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Former Texas A&M QB and Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel won his MMA debut.
Just when you think former Texas A&M quarterback and 2012 Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel has done every possible post-career, fame-grabbing thing he could, he zags on us, just like he did when he was lighting up the scoreboard for the Aggies.
The latest example? Manziel’s MMA debut on Saturday night in Las Vegas, where he defeated social media influencer Bob Menery with a 1st round TKO.
“Former NFL quarterback Johnny Manziel appears to have found his new calling in a different sport,” Bleacher Report’s Doric Sam wrote. “Manziel made his MMA debut on Saturday night at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and defeated social media influencer Bob Menery by first-round TKO. The 2012 Heisman Trophy winner landed some kicks to the body and scored a takedown before moving to full mount and landing some hard strikes before the referee stepped in with 44 seconds remaining in the opening round.”
That’s a generous retelling of a fight in which no hard strikes were landed on either side, and the most exciting thing that happened was when Manziel took a wild swing at Menery and almost fell to the canvas.
While we have all grown accustomed to Manziel’s struggle to stay relevant following the end of his football career – and willingness to do almost anything to do so — seeing him in the ring was still jarring.
And, also, kind of hilarious.
“Former Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Football Manziel just won his first MMA fight against Bob Menery in a round 1 knockout,” Big Biz The God wrote on his official X account. “Yes, this is a real sentence.”
“Johnny football on the verge of taking over the combat sports world,” D’Sean wrote on his official X account.
“Johnny Manziel having better grappling than most of the UFC heavyweight division is a sentence I didn’t think I would ever say but here we are,” Zombie Man Jay wrote on his official X account.
“Bob is soft like baby (expletive),” Nick Papagorgio wrote on his official X account. “Just shocked he showed up. He looks like a scared middle schooler.”
“I’m up at 2:30 am watching Johnny Manziel do MMA,” Jay MMA wrote on his official X account. “What happened to my sport?”
Afterward, Manziel said it was likely his 1st and last MMA fight.
“I need a cigarette,” Manziel told the in-ring interviewer.
Manziel left Texas A&M as 1 of the greatest quarterbacks in college football history and the 1st freshman to ever win the Heisman Trophy and was a 1st-round pick (No. 22 overall) by the Cleveland Browns in the 2014 NFL draft.
He lasted just 2 seasons in Cleveland before he was released following a series of off-field and substance-abuse issues, before playing 1 season in the Canadian Football League, 1 season for the Memphis Tigers in the short-lived Alliance of American Football, and finally, 2 seasons for the FCF Zapppers in the Fan Controlled Football League in 2021 and 2022.
The Zappers are owned by former MLB pitcher Trevor May, former Pro Bowl running back Dalvin Cook, and Menery.
Tony Adame covers the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Commanders, Dallas Cowboys, Baltimore Ravens, Philadelphia Eagles and Denver Broncos. A veteran sports writer and editor since 2004, his work has been featured at Stadium Talk, Yardbarker, NW Florida Daily News and Pensacola News Journal. More about Tony Adame
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