Strongmen are headed to the octagon. 2023 World’s Strongest Man (WSM) Mitchell Hooper is taking his talents to mixed martial arts (MMA). On Oct. 18, 2023, the Canadian announced via his YouTube channel that he would fight the 2017 WSM champion, Eddie Hall, in an MMA tournament on Feb. 17, 2024, at Lusail Stadium in Qatar. Learn why Hooper is testing his hand at fisticuffs below:
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Mitchell Hooper & Mixed Martial Arts
From marathon running to strongman to MMA. Hooper and Hall’s fight is in conjunction with an MMA tournament that also features recently retired four-time WSM champion Brian Shaw and British bodybuilder Martyn Ford. They will compete against each other, bracket-style, to determine an overall victor.
The tournament, titled “The Finisher’s Championship, ” will be Hooper’s first foray into the fighting world. He’s never competed in MMA before but is excited for the challenge. Hooper intends to create plenty of content during his fight training.
The tournament features a potential $300 million USD prize pool. While the four strength athletes compete in their bracket, the main event features 12 fighters in a winner-take-all tournament using Bellator MMA rules; head drops and kicks while on the ground are legal. Hall and Hooper’s bout will consist of three two-minute rounds.
Hooper’s Strongman Future
With the fight happening in February and strongman events like the Arnold Strongman Classic, Arnold Strongman UK, and WSM typically a month or two later, it puts Hooper in a precarious position. Hooper is the reigning Arnold Strongman Classic and WSM champion. He plans to train for all three strongman events while simultaneously training to be well-conditioned for his fight.
Hooper will double down on the strength training post-fight to defend his WSM title. Until then, the hype for Hooper vs. Hall has begun.
Featured image: @mitchellhooper on Instagram
