Johnny Manziel was once seen as the next great quarterback when he was at Texas A&M. He was the first-ever freshman to win the Heisman award, only to later call up the Cleveland Browns on draft day to encourage them to draft him. Like the long-suffering franchise they are, the Browns did just that, drafting Manziel 22nd overall in 2014.
Manziel would last two seasons in Cleveland before getting cut. He would then have stints in the Canadian Football League, the Alliance of American Football, and in the ill-conceived and short-lived Fan Controlled Football League. Now at 33 years old, and with no one calling him to go under center one last time, Manziel seems to be switching careers.
After years of trying to make it in various football leagues, the former first-round pick is doing what few have done before: entering the world of combat sports after winning a Heisman. That's right, the man formerly known as "Johnny Football" is changing careers, with Manziel set to compete in the 14th Brand Risk Promotions event, taking on Bob Menery in a boxing match.
Brand Risk Promotions Event 14 #BRP14
Johnny Manziel vs Bob Menery π₯
May 23rd, 2026 | SATURDAY π
UFC APEX, Las Vegas, Nevada πΊπΈ
Main Event Announcement π¨ pic.twitter.com/NHBX4e2QGR
β Brand Risk Promotions (@BrandRisk) May 6, 2026
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Manziel will follow in the footsteps of Herschel Walker, the only other Heisman winner to enter combat sports after their career in football ended. Walker was 48 when he had his first career fight for Strikeforce. He'd win that debut and a second fight the following year, before hanging up the gloves.
Walker faced two genuine, but not well-known, MMA fighters. Sure, they were soft matchups, but they were at least competitors in the sport. Menery? Well, he's active in the sports scene. If you count doing voice-over for Buffalo Wild Wings commercials as being part of the "sports scene". That's right, Menery is listed as an 'actor' and 'podcaster' on Google, and is set to face Manziel on May 23, 2026, live from the UFC's Meta Apex center.
Ironically enough, UFC president Dana White doesn't think Menery will show up for his fight with Manziel, making some wonder if the whole thing is just for show. That may be the best outcome to all of this, as Manziel can't afford to lose to a podcaster in his boxing debut. Not if he's looking to go the Jake Paul route and transition into celebrity boxing on a more regular basis.
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