Daniel Bryan, a.k.a. Bryan Danielson, is currently facing some serious medical issues that could potentially be career threatening - but that didn't stop the former WWE champion from recently choking out a burglar who had broken into his Phoenix home, employing a rear-naked choke to do so. How'd Bryan learn how to do that? The WWE star began training in MMA in 2009, and has trained at Xtreme Couture (Randy Couture's gym). He actually lived with Couture coach Neil Melanson, and also studied kickboxing under Joey Varner. Which means he has some legit mixed martial arts skills, and not just in a single discipline either. When it comes to a career in the cage, Bryan seems to have ruled it out, telling Chicago Now's MMA Disputed in 2012 that "Its hard to just step into MMA and right now you need to start when you are young. But when Im done wrestling I can see myself getting into a lot of grappling tournaments. I love the submission aspect of it and even the kickboxing and boxing. But after wrestling if I never get kicked or punched in the head again Ill be thrilled."
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.
