Tag: Jake Hager

Jon Jones Calls Out Jake Hager For Not Accepting Grappling Match

Jon JonesFormer UFC light-heavyweight champion, Jon Jones called out professional wrestler, Jake Hager for turning down a grappling match between the pair. Jones took to his Twitter to call out the former, saying “you can’t gloat about turning down a grappling match with the goat. You had the opportunity of a lifetime, now you’re doing interviews […]

Jon Jones

Former UFC light-heavyweight champion, Jon Jones called out professional wrestler, Jake Hager for turning down a grappling match between the pair.

Jones took to his Twitter to call out the former, saying “you can’t gloat about turning down a grappling match with the goat. You had the opportunity of a lifetime, now you’re doing interviews about what you would’ve done.”

The History Between Jon Jones And Jack Hager

Jones had initially tweeted, announcing about the unexpected matchup which was expected to take place earlier this month. “Breaking News!! said Jones “I’m excited to announce I’ll be competing for the number one grappling organization in the world, Fury Grappling! December 9th. I’ll be in New Jersey competing against WWE superstar and undefeated Bellator heavyweight Jack Swagger.”

Hager, who formally wrestled under the WWE promotion as ‘Jack Swagger’, who know wrestles for AEW would initially respond to this tweet by saying “First of all it’s @AEWonTNT and undefeated @BellatorMMA heavyweight Jake Hager, secondly no terms have been discussed or contract signed. we can talk if terms are right.”

Hager would follow this up on an episode of the AEW Unrestricted Podcast by saying “Yeah, you’re [Jon Jones] the greatest of all time, but you’re not going to take me down. I was very excited about it. It seemed like it was going to go down. He jumped the gun early on tweeting it out before we had any details. As far as I know, it’s still in the works, maybe January 9th now. We’ll see.”

Although Jones is considered by some as the greatest martial artists ever and he has a highly decorated ground game, Hager is no slouch when it comes to grappling. along with being an undefeated MMA fighter at 3-0 he is an NCAA All-American wrestler who came fourth in the NCAA tournament. Hager is also The University of Oklahoma single-season record for most pins in the heavyweight division.

Do you think a Jon Jones vs. Jake Hager grappling match is worthwhile?

Jon Jones Laughs At Hager Missing Out On “Opportunity Of A Lifetime”

Jon Jones got a good kick out of Jake Hager’s recent comments about slow-rolling the negotiations to compete against one another in a grappling matchup.

Last month, Jon Jones dropped some “breaking news” on his Twitter page. In a since-deleted twee…

Jon Jones Jake Hager

Jon Jones got a good kick out of Jake Hager’s recent comments about slow-rolling the negotiations to compete against one another in a grappling matchup.

Last month, Jon Jones dropped some “breaking news” on his Twitter page. In a since-deleted tweet, Jones announced he would be competing against Jake Hager in a professional grappling match hosted by FURY Pro Grappling on December 9. Hager, however, accused Jones of jumping the gun.

“First of all it’s @AEWonTNT and undefeated @BellatorMMA heavyweight Jake Hager, secondly no terms have been discussed or contract signed. We can talk if terms are right.”

Jones seemed to then pull the plug on any conversation by turning his attention to someone and quite literally anyone else, by issuing an open challenge to another ‘big boy’ to grapple with him.

Then, in a recent appearance on the Throwing Down podcast, Hager spilled the details on why he publicly pumped the brakes on Jones’ announcement, and he also left the door wide open for their grappling match to still take place (h/t MiddleEasy).

“I was at dinner one night and got the phone call from my head coach, Josh Crabtree, and he said, ‘What’s up, man, I got a great situation for ya. You should say yes before I even tell you what it is.’ Alright, I love Josh, he’s the man, I’m like ‘Yes!’ He tells me and I’m still like yes, let’s make it happen.

Bellator 214 results, highlights: Jake Hager earns first-round submission win in MMA debut - CBSSports.com
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“So, as far as I know, we were waiting (on) the negotiations and (finalizing) everything. He jumped the gun a little bit, made that Twitter announcement, we hadn’t had anything signed. I know my response was harsh, but you gotta get my name right and my company name right.”

