After 13 years of hard work, a WWE legend’s efforts were rewarded with the BJJ Brown Belt. The former World Heavyweight Champion was given the belt by Nate Diaz’s coach Cesar Gracie. The star is none other than ‘The Animal’ Dave Batista.
Dave Bautista, also known as Batista, is a former professional wrestler turned actor. While he is best known for his time in the WWE as the powerhouse wrestler Batista, he has also ventured into different fields based on his interests. Most notably, he has made a name for himself as an actor. He also established himself as a prominent actor by being featured in multiple Hollywood blockbusters.
Dave Bautista has trained in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ). Brazilian jiu-jitsu is a martial art and combat sport that focuses on grappling and ground fighting techniques. It emphasizes the use of leverage and technique to overcome larger opponents. Meanwhile, Batista recently achieved a milestone in the sport. In his recent Instagram post, The Animal showcased his brown belt in BJJ.
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Along with a picture of his brown belt, Batista also expressed his love for BJJ in the caption. He wrote, “I started training BJJ with @cesargraciebjj @graciefighterph in 2010 and even though I got my as* handed to me by everyone at the academy, I immediately fell in love. It’s a puzzle I’ll never solve and if you know me, you know I get obsessed with things I can’t figure out”.
The former World Heavyweight Champion further added how after training for BJJ from 2010 to 2014, he was unable to endure his training for 7 years until 2021 due to his robust Hollywood schedule.
He also dedicated himself for months to martial arts. And he finally received the brown belt honor from his trainers at the Cesar Gracie Jiu-Hitsu Gym in Tampa, Florida. Cesar Gracie also trained MMA stars such as Nate Diaz.
Is Batista ready for a WWE or MMA return amid his BJJ training?
Batista wrestled his last match in his illustrious WWE career back in 2019 against Triple H. While he didn’t announce his retirement yet, he once stated he is done with wrestling. However, rumors of The Animal’s return to the squared circle recently when he was spotted with WWE star, Titus O’Neil during BJJ training. However, there is no update on that yet.
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As for MMA, Dave Bautista had a brief stint in Mixed Martial Arts as well. In 2010, Bautista made his MMA debut under the promotion of CES MMA (Classic Entertainment and Sports) and won his first fight by knockout against Vince Lucero. Despite this initial victory, Bautista did not continue his MMA career in a consistent manner.
Meanwhile, after achieving success in various fields, The Animal could resume his MMA career at the age of 54. Hence, it remains to be seen what Batista has in mind regarding his forthcoming future.