AEW’s Backstage Reaction To Jake Hager’s Next MMA Fight Revealed
Hager returns to MMA at Bellator 250 tomorrow.
AEW wrestler Jake Hager returns to mixed martial arts tomorrow evening, fighting the 2-0 Brandon Calton at Bellator 250.
It’ll be Hager’s first heavyweight fight since October 2019. ‘The Big Hurt’ will be looking to build on his 2-0 (1 no-contest) record in the sport, having been temporarily removed from AEW storylines to allow him to prepare for the event.
Per Fightful Select, Hager had known about the booking for over a month, despite Bellator not announcing it until last week. He told AEW officials about it straight away, allowing them enough time to take him out of storylines, and the promotion is said to be completely okay with Jake taking the booking as well.
Hager’s Bellator contract predates his AEW deal. He has been with the MMA promotion since November 2017, though he didn’t fight for the first time until January 2019, submitting his opponent. His last bout went down in October 2019 and ended in controversy following an accidental groin strike, hence the one no-contest on Hager’s record.
Jake has been with AEW since October 2019, having debuted in the Inner Circle’s show-closing angle on the show’s first episode.