More than a decade after his final NFL appearance, Johnny Manziel stepped into a different kind of spotlight on Saturday, May 23—and walked away with a win. The former Cleveland Browns quarterback defeated social media personality Bob Menery during his MMA debut at the UFC Apex Center in Las Vegas, scoring a first-round stoppage in a celebrity bout promoted by Adin Ross’ Brand Risk Promotions.
According to ESPN, Manziel, 33, wasted little time showing he had done more than just train for the cameras. He mixed in body kicks, landed clean strikes, and secured a takedown before unloading punches from full mount. The referee stopped the fight at the 2:16 mark of the opening round after Menery could no longer defend himself effectively.
Following the bout, Manziel celebrated with the same “money” gesture that became tied to his rise during his college football days.
Even after the dominant showing, Manziel made it clear the combat sports experiment was likely finished as quickly as it started. “This was good enough for one time,” he said after the fight.
The event also featured former NBA players Lance Stephenson and Michael Beasley in the co-main event, with Stephenson winning by first-round submission.
Manziel became a national phenomenon at Texas A&M after becoming the first freshman ever to win the Heisman Trophy, turning “Johnny Football” into one of the biggest names in college sports. He later entered the NFL as a first-round pick by the Browns in 2014, but his pro career lasted just two seasons and was frequently overshadowed by off-field issues and on-field inconsistency.
After leaving the NFL, Manziel bounced through several leagues, including the CFL, the Alliance of American Football, and Fan Controlled Football, while also becoming the subject of Netflix’s controversial Untold: Johnny Football documentary in 2023. The documentary was, at the time, widely criticized for its graphic depiction of Manziel’s off-field habits.
