Following some difficulty finding fights in the amateur ranks, light-heavyweight Terrance Jean-Jacques decided 2018 was the right time for him to turn pro.
And while he didn’t have as much amateur experience as he would have liked in MMA, Jean-Jacques’ wrestling background helped provide the type of experience he feels will help him make a strong start to his pro career.
“I had a few amateur fights and tried to get a few more but a lot of guys kept dropping out, and I sat down with my coaches and everything and we decided this would be the right time to jump in there,” Jean-Jacques told MMAWeekly.com. “I just turned 25, and you can’t be in this sport forever, so we decided to jump in (now).
“I only had three amateur fights, so it wasn’t a lot of experience in the cage, but I’ve wrestled thousands of wrestling matches. Having that competition and knowing what work is needed to get to that level. I don’t think I’ll be far off. “
Along with his amateur wrestling background, Jean-Jacques got to experience a bit of the professional wrestling world when he spent time in the WWE’s developmental system a couple years ago.
“When I was wrestling at Rhode Island College back in 2015, I was wrestling at a national tournament, and (the WWE) had a talent scout that recruited me,” said Jean-Jacques. “I headed out that summer for a tryout. They called me a few months later and I was out in Florida at the start of 2016.
This article first appeared at News – MMAWeekly.com
