Former WWE Tough Enough contestant Jeremiah Riggs is fighting at tonight's Bellator event. His fight against Trey Houston is scheduled to be broadcast on the Spike TV website. Riggs recently spoke with The Fight Club Chicago's Steven Muehlhausen. You can listen to the full interview at Sportstownchicago.com/fightclub.

Riggs on why he felt he had a bullseye on him from the WWE due to his MMA background: "I think I had a bullseye on me from the word go. I really do. I never got it. I laugh about it because I don't know shit about this. What's the big beef between wrestlers and MMA? Hell, when did all of that start? Are people mad because a professional athlete like Brock Lesnar was?

"He was good at what he did in wrestling. Everybody thought that would be a fluke when he came over to MMA. Guess what, he put his foot in everybody's mouth and up there ass and he became the UFC Heavyweight Champion and it still well know today. He can go do either or. I myself, I may have never worn no gold around my waist, but in my mind mentally, physically and everything I've proven.

"I come over to an MMA world only from an opportunity to come over into the wrestling world and I kicked ass in it. I really believe I did more than what was expected. I believe I blew the USA people away. I believe I blew Bill (Demott) away. I believe I blew Stone Cold away. I believe I blew everybody expectations, like this guy is not gonna make it past the week.

"He's gonna be unorthodox. Let me remind you, I'm a professional athlete. I pride myself. There's a lot of athletes out there, but I'm a professional athlete. I think that some people and I'm not that kind of person that judge you if you were a baseball player. I don't give a damn if you did ballet. You come into my sport and your good at it, I'm gonna give you props. I think the attitude towards people at FCW were, 'Oh well, I'm wrestler, you think your coming over into my world?'

"Well buddy, it's not that I did or I did not come into your world. I came into your world and I'm kicking your ass in your world and there's nothing you can do about it, but I did not take it in with that attitude. I shook hands, I was very open to criticism. I was very open to positive and negative situations because I was there to learn. I didn't give a damn if someone liked me or disliked me. That's on there personal level. But, I didn't anything personally because it's a business. Yeah, I think I did have a bullseye on me right from the gate. A lot of people either liked it or disliked it. I think I overshadowed a lot of people there and it made them discomfortable in there own world."

Other Interview Topics

-His return to MMA.

-Whether he had talks with Zuffa/UFC.

-How Steve Austin was and still a big influence.

-Riggs being critical of Bill DeMott.

RECOMMEND THIS ARTICLE: