67 articles
Michigan native Tim Eschtruth (4-1) has never fought outside his home state. Eschtruth, who trains at the Scorpion Fighting System, has not had to travel very far for his five pro fights. On June 2 at RIZIN 16, he will get his wish to travel far away from home when he has his first fight not […]
RIZIN 16 has a lot of great fights on the card. If there is one fight that is going to be a guaranteed brawl, it’s going to be Japan’s Mamoru “Fullswing” Uoi (21-6-5) vs. Hawaii’s Kana “The One Man Riot” Hyatt (16-19). The two clash Sunday, June 2 in Kobe at the Kobe Memorial World Hall. How […]
USA Wrestling has an embarrassment of riches at 65 kilograms. Yianni Diakomihalis amazed domestic fans with his incredible run at the US Open, then outdid himself by taking out World #1 Bajrang Punia in a wild exhibition bout at Beat the Streets. Diakomihalis teammate and former Cowboy Jordan Oli...
Brazil’s Natan Schulte (15-3-1) got an easy win over China’s Bao Yincang (13-7) when he submitted the Sanda fighter with a rear naked choke in the first round at PFL Season 2 Week 2. The win earns Schulte six points, three for the win and three for the first round stoppage. As of this writing, he...
The hype surrounding 26-year-old Kevin Lee has cooled off substantially after a bizarre showing in his 2018 rematch with Al Iaquinta. The former Division 2 wrestler successfully finished two out of three takedown attempts, choosing to spend the vast majority of the fight striking at mid-range. In...
Following his outstanding 3rd place finish at the Division 1 NCAA wrestling championships in March, two-time All-American Sebastian Rivera published an article titled, “Which Fighting Styles Generate the Most UFC/MMA Champions?” for Vividseats.com. A lifelong wrestler with MMA aspirations of his ...
Since taking over as Bellator MMA president in 2014, Scott Coker has done quite a nice job with his handling of the promotion. Whether it be improving the overall product or building the roster, Coke has undoubtedly taken Bellator to a new level. In addition to signing big-name veterans, Coker ha...
At UFC Fight Night: Barnett vs. Nelson, after Josh Barnett went the distance with “Big Country” Roy Nelson, he made a declaration in his post-fight interview. After being announced the winner, he said “Pro wrestling is strong…” Without pro wrestling, we would not have MMA (and certainly not your ...
READ: Five Class of 2018 Wrestling to MMA Prospects Since the early days of the sport, wrestlers in MMA have made an impact. From the times of Dan Severn and Mark Coleman, to the present day elite, Division 1 wrestlers have had success at the highest level. Men like Tyron Woodley, Frankie Edgar,...
Like in most small towns, high school sports mean everything in Elizabethville, Pennsylvania. The Trojans of Upper Dauphin Area High School have tremendous support from the local community. Each year, the Trojans are successful in sports, relative to their competition. Upper Dauphin isn’t an area...
There are a lot of reasons to love “The Black Beast”, Derrick Lewis. From “my balls was hot” to his legendary post-fight interview against Travis Browne, Lewis has proven to have a candid and endearing personality. He fights with violent bursts, earning ten knockouts out of 12 UFC wins. Derrick L...
Over the past few years, Bellator MMA has collected top prospects from the sport of wrestling. Young phenom Aaron Pico and Penn State champion Ed Ruth captured the public eye early. Bellator has featured them prominently on stacked cards and PPV events. Compton’s Joey Davis has been skating under...
Division 2 program Notre Dame College Wrestling is an MMA prospect factory. Their most famous and successful athlete, Joey Davis, made wrestling history and is turning heads in Bellator MMA. Decorated All-Americans Garrett Lineberger, Jeffery Pelton, Mo Miller, and Dante Rini have successfully ma...
In the opening months of promotion, Donald Cerrone‘s Cowboy Fight Series promised “the best prospects in MMA.” Amidst the fight announcements of top regional amateur and professional MMA talent were stud wrestlers set to make their debuts. Both D1 All-American Pat Downey and U23 world champion Ri...
The wild success of wrestlers in MMA is well documented. Yet, they always seem to sneak up on fans. There isn’t much buzz until they’re on the verge of stardom. Then you’ll hear, “Well of course, look at their wrestling credentials!” Bandwagon fans, the lot of them. Let’s break that trend and get...
In sport of all kinds, specific proving grounds are where stars earn the ignition of their burning inferno. Traditionally in the United States, there are clear pathways for athletes to ascend from amateur status to high profile professional. In American Football, Baseball, Hockey, Basketball, eve...