At some point, Shawne Merriman’s entry into combat sports began to feel like an inevitability. A question of when, not if.
A 6-foot-4 behemoth who wrecked havoc upon NFL offenses in a past life, Merriman became a common sight at Bellator events over the past years. He was dubbed a celebrity ambassador by the promotion, a thickly muscled three-time Pro Bowler who would roar from cageside as Benson Henderson and Patricio Freire waged war for the television audience. He was fascinated by it all. He sparred Tito Ortiz for a Bellator featurette.