Former WWE Superstar Dave “Batista” Bautista posted a photo on his instagram account yesterday showing off a recent black eye courtesy of follow ex-WWE employee Jack Swagger. Bautista commented on the photo by saying:
“My Christmas present from @realjackswagger .. no hespect! He just doesn’t get the concept of giving. 😄?”
It has been noted in the past that Swagger and Bautista are known to occasionally train together at the Ybor City Jiu-Jitsu Club in Orlando, Florida. Swagger announced in November that he signed with MMA promotion Bellator, and is expected to debut for the company sometime in 2018.
When speaking of his transition from WWE to MMA, Swagger had this to say last month:
“I really like Bellator and them as a company and how they are run,” Swagger said. “It’s a popular place for fighters to go to. It seems there has been a mass exodus from UFC-controlled contracts, and I really like that—especially coming from the WWE—to have a little more freedom and feel a little more love as a talent.
“As far as why MMA, I have been a pro wrestler for 10 years now but an amateur wrestler for 25 years. It’s really who I am and something that has been a part of me. I have been thinking about doing it for a long time and wanting to do it, and combat sports are so popular right now.”
Below is the photo of Bautista and his black eye:
