By James Caldwell, PWTorch columnist

Bobby Lashley [artist Joseph Borzotta (c) PWTorch]

Bobby Lashley is "jazzed up" for his MMA debut fight on Saturday night in Miami, and he knows it won't mean anything until he proves that's he a capable MMA fighter after spending a few years in WWE.

"When I had some time off after my (shoulder) injury, I had the opportunity to roll around with some of the MMA guys," Lashley told Alex Marvez for his weekly syndicated column. "That's when I had that burning desire to become a fighter again. Even when I was wrestling (in WWE), I always had the urge to grab somebody and start throwing punches."
In previous interviews, Lashley has remained positive about his WWE experience. Talking to Marvez, he opened up a little about the backstage political forces working against him, much like Brock Lesnar.

"I'm not going to say there weren't people there who tried to make things difficult for me," said Lashley. "There are some guys there who won't even warm up before a match and just go out and do blah, blah, blah."

He continued: "I didn't have the same skills yet as some people there. But I was working at it all the time and at the gym to make my appearance as good as possible. Sometimes in life, you have to work around things and keep climbing. I tried, but I was fighting a losing battle."

Lashley eventually gave into his MMA dream and left the company after discussing it with Vince McMahon. Now, he finds himself in a similar position to Brock Lesnar, even though Lashley's debut will be with MFA and not UFC.

"Eventually we'll cross paths, whether it's fighting, training, talking, or shaking hands," Lashley said. "We'll see which it is."

Link: Lashley interview with Alex Marvez.

FYI: Lashley's MMA debut is Saturday night at the American Airlines Arena in Miami, Fla. Lashley will be fighting another MMA debuter, Josh Franklin, on the Mixed Fighting Alliance promotion's "There Will Be Blood" card.

RELATED STORY at PWTorch.com: Lashley says joining WWE wasn't just about the money.

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