Jake Hager provides a major update on his MMA career.
Following his exit from WWE in 2017, Jake Hager began exploring the MMA scene and joined the Bellator promotion. In the years following his signing to Bellator, Hager accumulated a 3-0-1 record. While Hager hasn’t fought there since October 2020, he previously stated that he was scheduled to compete in another MMA bout in October 2022. As months went by, though, no updates emerged, until now.
During a virtual signing for K&S WrestleFest, Jake Hager confirmed his retirement from MMA. “Officially, I’m retired from MMA. I trained hard last year, but Bellator was jerking me off, so I retired and I’m focusing on wrestling now,” Hager said.
Amidst his work with Bellator, Hager was simultaneously balancing his wrestling career. This then led him to ink a deal with All Elite Wrestling in 2019. Upon his arrival to AEW, Hager became a loyal ally to Chris Jericho. In August 2023, the Jericho Appreciation Society officially separated. After the JAS’s disbanding, Hager has only wrestled in one match — that being the Over Budget Charity Battle Royal at AEW All Out.
With wrestling as his sole focus now, it remains to be seen what Hager’s next moves will be.
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H/T to Wrestling Observer for the transcription.
