FOLLOWING HIS PIVOT from the competitive strength sports to boxing in 2020, Eddie Hall is now focusing his efforts on training for his debut in the world of mixed martial arts. The British strongman is currently five weeks out from his first MMA fight in Qatar, against the reigning World's Strongest Man champion . He'll also be facing off against his friend and fellow WSM alumnus , as well as the hulking bodybuilder-turned-boxer .

In a new video on his YouTube channel, Hall spends the day training with a group of professional MMA fighters, including the , who has previously coached him through some fight prep.

"It's been a really hard transition," says Hall. "Obviously doing quite a good period of boxing has taught me some bad habits for MMA."

After a round of warmup drills, Hall begins sparring, starting with a 6'9" Russian MMA fighter who is described by his peers as a "lethal weapon. "I was very cautious with this man," he says. "I didn't want to attack him to be honest, I just wanted to feel each other out."

And it turns out he had good reason to be cautious: just moments into their sparring session, Hall's opponent delivers a head kick that fells him instantly.

"That was a good one," says Hall once he's recovered and upright again.

"Fuck my life. Someone could have told me about that back leg!"

"I thought 'I'll just keep my distance, just work my way in when I can,' and then he just switched, back leg... and I woke up on my back," he adds. "Fair play to him."

However, he takes the humbling moment in good spirits, and calls it a "good wake-up call" for the rest of his sparring.