MMAmania.com first reported last month that former WWE superstar Bobby Lashley would make his professional mixed martial arts debut on the first-ever Mixed Fight Alliance (MFA) event set for the American Airlines Arena in Miami, Fla., on December 13.
Today, we were able to confirm that the upstart promotion announced that fellow MMA newcomer Joshua Franklin will be his opponent.
Lashley is a three-time national collegiate champion wrestler from Missouri Valley College. His sheer size and strength, along with his extensive wrestling background, have unsurprisingly drawn comparisons to UFC heavyweight title contender Brock Lesnar.
He's currently under contract with the American Fight Leauge (AFL), but is making his debut under the MFA banner on loan because the AFL has decided to hold off on its first event until the Spring of 2009.
Not much is known about Lashley's opponent, Joshua Franklin, other than he's a 30-year-old fighter making his pro debut with a background in boxing and Brazilian jiu jitsu.
The main event of MFA: "There Will Be Blood" will be a heavyweight rematch between former UFC champion Ricco "Suave" Rodriguez (34-9) and Jeff "The Snowman" Monson (26-8). The two men previously fought at UFC 35 almost seven years ago with Ricco winning by third round technical knockout.
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