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Texans' J.J. Watt Explains Why He Wouldn't Fight in MMA After NFL Retirement
May 30, 2020
Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt won't make a move to mixed martial arts after his NFL career comes to an end.
Speaking to TMZ Sports, Watt (6'5", 288 lbs) explained MMA isn't for him because he can't handle getting kicked in the lower leg (starting at 0:35): "You ever take a Razor Scooter to the ankle? That puts me out for three days! So I'm not looking to take anybody's shin to my shin."
Watt, 31, is an avid UFC fan and has participated in workouts at the Unbreakable Performance Center in Los Angeles run by Jay Glazer, Brian Urlacher and Lindsey Berg:
Throughout his NFL career, Watt has endured serious injuries, ranging from a torn pectoral muscle to a herniated disc in his back to a tibial plateau fracture in his left leg. He has been able to return to the gridiron and play at a high level from each of those setbacks.
Anyone who has ever seen an MMA fight when one of the combatants attacks his opponent's leg with shin kicks, though, understands the damage that can be done over a three- or five-round bout.
