The MMA Career Path: College Wrestling to Mixed Martial Arts

One thing I learned in college is that there are lots of people who major in psychology. After a while, I learned that there are far less psychologists, psychiatrists, or counselors than there are psych majors. It is vital for anyone with an interest in psychology to have a backup plan. The same is true for college wrestlers; the upper echelon wrestlers can become Olympians or NCAA coaches, but for the overwhelming majority of college wrestlers, a career in wrestling is just not a viable option. This is where the backup plan comes into play. Mixed Martial Arts is a path that an NCAA wrestler can take upon graduation and become quite successful.

Among the many champions that have been crowned in the UFC, a large number of them have spent their college days on a wrestling mat. Names like Dan Severn, Mark Coleman, Matt Hughes, Chuck Liddell, Randy Couture, Tito Ortiz, Rashad Evans, Brock Lesnar, and Dan Henderson have all wrestled in college in addition to holding a title in the UFC.

While that list is impressive, a great deal of college wrestlers have not yet won an MMA title, but have tasted glory on a smaller scale. Fighters like Shane Carwin, Jon Fitch, Josh Koscheck, and Mo Lawal have yet to reach the same level that they attained on the wrestling mat, but all of them stand at the top of the contender’s list in their respective weight class.

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A transition from the mats of a wrestling room to the bright lights of the Octagon can be made possible thanks to several aspects of wrestling that carry over to Mixed Martial Arts. A collegiate wrestler is very familiar with intense physical and mental training as well as maintaining one’s weight within a certain range. In both sports, the competitor must have a set game plan once they step into the arena, so preparation and scouting are important aspects of both sports. A wrestler understands how to physically control an opponent and possesses a certain mat sense that must be acquired from years and years of experience. Finally, as many of the fighters in MMA will show you, wrestling provides a solid skill set that the fighter can fall back on if their additional skills such as striking or submissions may fail to get the desired results.

As the mixed martial arts game progresses and continues to evolve, a fighter cannot simply rely on one aspect of fighting to outweigh all of the other aspects. A fighter has to be well-rounded and knowledgeable in several disciplines in order to make a run at a belt. First and foremost, a wrestler must develop some type of striking, whether it be kickboxing, boxing, muay thai, or another style. Jiu-jitsu defense is also a must if a fighter finds himself in an unfamiliar position and wants to remain in the fight. Another foreign concept for a wrestler is the idea of a cage surrounding the mat. A fighter needs to become aware of the techniques and strategies for implementing the cage as part of the fight.

Of the great number of NCAA schools that participate in wrestling, several have risen above the rest and have produced multiple heavy hitters in the mixed martial arts world. It all started with The Ohio State University, who produced the Hammer House products Mark Coleman and Kevin Randleman, both NCAA National Champions for the Buckeyes. In the early days of the UFC, Coleman became the first heavyweight champion by muscling his opponents to the ground and initiating his style of pummeling the opponent until the fight was stopped. Coleman is credited as the Godfather of Ground & Pound.

More recently, Michigan State has produced two of the finer fighters in the UFC in Rashad Evans and Gray Maynard. Both men still have their wrestling experience to fall back on, but both have developed some serious skill in the stand-up aspect of fighting. In fact, both Rashad and Gray have been known to put opponents in dangerous situations with their standup. If further proof is needed, just re-watch the fight between Rashad and Chuck Liddell if you are skeptical of a wrestler’s ability to evolve into a well-rounded fighter.

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Not to be outdone, Arizona State has produced some trailblazers in the world of mixed martial arts and some young fighters to carry on the torch in years to come. All-American wrestler Dan Severn made a smooth transition from the mat to the cage in the early days of the UFC. Say what you will about Severn’s fashion sense or facial hair, Exhibits A and B, the man could flat out intimidate an opponent and then beat them to a pulp. Not long after Dan Severn, Dan Henderson stepped into the UFC and overseas in Japan’s Pride, and demonstrated excellence in both his dominant ground game and also a fearsome overhand right on his way to holding titles in two divisions. Both Severn and Hendo are still hammering out victories to this day, but a new day is dawning as far as ASU Sun Devils are concerned. The Ultimate Fighter alums C.B. Dollaway and Ryan Bader have risen to the challenge and are making a name for themselves in the UFC, joined by fellow Sun Devils Cain Velasquez (a heavyweight force with heavy hands) and Aaron Simpson.

Other schools with several wrestlers taking the MMA route upon finishing a wrestling career are Oklahoma State (Randy Couture, Mo Lawal, Jake Rosholt, Johny Hendricks) and Minnesota (Brock Lesnar and Jacob Volkmann). These school are joined by notable wrestlers Ben Askren (2-Time National Champion for Missouri), Phil Davis (National Champion for Penn State), Josh Koscheck (National Champion for Edinboro), and others that are just beginning their ascent to the top of the MMA world after finding great success on the wrestling mat.

As history has shown us with the legends and rising stars mentioned earlier, NCAA wrestlers have and will continue to be a dominant force in mixed martial arts. This is a source has not been fully tapped, but should continue to expand as MMA continues to gain more exposure in the United States.

By Curt Heinrichs
ProFighting-fans.com MMA Staff Writer