CFL Edmonton Eskimo Football Player Fights In MMA Event

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Could he be the next Bo Jackson?

From what I know, Mike Maurer is the first athlete who is a professional athlete (he's from the CFL - Canadian Football League) who is competing in a mixed martial arts event.

Bob Sapp did come from the NFL to become a superstar in Japan, but that was after his brief football career.

From The Edmonton Sun:

On March 10th, the Edmonton Eskimo is taking part in the Maximum Fighting Championship, No Excuses event, at the Shaw Conference centre.

It'll be Maurer's first fight.

"I've watched UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championships) from the beginning and was always a fan," Maurer said. "In Regina I was looking for something to do. As I picked up some ju-jitsu, I watched every event and you gain a greater appreciation for it."

The toughest part may have been convincing his employer to let him take part.

The last thing the Eskimos want to see is one of their players get hurt - especially off the football field.

Yet Maurer was determined to get in the ring.

"It's a relatively safe sport," Maurer said. "If someone gets you in a hold or whatever, you just have to know when to tap out before you get hurt. Like I told the Eskimos, the greatest risk I feel is breaking a bone in your hand."

Regardless, the team needed some convincing. Actually a lot of convincing.

"They had to warm up to it. Initially they were pretty concerned," Maurer said. "That's just from the lack of knowledge about the sport. They weren't really sure of the rules, and they thought it was pretty barbaric. But as I explained the rules to them and the safety precautions that take place every match, they became more comfortable with it."

See the rest of the article here

Good luck to Mike Maurer in his first fight!