Former WWE Superstar Dave Bautista wins MMA debut

Things may have started out a little shaky last night in the MMA debut of Dave Bautista but, in a sequence straight out of professional wrestling, the former WWE Champion was able to overcome adversity and pull out a win. The 43-year old served as a headliner at CES: Real Pain where he fought Vince Lucero on short notice after Bautista’s original opponent pulled out at the last minute due to some legal issues.

Lucero nearly exited the evening with a victory, wobbling Bautista with some stiff shots right off the bat, but then fell victim to a takedown attempt and ended up being pounded out with just seconds remaining in the rumble’s opening round.

“I didn’t have my legs under me at all coming out. I needed to regain my composure after getting rocked. For a split second, I was wondering if I’d be able to gather myself. I really didn’t gain my wits until we got on the ground,” admitted Bautista in a press release regarding his move to 1-0 as a Mixed Martial Artist.

“I want to fight again for sure. I just had to get the first one out of the way,” continued Bautista. “I’m better than I showed tonight.”

While Bautista was no doubt relieved to get a win under his belt, according to him, the thing bringing him the most joy occurred outside of the cage.

“My real accomplishment came in camp because I gained the respect of my team,” Bautista humbly admitted.

PHOTO CREDIT – WWE