The event will feature wrestlers Brandon Halsey of Cal-State Bakersfield and Mike Moreno a former Fresno City wrestler. Current Cal Poly student Mike Gahan.
The most famous of those alumni is former UFC light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell. The former Cal Poly captain was one of the first, and most successful, wrestlers to make the transition to MMA. His tightly cropped hair, bad-boy image and propensity for knocking out his opponents made him the highest PPV draw for several years inside the Octagon. He's so popular that the UFC retained his services as a businessman and has made him the lead face in many of their developmental projects.
Just like Chuck sells, the organizers of the Fight for Wrestling are hoping that their MMA card will sell to local fans. The most recent wrestlers-turned-star, 2008 NCAA runner-up and current undefeated UFC featherweight Chad Mendes isn't scheduled to appear because he's training, but in his wake a bigger name might appear: Urijah Faber.
"We're hoping he can still make it down from Sacramento," said Buckley. "I coached him for a bit at UC-Davis and think he'll make an appearance if his schedule remains pretty open, but that's one busy dude."
The Fight for Wrestling is hoping to bring in $15,000 or more for one of California's last remaining Division I wrestling programs. Over the past few years several programs including UC Davis, Buckley's alma mater Fresno State and most recently Cal State Fullerton have all terminated their programs due to a lack of institutional backing and funding. As the economic crisis in California and college sports continues to grow it might take more inventive measures to ensure that schools like Cal Poly stay afloat, though Buckley insists that the Mustangs are in good standing.
"We have some incredibly generous alumni and the support of the school," said Buckley who recently signed a 4-year contract with Cal Poly. "This fundraiser is the next step that I think programs need to be making to ensure their financial stability."
The "Fight for Wrestling" isn't the first MMA-lead fundraiser. The Lock Haven wrestling program sponsored a similar event, the Mattown Mayhem, on Sept. 2. Which featured the likes of former wrestlers Steve Mytech and Aaron Anspach (both lost). The numbers are still being worked out but Lock Haven head coach Robbie Waller said they're expecting "some extra cash" to come into the program. In a down economy, every dollar helps.
The MMA community has more money and fan interest in the two sports tend to overlap, making these fight nights a sure-fire fundraiser and likely a financial model that'll be used by several more schools in the future. The Fight for Wrestling card is the fourth in the series and has featured former wrestlers every event, including T.J. Dillashaw, one of the stars of The Ultimate Fighter Season 14.
"Wrestlers love MMA and this fight is a direct way to benefit from that relationship," said Buckley. "I'm excited about the event and what it means to our program. These are going to be great fights."
For more information on the event go to Fightforwrestling.com.
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