Strikeforce. If he's going to embark on this career, fighting for an organization like BAMMA, or even Titan Fighting Championships or Shark Fights in the U.S. makes more sense than in Strikeforce. If he's serious about giving it a try, I won't begrudge him attempting to do so, but that doesn't mean he should get a spot on a major Strikeforce card on Showtime over more deserving fighters the organization already has under contract.
[Dave Bautista art by Grant Gould (c) PWTorch.com]
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Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
(mmatorcheditor@gmail.com)
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