Great news for Shawne Merriman ... if Batista is too busy to take him up on his fight offer, there's another WWE superstar willing to take his place -- Bobby Lashley!!!
As we previously reported .... the ex-NFL All-Pro linebacker is getting into the MMA game with his own promotion, Lights Out Xtreme Fighting ... and called out Dave freakin' Bautista for a fight in the process.
TMZ Sports spoke to Lashley about the potential matchup .