Former WWE Pro wrestling star Lashley victorious in MMA debut

It’s already been a good year for former WWE superstars in mixed martial arts due to Brock Lesnar’s meteoric rise to the top of the UFC’s heavyweight division.  Another former WWE star got his MMA career off to a positive start this past weekend when Bobby Lashley dominated fellow newcomer Joshua Frankln en route to a :48 stoppage victory.

Though both fighters were making their pro MMA debut, Lashley’s superior training at American Top Team was evident from the opening bell.  He quickly cut off the cage, moving forward and stalking Franklin before catching his opponent with a powerful takedown.  On the ground, he mounted an effective ‘ground and pound’ attack that opened up a cut over Franklin’s left eye.  Franklin extricated himself and regained a standing position, only to have Lashley unleash a barrage of punches demonstrating sound technique and impressive footwork. 

At this point the referee noticed Franklin’s huge cut, and called a timeout to have it evaluated by the ringside physician.  He must not have liked what he saw, since the official waved off the fight following the conference awarding Lashley a TKO victory at: 48 of the first round.   From the vantage point of the audience the cut didn’t look particularly severe though its placement right above Franklin’s eye made it more problematic.  In any case, it was the correct decision as Lashley had already demonstrated that he was the better fighter on this occasion.  Lashley left the WWE in early 2008 under some degree of mystery and a hint of controversy.  He indicated at the time that his departure was not of his own volition but due to “circumstances beyond his control.”  Making this assertion more curious was the fact that Lashley had been used in high profile storylines by the WWE and was very popular among fans.  The plot thickened when it was reported that unlike most wrestlers leaving the promotion Lashley wasn’t subject to a standard “non-compete” agreement.  Speculation at this point suggested that he may have left in response to a racial incident, a theory given more validity when WWE writer (and former member of the ‘Fabulous Freebirds’ tag team) Michael Hayes was suspended for a racial slur.  Neither Lashley nor the WWE has ever confirmed the reason for his departure.  While Lashley didn’t wrestle for any US based promotion after leaving the WWE he did appear for Mexican Lucha Libre group Asistencia Asesoría y Administración(AAA) as well as in Japan for Antonio Inoki’s IGF promotion.

At the time he was released from the WWE, Lashley began training for MMA building on an extensive background of amateur wrestling from both college and the military.  The UFC took a pass on Lashley due to the perception that they couldn’t market him successfully so soon after Brock Lesnar’s debut.  Lashley certainly has the physical gifts to compete at the highest level in MMA at 6’3” and 250 lbs.  Some even suggest that he may have more potential than Lesnar due to a possible edge in speed and agility.  He signed a two fight deal with the upstart American Fight League, and since that contract was “non-exclusive” finally made his MMA debut on the inaugural event of the Mixed Fighting Alliance at American Airlines Arena in Miami.