Forget about any jump to the UFC for Bobby Lashley. Bellator MMA has announced that it has signed the two-time TNA Champion to a "long term" contract extension that, at age thirty-eight, will no doubt take the fighter to the end of his career. Lashley, the only pro wrestler to simultaneously pursue a mixed martial arts career with a high level of success, was most recently linked to a fight with James Thompson, but was forced to withdraw from the February bout due to injury. He could now be ready to fight as soon as April. One of the biggest names on the horizon for Lashley would be former UFC contender and current Bellator heavyweight Cheick Kongo. Shortly after news of the Lashley extension, Kongo retweeted a pair of articles about a potential match-up between the two that had been rumoured to take place next year. Could that be a sign the two are destined to collide? Meanwhile, Lashley had this to say about the Bellator contract:
"Scott Coker and the company have really reignited my desire to fight, and Im looking forward to a huge year with some dominant wins."
With two wins in the promotion, and a thin heavyweight division, Lashley is realistically just one victory away from a potential title shot, but that name will need to be over a prominent name. The Thompson fight could have been it (Lashley previously lost to Thompson outside Bellator MMA), but Kongo would be a much bigger claim to fame. On the TNA wrestling side, Lashley just dropped the TNA championship to Kurt Angle, in an episode of Impact that aired March 20th.
Primarily covering the sport of MMA from Ontario, Canada, Jay Anderson has been writing for various publications covering sports, technology, and pop culture since 2001. Jay holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Guelph, and a Certificate in Leadership Skills from Humber College.
