UNCASVILLE, Conn. – Bobby Lashley said he felt the nerves, but he also felt confident, which is a reason he said his return to the cage at Friday’s Bellator 123 event was a success.

Now, with a second-round submission victory over Josh Burns (8-8 MMA, 0-5 BMMA) (watch the video highlights), Lashley (11-2 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) wants to keep the momentum going.

On Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., Lashley returned from a 10-month MMA layoff – and a four-year break from the major promotions – for a successful Bellator debut. But now that the TNA heavyweight champion is splitting time between MMA and pro wrestling, he wants to make his trips to the cage more frequent.

“I don’t know when the (next) fight is going to be because I have obligations to TNA, and at the same time have I have obligations to the Bellator,” he said. “But we’re going to try to figure out something. Hopefully I can fight real soon.”

Lashley, a Kansas native who wrestled in college in nearby Missouri, said he’d even be open to a quick turnaround and would be willing to fight next month during a planned Bellator event in Kansas.

“I can do that,” he said. “I’m from there, man. … If I have the opportunity to fight in Kansas City, I’m always open to it.”

As for a possible opponent, Lashley said he’s open to any matchups. He said he doesn’t want to call out anyone by name since it can be seen as disrespectful.

“I’m never the type to call out people,” he said. “I don’t want to be known as that. I don’t want to be that.”

However, during the organization’s “Countdown” show for Bellator 123, Lashley mentioned fellow heavyweight and fellow Bellator 123 winner Cheick Kongo (22-9-2 MMA, 4-1 BMMA) at one point.

It’d be a step up in competition for Lashley; Kongo is currently ranked No. 14 in the USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA heavyweight rankings, and he’d arguably be the biggest and most accomplished name on Lashley’s resume. And since the 38-year-old Lashley knows he has only so many years left in the sport, he said he’d respectfully welcome such a matchup.

“I’m not having too many runs (left),” he said. “I’m not going to be taking time off and coming back and forth. This is going to be my last run. I’m going to hit it as hard as I can.

“Since I’m hitting it as hard as I can, you have to look at the bigger names in the heavyweight division, and Cheick is definitely one of them. … If I have an opportunity (to fight him), yeah, I’d love to.”

For more on Bellator 123, check out the MMA Events section of the site.