Jon Jones Scoffs At Jake Hager’s Comments

Weeks after these comments were made by Hager, Jon Jones offered this amused retort.

“you can’t gloat about turning down a grappling match with the goat. You had the opportunity of a lifetime, now you’re doing interviews about what you would’ve done,” Jones posted on Twitter on Tuesday night.

Jon Jones last fought in May 2020 in an extremely close victory over Dominick Reyes at UFC 247. Meanwhile, Jake Hager competes in Bellator’s heavyweight division and also wrestles for All Elite Wrestling as a member of Chris Jericho’s Inner Circle faction.

MMA News will keep you posted on any additional updates on this potential grappling match between Jon Jones and Jake Hager.

Continue Reading Jon Jones Laughs At Hager Missing Out On “Opportunity Of A Lifetime” at MMA News.

AEW’s Jake Hager Denies Contract Signed for Grappling Match vs. UFC Legend Jon Jones

AEW’s Jake Hager denied a deal has been set for him to take on Jon Jones in a grappling match. Jones tweeted Saturday that he was in agreement with Hager for a…

AEW’s Jake Hager denied a deal has been set for him to take on Jon Jones in a grappling match. Jones tweeted Saturday that he was in agreement with Hager for a…

Jon Jones vs. Jake Hager Grappling Match Is In The Works

Jon JonesJon Jones could finally be back in action later this year, unfortunately, we will not get to see him competing inside the UFC Octagon. The former light-heavyweight king took to social media on Saturday to announce that he is set to grapple Jake Hager of professional wrestling and Bellator MMA fame. “Breaking News!! I’m excited […]

Jon Jones

Jon Jones could finally be back in action later this year, unfortunately, we will not get to see him competing inside the UFC Octagon.

The former light-heavyweight king took to social media on Saturday to announce that he is set to grapple Jake Hager of professional wrestling and Bellator MMA fame.

“Breaking News!! I’m excited to announce I’ll be competing for the number one grappling organization in the world, Fury Grappling!” Jones wrote in a since deleted tweet. “December 9th I’ll be in New Jersey competing against WWE superstar and undefeated Bellator heavyweight Jack swagger.”

Hager appeared to be caught off guard by Jones’ announcement and quickly poured cold water on the potential grappling match. Although, he did add that it is something he would be open to doing for the right deal.

“First of all it’s @AEWonTNT and undefeated @BellatorMMA heavyweight Jake Hager, secondly no terms have been discussed or contract signed. We can talk if terms are right.”

Jones replied by taking a swipe at Hager’s follower count before once again deleting his tweet.

“Come on people let’s get Jake to 1 million followers, sorry I didn’t know who you were. Lol.”

According to MMA Junkie’s sources, a December 9 grappling match between Jones and Hager is a real possibility but it must be noted that ‘Bones’ has defiantly made a premature announcement.

Jon Jones Is Eager To Compete After His Long Lay Off

The light-heavyweight GOAT hasn’t fought since picking up a somewhat controversial decision win over Dominick Reyes at UFC 247 in February 2020.

Jones is currently bulking up to heavyweight and will not compete in MMA until 2022. It appears he will make his divisional debut in a title fight against the winner of Francis Ngannou vs. Ciryl Gane which is expected to take place at UFC 270 on January 22.

Do you want to see Jon Jones and Jake Hager grapple?

Jon Jones Makes Open Challenge For Grappling Match After Hager Hiccup

Jon Jones is eager to compete again as he prepares for his UFC return, and he’s seeking a grappling challenge to help him pass the time.

Over the weekend, Jones announced that he would be competing against Bellator Heavyweight Jake Hager in a prof…

Jon Jones

Jon Jones is eager to compete again as he prepares for his UFC return, and he’s seeking a grappling challenge to help him pass the time.

Over the weekend, Jones announced that he would be competing against Bellator Heavyweight Jake Hager in a professional grappling match hosted by FURY Pro Grappling. He dropped “breaking news” that he’ll be competing for the top grappling organization in the world on December 9th.

