By James Caldwell, Torch assistant editor

Former WWE/TNA wrestler Bobby Lashley returns to MMA fighting Friday night in Lubbock, Texas for the first of three contracted fights for the Shark Fights promotion. The event will be taped to air on FUEL TV in December.

Lashley (6-1) has not fought since March when he defeated John Ott in unimpressive fashion on a Titan Fighting Championships card. Shark Fights signed Lashley to a three-fight deal after Lashley and Titan could not work out a deal for a second fight.

Lashley's opponent will be Karl Knothe (17-5), who was the last of the last-minute opponents Shark Fights attempted to book for Lashley's return fight.

Competing for the promotion's Heavyweight Title, Lashley enters the fight with a 47-pound advantage over Knothe. Shark Fights lists Lashley's weight as 252 lb. compared to Knothe's 205 lbs.

In-between fights, Lashley has dabbled in pro wrestling again and even announced he was open to independent wrestling bookings. It created questions on Lashley's MMA commitment, as the key for Lashley in his return fight will be showing advancement in his skills and conditioning.

Early in his MMA career, Lashley was able to finish opponents early in fights, which did not stretch him physically. Lashley blamed his first MMA loss in August 2010 on an illness, but the loss also exposed his conditioning when pushed to two full rounds.

In Lashley's return fight in March 2011 when he outlasted Ott by slowing down the fight, more questions came up about conditioning and whether Lashley can compete at a high level in MMA or simply get by on his size and amateur wrestling background.

Entering his return fight with a 47-pound weight advantage places Lashley in a similar situation. Lashley can try to get by using his size and strength advantage or show that he has advanced as a fighter by incorporating more skills and disciplines to go with his power.

[Torch photo credit Mike Lano (c) PWTorch.com]

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