Former England rugby international James Haskell has signed with mixed martial arts promotion Bellator.
Haskell, 34, will compete in Bellator’s heavyweight division and could make his professional debut in 2020, the promotion said in a press release on Thursday.
The former flanker earned 77 England caps during a 17-year international career and played in both the 2011 and 2015 Rugby World Cups. Haskell retired from rugby at the end of the last season.
According to the press release, Haskell has shown an interest in MMA for several years and has previously trained alongside British MMA star Michael “Venom” Page.
Weighing in at 260 lbs and standing at 6 ft 4 in, Haskell is expected to train in 2019 ahead of a potential debut in the first half of 2020. He will be unveiled at a press conference on Wednesday Aug. 28.