The Real Reason Dave Bautista Stepped Away From MMA and Chose Marvel Instead

When Dave Bautista announced his MMA debut in 2012, many fans were surprised. Bautista was known as a wrestler and actor, not a fighter. But he decided to try his hand in the cage, even though he was over forty years old at the time.

Dave Bautista began his professional wrestling career in 1999. He quickly became one of the most famous and talented wrestlers in the world, winning the WWE belt twice. Bautista also had experience in martial arts: he loved kickboxing and boxing, and studied jiu-jitsu and karate.

Dave Bautista Joined MMA to Test Himself

In 2010, Bautista began preparing for his MMA debut. He was introduced as a heavyweight fighter and signed a contract with not the most popular organization Classic Entertainment & Sports. He also negotiated with the now-defunct top-level Strikeforce, but this deal did not work out.

Bautista has always been interested in martial arts and followed MMA. He admitted that he wanted to test his strength in the cage and prove to himself that he could handle the challenge in a real fight.

Bautista's MMA Debut Wasn't the Most Glorious One

Dave Bautista made his MMA debut on October 6, 2012 at the CES MMA tournament in Rhode Island. His opponent was veteran Vince Lucero, who had a negative 22-23 record – far from a top opponent.

Both fighters were over 40 years old and did not put up the best fight: Bautista took a lot of blows standing, and Lucero missed takedowns and failed to defend himself on the ground. It was on the ground that Bautista finished his opponent at the end of the first round, winning by technical knockout.

Bautista Chose Acting Career Over MMA

After the victory, Bautista continued to train, but did not have another fight. The actor explained that he decided not to continue his career in MMA because it was difficult to combine it with the movies. However, there could be another reason – in a real fight, Bautista had small chances of winning – after 40, even fighters who have been training since childhood almost always become uncompetitive.

After the fight, Bautista's technical weakness became apparent, which would not have allowed him to succeed in Strikeforce or any other top division. It's hard to say how Dave would have performed in his youth, but by the time of his debut, he was no longer ready for serious challenges – he was even reeling from punches from a fighter with a negative record.

Dave Bautista will fare much better in the movies: two years after the fight, in 2014, the first part of Guardians of the Galaxy will be released, which will make Dave famous for his role as Drax.