Former WWE champion Bobby Lashley's first MMA opponent has been named for a December fight in Miami. Competing under the "Mixed Fighting Alliance" banner, Lashley will debut against another first-time MMA fighter, Joshua Franklin.

Lashley signed a contract for the American Fight League promotion earlier this spring, but the AFL is ceasing operations until the first quarter of 2009, making Lashley free to fight for another organization.

Lashley says he's ready for his first fight and he won't be coming into the MMA world with just a wrestling background.

"I'm putting it all together," Lashley told MMAjunkie.com. "I'm going into this thing not with just overpowering my own style with wrestling. I'm actually learning everything else. ... So when I debut, it's not going to be a wrestler trying to do MMA. It's going to be a fighter."