With Matt Hughes employing an amateur wrestling headlock to choke his way to victory over Ricardo Almeida at UFC 117, I figured the time was right to feature some more nasty amateur action – in this case, some slams. Now some of these moves aren’t strictly legal in the legal sense of the word, but they’re all incredibly painful to watch. Let’s get to the action.
Wrestling Slam
You have to blame the recipient for this one – instead of pivoting to go down on his back, he tried to fight it and ended up going on his tender little head. Apparently he got back up and continued the match, which just proves that teenagers are indestructable.
Cary Kolat Backflip
This is just freaking sick – when his opponent went for a single-leg takedown, Pennsylvania high school student and future Olympian Cary Kolat whipped out a full backflip to escape it. Bravo.
Best Example of an Illegal Slam Ever
This is obviously a completely illegal slam – in amateur wrestling, for a slam to be legal, the person delivering it has to touch a knee to the ground before any part of the recipient’s body hits, preventing high-impact injury. This was a high-impact injury, and the dude laying it down is psyched. Read more...(469 words, estimated 1:53 mins reading time)
Dave Meltzer talks to Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal. After covering his life-long enthusiasm for pro wrestling and long standing habit of obsessively watching tape on competitors they get to Lawal’s transition from amateur wrestling to MMA:
He didn’t quite get that gold, but he did win national titles in 2005 and 2008, as well as gold at the 2007 Pan American Games. Considered having medal potential in 2008, Lawal was matched against fellow American Andy Hrovat in a best-of-three series to determine who would make the Olympic team. Hrovat, who Lawal beat for the ’08 national title, won the third match by scoring with seven seconds left.
“I already knew that was my last year in amateur wrestling,” he said. And as soon as he lost at the trials, he knew he was MMA-bound.
Daniel Cormier talks to Ben Fowlkes and credits Lawal with leading him into the MMA world:
“Really, it was Mo, man. Mo was just on me all the time, saying, ‘You got to try this. You could be good at it.’ And once I started doing it I was like, I really like this. It’s fun. But honestly, I think Mo played the biggest part in it. He was always on me telling me how good it was.” Read more...(751 words, 1 image, estimated 3:00 mins reading time)
It’s late May on the campus of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and Mott Gym is packed. This is a welcome sight for Lennis Cowell and John Azevedo, who fondly remember the halcyon days when wrestling drew more than 2,000 fans — four times today’s average — to dual meets against Cal State Bakersfield, the California coast school’s rival.
Tonight’s event won’t feature the oldest sport known to man, but it is of that tradition. And in its name.
“Fight for Wrestling” — a professional mixed-martial-arts show aimed, in this instance, at raising funds for a Cal Poly program, conceivably on the chopping block, that boasts two national champions, 110 All-Americas and one of the best MMA fighters of all time — is finally debuting. The evening culminates a three-year process in which promoters, boosters and alumni (in some cases one in the same) attempted to bring it on campus.
This is what preventive maintenance in the name of saving Division I collegiate wrestling could look like, according to a growing contingent of wrestling supporters. Read more...(1659 words, 1 image, estimated 6:38 mins reading time)
Name: Ryan “Darth” Bader
Promotion: UFC
Division: Light Heavyweight
Height: 6 ft 2 in
Reach: 74 in
Record: 11-0
Specializes: Wrestling
Career summary: Ryan Bader developed most of his game from an excellent collegiate wrestling background. After his amateur wrestling career saw him notch 120 wins, become a three time all PAC 10 and a two time All American, Bader made the move to MMA. He began his career dominating lesser known opponents in small promotions; it wasn’t until he landed a spot on The Ultimate Fighter season eight that he saw his career take off. While on the show he breezed through the competition and earned his way into the finals, taking out Vinny Magalhaes in round one by knock out to become the season eight light heavyweight winner. He then made a successful post TUF debut defeating Carmelo Marrero by unanimous decision. Since then he has gone on to dominate Eric Schafer by unanimous decision, and most recently he earned a KO win over UFC veteran and TUF season two alumni Keith Jardine. Read more...(685 words, 1 image, estimated 2:44 mins reading time)
No one stopped 17-year-old Jerod Botts of Waverly from climbing into the cage for a mixed martial arts fight even though he was underage, didn’t have a parent’s permission and had never fought before. An experienced fighter beat him badly, leaving him with a broken nose, a cracked eye socket and vision damage.
When 20-year-old Zach Kirk of Shenandoah was paralyzed from the neck down in an amateur fight, the promoter who staged the event didn’t offer to pay medical expenses — and wasn’t required by law to do so.
The fist-pumping adrenaline rush and freewheeling style of combat draws young fighters despite the danger. The intoxicating swirl of bloody spectacle, thumping music and alcohol attracts crowds to bars and concert halls across Iowa.
Industry insiders, in interviews with The Des Moines Register, said they love the sport, but they believe certain practices in Iowa’s amateur fight scene lead to exploitation and injuries and need to be cleaned up.
Iowa is one of 15 states with no regulation of amateur mixed martial arts fights. Amateur fighting is illegal in six states. Other states have either regulation by state officials or oversight by a third-party sanctioning body. Read more...(1337 words, estimated 5:21 mins reading time)
Phil Davis, 2008 NCAA Division I 184-pound champ for Penn State, will be competing at UFC 109: Relentless at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas on Saturday, February 6.
Davis, who signed with UFC just last month, will be facing former World Extreme Cagefighting champion Brian Stann, who played football at the US Naval Academy.
A four-time NCAA All-American wrestler, Davis built a 116-20 collegiate career with the Nittany Lions. The 25-year-old Harrisburg, Pennsylvania native owns a 4-0 professional MMA record, having competed inside the Palace Fighting Championship, Ultimate Warrior Challenge and Ultimate Cage Fighting Challenge promotions. In Davis’ most recent MMA event in June, he submitted David Baggett with a rear-naked choke in 3:37.
It is often said that one of the best bases to have as a mixed martial artist is wresting. Wrestling, in all of its forms, is a sport that is all about leverage and control.
Many fighters who have come from a strong wrestling background have found great success. Just look across the MMA landscape today as it is littered with champion wrestlers making the transition to the sport.
The reason wrestlers have excelled in MMA is not due solely to wrestling itself. Wrestlers are successful because of the drive, determination, and work ethic that they bring with them.
If there is one man who epitomizes wrestling, drive, determination, and work ethic, it is Dan Gable.
After an undefeated prep wrestling career, the three-time Iowa state wrestling champion chose to attend Iowa State University. While at Iowa State, Gable continued his winning ways by capturing three Big Eight Championships, earning All-American honors all three years.
The only defeat that Gable suffered during his collegiate career came at the hands of Larry Owings. That loss came during the NCAA finals his senior year. That loss helped to fuel a fire inside Gable, a fire that would lead him to greatness. Read more...(465 words, estimated 1:52 mins reading time)
The former University of Minnesota wrestling All-American and current Ultimate Fighting Champion heavyweight title holder in an interview credited God — and not steroids — for his physique.
By PAUL WALSH, Star Tribune
Former University of Minnesota wrestling All-American Brock Lesnar, the current Ultimate Fighting Champion heavyweight title holder, took a swipe at President Obama in an interview and bragged that he is “built like a black man” as he credited God — and not steroids — for his physique.
Lesnar’s smorgasbord of comments came in an interview with Maxim that was published in May and posted Friday on Fightline.com, a website that covers mixed-martial arts, ultimate fighting and other forms of professional wrestling.
Lesnar was a two-time All-American and 2000 NCAA heavyweight champion for the Gophers. His post-college career took off when he became a star with the WWE for two years, a part of his life that he recalled with some regret.
“You live a double life,” the 285-pound Lesnar said. “I was tired of trying to be who I was in the ring and then coming home for two days to be normal. They didn’t allow you to be. The guys who get out are the smart ones, really and truly.” Read more...(398 words, 1 image, estimated 1:36 mins reading time)
YOKOHAMA – Greco-Roman wrestling champion Joe Warren upset local favorite Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto Tuesday at the Dream 9 Featherweight Grand Prix 2009 Second Round.
“Kid Yamamoto is a champion, and I respect him,” said the 32-year-old American from the winner’s circle, “but a lot of these champions have been on top for a long time, and it’s my job to crush them!”
Yamamoto, who had not fought since New Year’s Eve 2007, got a bye in the Featherweight GP’s first round. His return to action from knee surgery was the big story on tonight’s card – but Warren had his own ideas regarding the ending.
The tone for this one was set during the referee’s pre-fight instructions, when Yamamoto appeared ready to hug his opponent. Warren accepted a handshake, but swatted away Yamamoto’s second hand. This was a hard-fought bout that went the distance.
Warren started light on his feet, and Yamamoto sent him reeling with an early front kick. The American reset, and closed with uppercuts before getting the first of his throwdowns from the clinch. Repeatedly, Warren the wrestler closed for takedowns. Yamamoto, who has a pretty good ground game himself, elected to stand and strike here, and made a strategy of meeting his opponent’s advances with kicks, knees and the clinch. Warren accepted, going into the over-and-under clinch and trading knees with the Kid. Read more...(2155 words, 1 image, estimated 8:37 mins reading time)
Johnstown’s Carlton Haselrig’s first mixed martial arts cage fight in his hometown started the same way countless others have: With a takedown by the former six-time national NCAA wrestling champion.
But Haselrig’s debut in the Cambria County War Memorial Arena got a little more interesting when opponent Chris Larkin managed a vicious headlock and the two grappled intensely until Hasselrig freed his head and took control.
Unlike NCAA rules, punching is allowed in mixed martial arts. The hometown crowd erupted as Haselrig pushed the more-experienced fighter against the cage fence and opened what he later called “a barrage of punches” on Larkin’s head, face and body.
It didn’t take long for the referee to see Larkin had enough.
He stopped the fight at 3:18 in the first round, upping Haselrig’s professional record to 3-1. Larkin drops to 6-6-1.
After the fight, Haselrig took time to greet fans and pose for pictures with former coaches at Pitt-Johnstown, where he earned six national wrestling championships before going on to a pro football career as a lineman for the Steelers.
Home cooking was the icing on his latest victory, Haselrig said. Read more...(454 words, estimated 1:49 mins reading time)
