Great news for Shawne Merriman ... if Batista is too busy to take him up on his fight offer, there's another WWE superstar willing to take his place -- Bobby Lashley!!!
As we previously reported .... the ex-NFL All-Pro linebacker is getting into the MMA game with his own promotion, Lights Out Xtreme Fighting ... and called out Dave freakin' Bautista for a fight in the process.
TMZ Sports spoke to Lashley about the potential matchup ... and while he thinks that's cool and all, Bobby's got a better opponent in mind ... himself!!!
"Shawne Merriman, if he wanted to do it, sure. Call me up. I'll train, I'll fight. I would do it."
Look, Bobby ain't a scrub -- not only is he a wrestling champ, but he's also got a 15-2 career record in MMA.
So ... you still think this is a good idea, Shawne???