As you may have noticed, Jones deleted the tweet making the announcement. That is because it appears that Jones may have jumped the gun by going public with the news. Hager disputed Jones’s claim and clarified that he’s with AEW these days, no longer WWE.

“First of all it’s @AEWonTNT and undefeated @BellatorMMA heavyweight Jake Hager, secondly no terms have been discussed or contract signed. We can talk if terms are right.”

Jon Jones Makes Open Challenge For Grappling Match

After Jones acknowledged Hager’s non-commitment in a pair of deleted tweets, he then set his sights elsewhere—and anywhere—for a more compliant opponent.

“Which one of you big boys out there trying to get choked out?” Jones tweeted in an apparent open challenge.

Jones vs. Hager Would Make For Intriguing Grappling Match

Jon Jones Jake Hager
Jon Jones, Jake Hager

Jon Jones and Jake Hager both have collegiate wrestling backgrounds. Jones was a National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA), an All-American and National Champion (2006). That same year, Hager was an NCAA All-American out of the University of Oklahoma, even setting the single-season record for most pins in the 285 lbs. weight class.

Jones competed in a grappling event in 2016 against the legendary Dan Henderson. Jones won that contest via arm-triangle choke. If this contest does become official, it will be Hager’s first time competing in a professional grappling event.

Jon Jones has not competed in MMA since February of 2020 in a victory over Dominick Reyes. He is expected to make his heavyweight debut in the first quarter of 2022.

Meanwhile, Jake Hager competes in Bellator’s heavyweight division. Most recently, he defeated Brandon Calton via split decision to improve his pro MMA record to 3-0. He also wrestles for All Elite Wrestling as a member of Chris Jericho’s Inner Circle faction.

MMA News will keep you updated if this grappling match comes back to life or if someone else accepts Jones’s open challenge!

Continue Reading Jon Jones Makes Open Challenge For Grappling Match After Hager Hiccup at MMA News.

Jake Hager, Former WWE Star, Calls for Fedor Emelianenko Fight

Jake HagerAdd former WWE star and current Bellator fighter Jake Hager, otherwise known as “Jack Swagger” to the list of potential opponents for Fedor Emelianenko‘s return to fighting. Emelianenko recently announced his return to Bellator after a long hiatus from competition. Bellator president Scott Coker also said that Emelianenko will make his return to the octagon […]

Jake Hager

Add former WWE star and current Bellator fighter Jake Hager, otherwise known as “Jack Swagger” to the list of potential opponents for Fedor Emelianenko‘s return to fighting.

Emelianenko recently announced his return to Bellator after a long hiatus from competition. Bellator president Scott Coker also said that Emelianenko will make his return to the octagon in style at Bellator 269 in his native Russia.

Although an opponent hasn’t been officially booked for the October 23rd event in Moscow, Hager has thrown his name in the hat of potential matchups for the card. He made his transition from professional wrestling to MMA back in 2017 when he signed with Bellator, although he still participates in All Elite Wrestling.

During a recent interview with MMA Fighting, Hager went all-in on a potential fight with Emelianenko for the legend’s return to the promotion.

“Just because I have a shorter career doesn’t mean I’m not as worthy,” Hager told MMA Fighting. “I have a bigger following, I have more excitement behind me, and I have a brighter future than all of those guys. So give it to me [Bellator President] Scott [Coker], because I’m the one that you’re going to build this company on, not those guys that are just coming in for a one-and-done. I’m here for the next 10 years. Let’s go.”

Hager has accumulated a 3-0-1 record since making the move to MMA, including a razor-thin split-decision win over Brandon Calton at Bellator 250 last October. He has yet to fight in 2021 in Bellator’s heavyweight division, which includes the reigning champion, Ryan Bader.

Alistair Overeem, Junior dos Santos, Anderson Silva, and Fabricio Werdum are just a few of the names along with Hager that have been rumored into consideration for Emelianenko‘s next bout. Regardless of whether or not he ends up getting his wish, it’s eye-opening that Hager seems unfazed by one of the greatest MMA fighters in the sport’s history.

Do you think Fedor Emelianenko should fight Jake Hager in his return to Bellator?