Former WWE Star Jack Swagger Scores Submission Victory At Bellator 221

Jake Hager, formerly WWE Superstar Jack Swagger, improved to 2-0 with a submission victory over T.J. Jones at Bellator 221, but not without some controversy. After tapping him with a triangle choke 2:36 into the first round, he didn’t release the hold right away, earning the ire of the fans and of the referee. Boos were especially loud during his post-fight interview with John McCartney, in which he addressed the incident (h/t MMAJunkie):

“I meant no disrespect, but you’re going to have to make me stop. I thought the referee was him. You all can boo me all you want, but you’re not in here right now.” Hager stated. “I knew once I got on top, he’s not getting up.”

Clips of the event can be seen in the tweets below:

Jake Hager held onto the choke even after the fight had been stopped. Wtf.🙄#Bellator221 pic.twitter.com/8rmyXscwPD

— ۞𝙆𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙈𝙮𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙘™👑|𝘿𝙉𝙉𝙏𝙄𝘾 ♡ (@MysticPabbz) May 12, 2019

💪@RealJackSwagger gets the W tonight via submission.

Our main card continues on 📲 @DAZN_USA!
and @SkySports in the 🇬🇧. pic.twitter.com/ARQyXqoPxy

— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) May 12, 2019

Jake Hager exits the cage after his win at #bellator221. pic.twitter.com/OA7AXWhhqY

— Nick Baldwin (@NickBaldwinMMA) May 12, 2019

Bellator 221 Results: Jack Swagger Stops TJ Jones Via Arm-Triangle Choke!(Highlights) – Mixed Martial Arts News – https://t.co/r0OEFnt3kY pic.twitter.com/ngUbFkmxvv

— Boxing News Now (@Boxing_NewsNow) May 12, 2019