Herschel Walker: I Think MMA Should Be In The Olympics

At 47 years of age, many people question former NFL star Herschel Walker's sanity in deciding to compete in one of the roughest, most brutal sports around... mixed martial arts.

The former Olympian says his choice, among other reasons, has a lot to do with his love of the sport and wanting to see it advance to the level of respectability other sports enjoy.

"I want to show people that this is a great sport. I think it should be an Olympic sport," he declares, himself having competed as a bob sledder in the 1992 Olympics in Albertville, France.

"This sport is better than a lot of people are giving it credit."

Despite MMA's perceptions as a dangerous sport, Walker believes that the danger factor isn't what it seems, saying it is safer than other, more mainstream sports.

"I think people think this sport is brutal because of the blood, but I think it's safer than football or boxing right now. I think the blood make it look like it's a brutal sport, but it's not. I'd love to see it in the mainstream."

Herschel Walker is scheduled to make his MMA debut against Greg Nagy at the Jan. 30 Strikeforce: Miami event in Florida.