"Sorry haters!"

That was the short and sweet tweet from former World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Champion Dave Bautista, known as "Batista" inside the squared circle, as he recently booked his mixed martial arts (MMA) debut for Oct. 6, 2012 in Providence, Rhode Island.

That's where the 43-year-old bruiser will face off against Newburgh's Rashid Evans, who also makes his professional fighting debut. "Smash" is 1-2 in amateur competition, having last competed at the Holiday Inn in Foxboro.

From TMZ:

The 43-year-old powerhouse signed with the CES MMA league -- and is all set up to fight on October 6 at the Duncan Doughnuts Theater in Providence, Rhode Island. We're told Batista -- 6'6" and 290 lbs -- will square up against some dude named Rashid Evans ... not to be confused with UFC hurt-maker Rashad Evans. Sources connected to the deal tell us ... the fight WILL be televised ... but it's unclear which provider will broadcast the fight.

Bautista is the owner of the Gracie Fighter Gym in Tampa, Florida, and has trained in combat sports over the past several years. Now, it's finally time to see if he can put his money where his mouth is.

Who's interested?