LONDON – Mixed martial arts isn’t a sport you can just jump into on a whim, so when a big name from the sporting world signs up to fight for one of the world’s biggest MMA organizations, it’s going to attract attention. That’s exactly what’s happening here in England, where a well-known former rugby union star has opted to cut short his sporting retirement to pull on the four-ounce gloves and fight as a Bellator heavyweight. His name is James Haskell , he’s six-foot-four, weighs around 260 pounds and he’s anything but a novice when it comes to competing at the highest level of sport. Haskell has played rugby union for England 77 times and toured with the British and Irish Lions – the highest level of recognition for a rugby union player from these shores. In May, after a 17-year career, he announced his retirement
Read more: