InterMat Staff

Peyton Omania celebrates after a win at the Junior Worlds (Kadir Caliskan, United World Wrestling) EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Michigan State wrestling redshirt freshman Peyton Omania has elected to take an Olympic redshirt for the 2019-20 season, MSU wrestling head coach Roger Chandler announced Wednesday. Omania, from Concord, Calif., will take the year off to train in hopes to make the 2020 USA Wrestling Greco-Roman Olympic Team at 67 kilograms. "Peyton is a world class Greco-Roman wrestler and the time is right for him to completely focus on making the 2020 Olympic Team," Chandler said. "He is getting better every time he steps on the mat and this is a unique opportunity for him to place the majority of his training towards Greco-Roman." The three-time World Championships team USA member most recently collected a bronze medal at the 2019 Greco-Roman Junior World Championships in Tallinn, Estonia. Omania recorded a 5-1 outing at the Championships, including three tech fall wins on his way to the semifinals. After falling to 2019 European Junior Champion Giorgi Shotadze of Georgia, Omania bounced back to knock off Xin Huang (6-5) of China to bring home the bronze medal for Team USA. Omania became the first Spartan wrestler to earn a world medal since Franklin Gomez's silver medal at the 2011 World Championships in Istanbul.

The oldest and greatest sport continues to welcome growing numbers of participants at the high school level. The number of girls and boys participating in high school wrestling showed continued growth during the 2018-19 school year, bucking a trend of lower participation rates in high school sports overall, according to a report issued by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) on Monday. Boys' wrestling was one of four sports ranked among the top ten to see an increase in the number of participants. During the 2018-19 school year, 1,877 more boys went out for high school wrestling than in the previous year. (247,411 boy wrestlers in high school during the 2018-19 school year vs. 245,564 in 2017-18.) Girls' wrestling continued to see incredible growth. This past school year, 4,562 more girls participated in high school wrestling than in the previous academic year -- a 27% increase in just one year. (21,124 girls wrestled in high school in the 2018-19 school year compared to 16,562 in 2017-18.) These growth trends in boys' and girls' wrestling counter an overall decline in sports participation levels. During the 2018-19 school year, 7,937,491 high school students participated in sports ... a decline of 43,395 from the 2017-18 school year. This is the first decline in overall participation levels since the 1988-89 school year. The biggest contributors to the decline: football and basketball, each seeing fewer participants. This year's survey -- officially titled the 2018-19 High School Athletics Participation Survey, conducted by the NFHS -- indicated participation by high school students in 70 different sports, as well as 14 adapted sports for students with disabilities. The survey has been conducted each year since 1971-72.

A son of a three-time college wrestling champ who later became a high school mat coach -- with an NFL career in between -- has been arrested in the murder of his parents. Dylan Bennett, 22, was arrested at a hotel in Cancun, Mexico, by Mexican authorities for the murder of former NFL lineman Barry Bennett and his wife, Carol, both 63, who were found dead in their home last week in Long Prairie, Minnesota, a small town about two hours northwest of Minneapolis. Dylan's car was found at the crime scene. He allegedly took Carol Bennett's SUV and drove to Columbus, Ohio, where he booked a flight to Cancun. Authorities charged Dylan Bennett with two counts of second-degree murder without premeditation. Barry BennettBorn in December 1955 in Long Prairie, Minn., Barry Bennett was a Minnesota state wrestling champ in high school at South St. Paul. Upon graduation, Bennett headed west to Concordia College in Moorhead, Minn. where he was a major force in football and wrestling, winning two NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Association) along with an NCAA Division III mat title. "Barry Bennett is the greatest athlete ever to walk through these halls, the greatest Cobber we've ever had," Concordia College head football coach Terry Horan told the Star-Tribune. Horan also described Bennett as "the gentlest giant." Dennis Koslowski, a bronze and silver Olympic medalist in Greco-Roman wrestling, also shared his recollections of Barry Bennett the college wrestler. "He was three years older than me, and already a two-time NAIA champion by the time I was a freshman at Minnesota-Morris,'' Koslowski told the Minneapolis newspaper. "I was at the NCAA Division III meet in 1978 in Wheaton, Illinois, just traveling with our team, and I saw Barry win his third national title there. "He was in the final against a guy from Mount Union who was just a brick wall -- built beyond belief.'' (The Star-Tribune found the wrestler was named Ken Wilcox.) "I remember thinking, 'This is going to be a great match,''' Koslowski said. "And then Bennett went out there and folded him like an accordion. He was so strong and athletic." Bennett was drafted into the NFL right out of college. He was a defensive lineman for 11 seasons, from 1978 to 1988, with the New Orleans Saints, New York Jets and Minnesota Vikings. More recently, Bennett had served as a physical education teacher and wrestling coach at the Long Prairie-Grey Eagle school until retirement five years ago. A memorial service for Barry Bennett will be held 10:30 a.m. Thursday, August 29, 2019, at the Long Prairie-Grey Eagle High School Gymnasium.

Wayne Boyd (right) resigned from the Titan Mercury Wrestling Club (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com) Wayne Eric Boyd, co-founder and director of development for Titan Mercury Wrestling Club (TMWC), has resigned from the organization after a jury came to a split verdict in the trial where the former wrestler, producer and wrestling entrepreneur had been accused of physically and sexually abusing two women at his California ranch three years ago. In a statement issued Monday after the verdict, TMWC said, "Mr. Boyd has submitted his immediate resignation to Titan Mercury Wrestling Club." The 72-year-old Boyd, a state, conference and national champion wrestler, had faced a total of eight charges relating to an alleged assault at his Sky Valley ranch near Palm Springs in 2016. On Monday, the jury acquitted Boyd of five charges but found him guilty of three other charges: a sexual assault charge, a physical threat charge, and an assault and battery charge, all pertaining to one of the two reported victims, according to KESQ-TV. Boyd maintains his innocence. Again quoting from the statement issued by Titan Mercury, "Mr. Boyd has informed us that he '...will be vigorously pursuing his appeal on all these charges; all of which were totally unfounded especially in light of the fact that the Prosecution granted the victim immunity for perjury and theft of money from me.'" Boyd is scheduled to be sentenced on November 15. Boyd has long been a fixture in amateur wrestling. The Long Island native was a three-time Virginia state wrestling champion at Norview High School in Norfolk, Va. Boyd then headed to Temple University, where he won EIWA (Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association) and NCAA mat titles in 1969. He was inducted into the Temple's athletics hall of fame in 1978. In addition to his role in helping to establish Titan Mercury and the American Wrestling League, Boyd is also founder of WEB Productions, a multimedia entertainment firm.

Yianni Diakomihalis defeated Zain Retherford in the U.S. Open finals (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com) The fourth and almost certainly final edition of Final X returns on Monday. Zain Retherford and Yianni Diakomihalis will look to finish their best-of-three series that started back in June. At the time, Retherford seemingly won both matches to make the 2019 U.S. World Team. The second match came down to the final exchange and has since been nullified via arbitration. That has set the stage for Monday in Wilkes Barre, Pa. If Retherford wins one match, he is on the team, while Diakomihalis will need to win back-to-back matches to represent the U.S. at the World Championships. The following is a by-the-numbers preview. The numbers include all collegiate matches for both wrestlers as well as all senior level matches tracked by USA Wrestling and United World Wrestling. Head-to-head matches In addition to their two matches at Final X, Retherford and Diakomihalis also faced off at this year's U.S. Open and Yasar Dogu tournaments with the Cornell wrestler winning both matches. After four matches the two are split at 2-2, and they are also even in terms of match points at 25 a piece. In those matches Diakomihalis has scored 16 points via eight takedowns, while Retherford has put up 14 points on six takedowns. In their second match at Final X, the former Penn State wrestler scored the only four-point takedown in their series. Both wrestlers have registered four exposures in the series, but Diakomihalis registered the only four-point turn. It was the difference in their match at the Yasar Dogu, which ended up being a 9-5 match. While Retherford has been the aggressor at times in the neutral position, Diakomihalis seems to have the edge in the takedown department. He has finished much cleaner overall and been able to turn Retherford's attempts into offense. In order to earn that spot on the World Team, Retherford will need to make the most of his opportunities in the top position. Match termination rate In college the top position was perhaps Retherford's best position. He scored 54 falls during his collegiate career and had a 58 percent match termination rate. However, he has not been able to fully adapt that finishing ability to the freestyle circuit. In freestyle, Diakomihalis actually has the better match termination rate. In his nascent senior-level career, he has stopped the bout early in 44 percent of his matches. On the other hand, Retherford's match termination rate falls all the way to 42%. After registering 54 falls on the college matches, he has only three in his senior-level career with all three coming against overmatched opposition at the 2017 Grand Prix of Spain. In this series, Retherford has had his moments in the top position. He has not been able to fully transition his dominant top game from folkstyle to freestyle, but he has been able to score following takedowns. Diakomihalis seemed vulnerable to turns in the series, but Retherford was unable to turn him in their most recent match at the Yasar Dogu. Match Points Thanks to his takedown prowess, Diakomihalis has averaged 9.6 points per match and only 4.3 points against during his freestyle career. Retherford has a slightly lower points per match rate at 7.8, but he also allows fewer points per match with only 3.1. In his victories, Retherford's defense has been even stronger as he is allowing only 1.8 points per match. Diakomihalis has turned up the volume in his wins and averaged 10.3 points per match. In an interesting wrinkle, Diakomihalis has actually performed better against international opposition than domestic in terms of putting up points. He has scored 10.3 points per match on the international circuit and only 9.2 against those representing the U.S. On the other hand, Retherford has scored 8.0 points per match domestically and only 7.09 internationally. One possible explanation for Diakomihalis' international scoring success is that wrestlers are not ready for his folkstyle scrambling game. Normally scrambling in freestyle is a dangerous game since it is so easy to expose. Despite this Diakomihalis has been extraordinarily effect when it goes to counter his opponents' offense. Strength of schedule Retherford certainly has more international experience than the current college student. However, Diakomihalis has taken on a variety of opposition and picked up some signature wins. At Beat the Streets he defeated the top ranked wrestler at this weight No. 1 Bajrang Punia (India). Later in the summer he also knocked off No. 6 Sayatbek Okassov (Kazakhstan) at the Ziolkowski Memorial. On the other hand, Retherford has faced several ranked wrestlers in his own right. However, all three of his opponents who are currently ranked by UWW all defeated him, including No. 2 (70 kilograms) Adam Batirov (Bahrain), No. 4 (70 kilograms) Andrey Kvyatkovskyy (Ukraine) and No. 3 (61 kilograms) Gadzhimurad Rashidov (Russia). There are some obvious issues with the UWW ranking system. However, the rankings do make it clear that Diakomihalis has made the most of his opportunities against top competition, which is part of the reason why many are excited to potentially see what he can do at the World Championships. Bottom line Despite the controversial nature of the series between Diakomihalis and Retherford all of the matches have been tight and exciting affairs. Diakomihalis seems to have the edge in the neutral position, but Retherford has shown that he can score when he needs points. Retherford will need to take advantage of his limited opportunities from the top position, while Diakomihalis needs to be able to score off counters and his own offense to make it to the World Team. Things seem to be trending in favor of Diakomihalis. He won their most recent bout, and it was the highest margin of victory to date. On top of that, Retherford suffered an injury in the match. Diakomihalis goes into Monday as the favorite, but nobody should be surprised if Retherford escapes with another victory and finds himself in Nur-Sultan next month.

After one year, Jason Renteria has left the University of Iowa wrestling program. The two-time Illinois state champ, who had originally committed to Iowa then wrestled one season at University of Nebraska before re-committing to the Hawkeyes in June 2018, is no longer with the program, an Iowa spokesperson told the Des Moines Register Monday afternoon. Jason RenteriaThe news report also said Renteria is no longer listed on the official University of Iowa online student directory. The school did not say why Renteria is no longer at the school. Renteria had initially planned to wrestle at Iowa but changed his mind and competed one year for the Nebraska Cornhuskers. During the 2017-18 season, Renteria compiled an 8-4 record at 133 pounds for the Lincoln-based school. He placed fifth at the 2018 Big Ten championships, and qualified for the 2018 NCAA Division I championships, but failed to make weight and therefore was unable to compete. In mid-June of last year, Renteria left Nebraska for Iowa ... but did not wrestle a single match for the Hawkeyes during the 2018-19 season. Prior to enrolling at Nebraska, Renteria made a name for himself on the mats at Oak Park and River Forest High School located just outside Chicago, where he was a four-time Illinois state finalist and two-time state champ. In 2017 he had been ranked by InterMat as the No. 7 132-pounder in the nation.

Leroy Vega WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Purdue head coach Tony Ersland rounded out his coaching staff Monday, naming Leroy Vega as his volunteer assistant coach for the 2019-20 season. A three-time NCAA All-American, Vega will work primarily with the lower weight classes. Vega's name is widely known on the Indiana high school wrestling scene, from his days on the mat and to most recently, his days in the corner. He joins the Purdue staff after eight years as the head coach at his alma mater, Portage High School, in northwest Indiana. During his span as head coach, Vega had 41 Indiana High School Athletic Association state tournament qualifiers, with 10 appearing in the finals and three Portage wrestlers claiming an individual title. In 2015, the Indiana High School Wrestling Coaches Association named Vega its coach of the year. As a prep at Portage, Vega was a two-time state champion in 1996 and 1997. His success translated on the international scene as well. In 1998, Vega placed ninth at 60 kilograms the UWW Junior Greco-Roman World Championships. The following year, competing at 54 kilograms in freestyle, he placed seventh at the world championships. Vega wrestled collegiately at Minnesota from 1999 to 2002 and scattered his name throughout the legendary program. Individually, Vega earned All-America honors three times at 125 pounds and captured the Big Ten Conference 125-pound title in 2002. His performances helped the Gophers win three Big Ten team titles and back-to-back NCAA team titles in 2001 and 2002. Vega tallied a career record of 135-26, with his 135 wins ranking fifth all-time at Minnesota and his .839 winning percentage ranking 17th. He owned a career dual record of 65-14, with the 65 wins tied for seventh on the Gophers' individual dual wins list. Prior to his head coaching appointment at Portage, Vega was named the inaugural head coach at Calumet College of St. Joseph in Whiting, Indiana, with the birth of the program in 2008. He was at the helm through the 2009-10 season before returning to his roots in Portage. Vega earned his Bachelor of Science degree in elementary education and teaching from Minnesota in 2002. He and his wife, Sarah, have two daughters, LillyAnna and Lilah, and a son, Lydon.

Joey McKenna (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) PHILADELPHIA, Pa. -- The Pennsylvania Regional Training Center is excited to announce that Joey McKenna (Towaco, N.J.) will be pursuing his post-collegiate wrestling career as a resident athlete with the PRTC. McKenna is a graduate of Ohio State University, where he majored in Business Administration with a specialization in Operations Management, and was a three-time All-American and three-time academic All American. McKenna started college at Stanford University and placed third at the NCAA Championships as a freshman in 2016. Following his sophomore season, he transferred to Ohio State where he would earn All-American honors twice more, placing third in 2018 and finishing as a runner-up in 2019. Additionally, he is a two-time Pac-12 champion and a two-time Big 10 champion. McKenna brings a wealth of international experience to the PRTC. He is a four-time age group World Team member. In 2018 McKenna was a member of the Senior National Team and the No. 2 wrestler in the country at 65 kg. He was also the 2018 U.S. Open champion. He is a 2014 Junior World silver medalist and a 2017 U23 World bronze medalist. McKenna is a product of the prestigious Blair Academy where he was a three-time National Prep champion. He selected the PRTC to train because he believes it offers him the best opportunity to achieve his goals in life and in wrestling. "I believe the Pennsylvania RTC has exactly what I am looking for in a place to continue to pursue my wrestling and life goals at the highest level. It encompasses all of the components that I feel are necessary to grow: coaching, mentorship, training, fellowship and educational and leadership opportunities." McKenna said. Another draw for McKenna was the opportunity to be coached by 2000 Olympic gold medalist Brandon Slay and work with a stable of PRTC athletes. "I had the opportunity to work with Coach Slay for the Junior World Championships in both 2014 and 2015 when he was coaching with USA Wrestling. He helped me bring home a Junior World silver medal alongside longtime coach Jeff Buxton, and I am excited to work with him again. I have senior level training partners like fellow PRTC athletes, Dan Vallimont, Ethan Lizak and Brent Fleetwood, and wrestlers from the rapidly rising programs at Penn and Drexel." He said. Slay is also looking forward to having Joey at the PRTC and is excited about what he will bring to the program. "Joey is an ambitious leader who exemplifies character in all he does. At the PRTC, our mission is to enrich lives locally and globally through the sport of wrestling. Joey will be a fantastic fit for our team culture, and I believe he will have a long lasting impact on this community for many years to come." Slay said. The unique infrastructure supporting the Pennsylvania Regional Training Center and the surrounding Philadelphia wrestling community was another factor in McKenna's decision, as well as the hotbed of wrestling in the region. "The excitement surrounding our sport in Philadelphia is tremendous. The inclusive involvement in Philadelphia's wrestling ecosystem allows me to serve Beat the Streets Philadelphia and give back to this amazing sport. Moreover, the PRTC provides an incredible network to become involved in phenomenal leadership and world class educational opportunities within the University of Pennsylvania. To me, there is so much to look forward to. I am excited for this incredible opportunity to pave a new path as a PRTC athlete!" McKenna said.

Tyrell Fortune gets his hand raised after getting a win at Bellator 225 (Photo/Bellator) They were once on the same college wrestling team ... and even had at least one official match. However, in a mixed martial arts battle, the former Clackamas Community College wrestling teammates Tyrell Fortune defeated Rudy Schaffroth in the second round of their heavyweight (265-pound) bout at Bellator 225 at Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport, Connecticut Saturday night. Here's how MMAjunkie.com opened its coverage of the MMA battle of one-time Clackamas big men of the mat who brought identical 6-0 records to Bellator 225: "Bellator 225's main card kicked off with a battle of undefeated heavyweights. When the dust cleared, Tyrell Fortune was the only fighter of the pair to keep a zero in the loss column." "Rudy Schaffroth asked for the fight, and Tyrell Fortune answered the call," according to CageSidePress.com. "That's all the background you really need to know about how Fortune vs. Schaffroth came together ..." "With the fight underway, Schaffroth held center while Fortune circled on the outside. It was a right hand landing for Fortune that got things going, however, followed by a takedown attempt. That at least was stuffed by Schaffroth. Fortune would connect with a solid leg kick, but neither man was in too much trouble through the opening round ..." CageSide Press continued. Sherdog.com described the second round thusly: "Schaffroth, who had not fought beyond the first round in any of his six previous outings, grew weary and was little more than a sitting duck by the start of the middle stanza. Fortune swept him off his feet with another leg kick, clipped him with a right hook and swarmed with punches, ultimately advancing to full mount before sliding to the back. More punches followed, and soon after, Fortune's arms were wrapped around his counterpart's neck. "The submission was the first of Fortune's seven-fight career." With the win, the 29-year-old Fortune is now 7-0 in his pro MMA career (with the same record in Bellator) going back to November 2014 ... while Schaffroth drops to 6-1, and 3-1 in Bellator. When Tyrell Fortune signed with Bellator four years ago this month, the promotion had to be impressed with his heavyweight wrestling credentials. He was a two-time Oregon high school state wrestling champ who also won six national freestyle and Greco-Roman titles. Fortune then launched his collegiate career at Clackamas Community College in Oregon, where he won two NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) heavyweight titles. Back in 2010, Fortune had accepted an offer to wrestle at Ohio State, but instead chose Grand Canyon University in Arizona, where he was crowned heavyweight titlist at the 2013 NCAA Division II championships, and was also named Division II Wrestler of the Year. (Note: Grand Canyon eliminated its varsity wrestling program in March 2016.) And, in case you were wondering about the Fortune vs. Schaffroth collegiate wrestling match as Clackamas teammates, Fortune came out on top, 7-3, according to an August 21 CageSide Press article.

Josh Churella coaching at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Episode 35 of The MatBoss Podcast with Chad Dennis features Michigan assistant coach and three-time All-American Josh Churella. Churella first breaks down the run of sophomore heavyweight Mason Parris and his recent run in Estonia to win a gold medal at the Junior World Championships at 125 kilograms. About MatBoss: Created by coaches for coaches, MatBoss for iPad® integrates wrestling stats directly into the video you record for each match, completely replacing the need for labor-intensive pencil and paper scoring systems. It's the wrestling stats app our sport has been waiting for. Focus on coaching, not busy work Improve through video analysis Make data an advantage Eliminate scoring errors Increase exposure Become a digital coach For more information, visit MatBossApp.com. Follow MatBoss on Twitter and subscribe to the show @MatBossApp | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Spreaker | Google Podcasts | RSS

Mike Mena Lindenwood Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Brad Wachler has named Mike Mena as the new women's wrestling head coach. "Coach Mena has a wealth of coaching experience and a great track record of success both academically and athletically," Wachler said. "With his personal accomplishments on the mat and his lifelong involvement in the sport, I know he will energize our women's wrestling program and position it for great things in the future." Mena brings 18 years of collegiate coaching experience to Lindenwood, most recently as the assistant wrestling coach at California Baptist University in Riverside, California. After winning the RMAC Team Championship and the 2018 NCAA Division II Super Regional, the program finished third at the National Championship, producing four NCAA Division II All-Americans, three finalists, and the 149 pound NCAA Division II National Wrestling Champion. "I'm honored to serve as head women's wrestling coach at Lindenwood University," Mena said. "I'd like to thank Coach Rollins, Senior Associate Athletic Director Tom Wagganer, and Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Brad Wachler for this wonderful opportunity and for believing in me. I look forward to leading the program forward as an emerging sport at the intercollegiate level." Mena began his career as head assistant wrestling coach at Indiana University in 2000 and he spent nine years with the program. From there, his path took him to California State University in Bakersfield, California; the Legends of Gold National Training Center in Beresford, South Dakota; the University of Dubuque in Dubuque, Iowa; and Lincoln College in Lincoln, Illinois. Mena actually started wrestling when he was just five years old. The Rock Falls, Illinois native was a standout at Sterling Newman Central Catholic High School. He was the first wrestler to finish his career undefeated with a mark of 157-0-1 and he was a four-time Illinois State Wrestling Champion. His career continued at the University of Iowa, where he was a four-time NCAA Division I All-American and member of three NCAA National Wrestling Championship Teams in 1995, 1996, and 1997. He also set an NCAA record with 170 points his final year and earned the Mike Howard Award as the Most Valuable Wrestler in Iowa. After college, his focus shifted towards training for the Olympics. He was a member of the Hawkeye Wrestling Club from 1998 to 2000 and a member of the USA National Freestyle Team in 1999, 2001, and 2003. He placed fifth at the Olympic Team Trials in 2000 and placed seventh in 2004. During that time, he was inducted into the Illinois Wrestling Coaches Officials Association in 2000 and in 2015, he was inducted into the Glen Brand Wrestling Hall of Fame. Mena earned a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts from the University of Iowa in 1997.

Kaid Brock gets in on a shot against Minnesota's Mitch McKee (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine) Kaid Brock, two-time NCAA Division I All-American wrestler for Oklahoma State, had surgery last week to repair a torn ACL and meniscus in his knee this past week, and may miss much of the upcoming season -- including conference and national championships -- according to Seth Duckworth's Pistols Firing blog Friday Duckworth reports that the typical recovery period for this type of surgery is 6-9 months. The 2020 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships are just shy of seven months from now. Brock is a three-time NCAA qualifier for the Cowboys. The Stillwater, Okla. native earned All-American honors twice, placing fifth at both the 2017 and 2018 NCAAs at 133 pounds. This past season, Brock wrestled 141 pounds, making it to the 2019 NCAAs, but losing his second match to No. 2 seed -- and eventual runner-up -- Joey McKenna of Ohio State, and did not place. Prior to enrolling at Oklahoma State, Brock was a three-time Oklahoma state champ for Stillwater High in 2013, 2014, 2015. Brock was also a five-time Fargo All-American (2010-15), and earned a gold medal at the 2013 Cadet Pan American Games in both freestyle and Greco-Roman.

Mark Madsen wrestling Roman Vlasov of Russia in the Olympic finals (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Mark O. Madsen, 2016 Greco-Roman silver medalist at the 2016 Olympics, has signed with Ultimate Fighting Championships ... and is scheduled to make his UFC debut this September. The promotion confirmed on Thursday that Madsen will have his first fight at UFC Copenhagen. The wrestler-turned-MMA fighter from Denmark will face Italy's Danilo Belluardo in a lightweight (155-pound) bout at what is also known as UFC Fight Night 160 at the Royal Arena in Copenhagen, Denmark, on Saturday, September 28. The former Greco-Roman grappler confirmed the news on his official Facebook page Friday: The 34-year-old Madsen has compiled a perfect 8-0 pro MMA record in a career that goes back six years. However, after a couple of MMA wins, he took a break from competition to focus on Greco-Roman wrestling. Despite having stepped off the wrestling mat, Madsen continues to be known as "The Olympian" in his MMA career because he wrestled at three Summer Olympics -- 2008 Beijing, 2012 London, and 2016 Rio -- earning a silver at the Games three years ago at 75 kilograms/165 pounds in Greco. The Dane also medaled at five World Championships, winning four silver medals and one bronze. At his most recent MMA fight, Madsen secured a rear-naked choke of Patrick Nielsen in the first round of their bout at Olympian Fight Night in June. Belluardo, 25, sports a 12-4 overall pro MMA record going back to June 2014. At his UFC debut in June at UFC Fight Night 153, he suffered a second-round TKO at the hands of Joel Alvarez, ending the Caterpillar's six-fight win streak going back 18 months.

PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- As part of the Big Ten Conference's annual Super Saturday event, Rutgers wrestling will face Michigan this upcoming season on Feb. 1, 2020 at Madison Square Garden. The showcase, which also features the schools' men's basketball programs, will be a designated home match for the Wolverines, who finished last season No. 4 in the final NWCA Coaches Poll. Additional details on Super Saturday at MSG, including ticket information, will be announced at a later date. Men's basketball and wrestling season ticket holders will have first opportunity to purchase tickets from the Rutgers allotment, with ticket requests fulfilled based upon priority points. The Wolverines are the home team for both Super Saturday competitions. Fans have the opportunity to secure 2019-20 season tickets online or by calling 866-445-GORU (4678). Under the guidance of reigning Dan Gable and NCAA Tournament Coach of the Year Scott Goodale, Rutgers is coming off an historic 2018-19 campaign which was capped by the program's first individual NCAA titles from Anthony Ashnault and Nick Suriano, as well as its first top-10 finish at the national tournament. Rutgers wrestled to a 12-6 dual record in 2018-19, which included wins over three ranked foes - No. 10 Wisconsin, No. 19 Princeton and No. 20 Purdue. RU returns five national qualifiers this season, including Suriano, who secured a 29-3 record to go along with his Big Ten and NCAA titles. The Scarlet Knights also feature an incoming 2019 freshman class ranked No. 4 in the country by FloWrestling. The group includes four 2019 NJSIAA state champions - Sammy Alvarez, JoJo Aragona, Robert Kanniard and Zach DelVecchio - as well as highly-regarded prospects Gerard Angelo, Devon Britton, Jackson Turley and Ryan Vulakh.

Eric Akin (Photo/Danielle Hobeika) WATERLOO, Iowa -- Ten NCAA All-Americans, three state championship high school coaches, a record-setting high school wrestling team and five world team members will be inducted into the Glen Brand Wrestling Hall of Fame of Iowa on Friday, June 19, 2020. Located inside the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum in Waterloo, Iowa, the Glen Brand Hall of Fame was established in 2002 to honor native-born Iowans and those who wrestled or coached for an Iowa school who have made an impact on wrestling on a national level or who have done extraordinary work in Iowa. The Class of 2020 is Jason Kelber, Daryl Weber, Marv Reiland, Eric Akin, Alli Ragan and the 1982 Bettendorf High School wrestling team. The Carr Family will be presented with the Bowlsby Family Legacy Award while Josh Stephens will receive the Bob Siddens High School Coaching Excellence Award and Corky Stuart will be presented with the Russ Smith Community Impact Award. A banquet honoring the Class of 2020 will be held at Prairie Links Golf & Event Center in Waverly on Friday, June 19, 2020. For more information, contact the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum at (319) 233-0745 or dgmstaff@nwhof.org. Jason Kelber was undefeated for three years while wrestling for West Marshall High School in State Center, Iowa. After a runner-up finish at 98 pounds as a freshman, he won three consecutive State Championships, finishing first at 105 pounds as a sophomore and junior, and at 118 pounds as a senior. Kelber was a three-time All-American, and a National Champion for the University of Nebraska. In 1991, he was named Outstanding Wrestler at the Big Eight Tournament and a National Wrestling Coaches Association First-Team Academic All-American. Kelber currently resides in Valentine, Nebraska, and has served as a volunteer coach. Daryl Weber wrestled for Dan Mashek, who was inducted into the GBHOF in 2008, at Don Bosco High School in Gilbertville, Iowa. Following a 3rd place finish as a sophomore, he won back-to-back State Titles at 135 pounds in 1990 and at 145 pounds in 1991. He was a three-time All-American, a Big Ten and NCAA Champion for the University of Iowa, and finished second at the U.S. Open and won the Sunkist Open in freestyle. Weber coached wrestling at Christiansburg (Virginia) High School, leading his teams to 14 State High School Championships with 42 individual State Champions and 33 state-placers. Marv Reiland wrestled for Dave Harty, who received the Lifetime Service to Wrestling Award from the Iowa Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2003, at Eagle Grove (Iowa) High School, qualifying for state as a senior. He was a two-time Division II All-American and a Division I All-American at Northern Iowa where he wrestled for Chuck Patten, who was inducted into the GBHOF in 2008. Reiland returned to coach his alma mater and led the Eagles to a 129-62-5 record with 3 State Tournament Team Titles, a dual meet State Championship and 2 runner-up finishes. In 20 seasons he coached 14 State Champions, 14 state runner-ups and 71 state qualifiers. Eric Akin was a three-time Big Eight champion and a four-time NCAA finalist for Iowa State, which named him "Male Athlete of the Year" in 1994. He represented the United States in the World Championships in 1999 and was an eight-time national champion. Akin was a Silver Medalist at the 2000 World Cup and twice was an alternate for the Olympics. He was a three-time state champion for Bishop Miege High School in Roeland Park, Kansas, and currently is the head coach for Saint Thomas Aquinas High School in Overland Park, Kansas. Alli Ragan, who currently trains with the Hawkeye Wrestling Club, is the first female to be inducted into the GBHOF. She wrestled at Carbondale (Illinois) Community High, compiling a 130-29 career record and qualifying for the boys state tournament, while also lettering in soccer and volleyball. Ragan was a bronze medalist at the Junior World Championships in 2011 and 2012 and won a silver medal at the 2013 World University Games. She was a two-time national champion and a four-time Women's Collegiate Wrestling Association finalist for King University. Ragan competed for the U.S. in the World Championships in 2013, 2014 and 2015 and Won Silver medals in 2016 and 2017. Coached by Franc Freeman, who was inducted into the GBHOF in 2009, the 1982 Bettendorf High School wrestling team was 12-0 in dual meets, won every tournament, set the all-time points record and were ranked fourth in the nation. Every team member qualified for state and all 10 placed in the Top 5, led by Brian McCracken's State Championship at 185 pounds. The closest dual for the Bulldogs was a 34-13 win against Clinton High School, which finished third in the state. The Carr Family, which included nine boys and seven girls, will receive the Bowlsby Family Legacy Award. Every boy in the family (Willie, Fletcher, Joe, Jimmy, Jerry, Nate, Solomon, Michael and Mark) wrestled and Fletcher, Joe, Jimmy, Nate and Michael earned All-America honors. A Junior World champion at 15 years old, Jimmy placed sixth at the 1971 Senior World Championships as a 16-year-old and competed in the 1972 Olympics as a 17-year-old high school junior, becoming the youngest American wrestler to compete in the Olympics. Nate, a Distinguished Member inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2003, who is also a member of the GBHOF, was a three-time national champion for Iowa State and won a bronze medal at the 1988 Olympics. Nate's son, David, is wrestling at Iowa State and was the national winner of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame's Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award in 2018 and captured the Junior World title in 2019. The Bowlsby Family Legacy Award is named after the Bowlsby Family from Waterloo. John and Bob wrestled for legendary coach Bob Siddens at Waterloo West High School while their parents, Bob and Pat, and sisters, Ann, Sarah and Jane, were instrumental in their careers. Corky Stuart will receive the Russ Smith Community Impact Award, which is presented to individuals who demonstrate exceptional local impact on wrestling in Iowa. Stuart was a three-time state qualifier and a fourth-place finisher for Charlton (Iowa) High School. He was a three-time Midwest Conference champion and three-time NCAA qualifier for Cornell College. Stuart taught and coached wrestling for 45 years at BGM High School in Brooklyn, Iowa. He began the wrestling program at BGM and also coached softball, football and volleyball while serving as leader of the school's Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Stuart was named Junior High Wrestling Coach of the Year in 2002. Joe Stephens will receive the Bob Siddens High School Excellence Award, which is presented to a current Iowa high school wrestling coach who exemplifies the high standards that Siddens set during his coaching career at Waterloo West. Siddens was inducted into the GBHOF in 2003 and was the inaugural recipient of the coaching award in 2012. Stephens was an assistant coach at the University of Northern Iowa from 1996 to 2000 before becoming an assistant coach at Underwood (Iowa) High School in 2005. He became the head coach in 2010 and has led his team to 8 Top-10 finishes and 5 Top-5 finishes while coaching 7 state champions and 5 state runner-ups. Stephens was a three-time state qualifier, finishing fourth and second, at Centerville (Iowa) High School. He was a 2X national qualifier for the University of Nebraska before transferring to the University of Northern Iowa, where he also qualified for nationals.

Seton Hill head wrestling coach Brian Tucker has recently announced Nick Soto as the team's assistant coach. Nick SotoSoto comes to Seton Hill after a spectacular wrestling career at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Tucker stated, ""Nick was an outstanding competitor during his career. I am thoroughly excited to have him bring that competitiveness to our program and coaching staff. He wants to make the guys on this team better and help continue the growth of this program. We are lucky to have him on board." While at UT-Chattanooga, Soto compiled a career record of 114-38 and currently remains fourth on the list for most wins in school history. As a four year starter, Nick was a four time SoCon Champion and NCAA National Qualifier. He is one of only 16 SoCon wrestlers to accomplish this feat. Competing in the 125 and 133lb weight classes, Soto went undefeated in SoCon competition and was ranked in the top 20 every year of competition. Additionally, Soto was a four time Southern Scuffle place winner, Hokie Open champion in 2012, and holds various wins over top 10 ranked opponents. His most notable victory was a 15-8 victory over No. 1 ranked, Ryan Mango. Academically, Soto earned his undergraduate degree in Business Administration with a focus in marketing, earning a spot on the Dean's list or Athletic Director's Honor Roll at least once every year. He was also the recipient of the FCA Endowment Scholarship and the Joyce Litchford Wrestling Scholarship. Soto is currently pursuing an MBA with a focus in Project Management.

J'den Cox, a three-time NCAA champion, was named to the All-Decade Team at 197 pounds (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com) Want to start a fight? One sure way to get something started: put together some sort of list of "all-time great" wrestlers. Amateur Wrestling News -- the nation's oldest wrestling publication, covering the sport since the mid-1950s -- has carried on a longstanding tradition with its an All-Decade Team for 2010-2019, put together by the magazine's writers. And what a decade it was! In the nearly 90-year history of NCAA D1 wrestling championships, only four men have earned four national titles ... and two of them did it in this decade: Ohio State's Logan Stieber ... and Cornell's Kyle Dake. The magazine its selections for the top three wrestlers in NCAA Division I each weight class ... along with "honorable mention" choices. In presenting the list, AWN's Jim Kalin provided some of the ground rules: "Many of the decade's best wrestlers competed at multiple weight classes during their college careers. To help sort this dilemma, one of the guidelines for our writers was to place choices at the weight they had wrestled at least two seasons ..." "The main stipulation was that the wrestler had to compete at least two seasons in this second decade (2010-2019). That eliminated greats such as Brent Metcalf/Iowa, Jake Varner/Iowa State, and Angel Escobedo/Indiana, all who were seniors in 2010." Kalin anticipated the discussion/arguing about their choices. "There will be disagreement from our readers regarding this All-Decade Team. There was disagreement amongst AWN writers." As Kalin points out, the top three wrestlers in each weight class are ranked in order as named by AWN writers ... with their placements for each year at the NCAA Division I championships. 125: 1. Spencer Lee, Iowa (1st place/1st place/TBD/TBD) 2. Jesse Delgado, Illinois (7/1/1/0) 3. Matt McDonough, Iowa (1/2/1/0) Honorable mentions: Nico Megaludis, Penn State (3/2/2/1); Nathan Tomasello, Ohio State (1/3/3/3); Darien Cruz, Lehigh (0/7/1/5); Anthony Robles, Arizona State (0/4/7/1). 133: 1. Logan Stieber, Ohio State (1st place x 4) 2. Cory Clark, Iowa (5/2/2/1) 3. Nick Suriano, Rutgers/Penn State (0/2/1/TBD) Honorable mentions: Nashon Garrett, Cornell (3/2/5/1); Cody Brewer, Oklahoma (7/8/1/3); Seth Gross, South Dakota State (0/2/1/TBD); Tony Ramos, Iowa (0/3/2/1). 141: 1. Yianni Diakomihalis, Cornell (1st place/1st place/TBD/TBD) 2. Dean Heil, Oklahoma State (4/1/1/0) Honorable mentions: Kendric Maple, Oklahoma (0/4/1/8); Bryce Meredith, Wyoming/North Carolina State (0/2/4/2). 149: 1. Zain Retherford, Penn State (5th place/1st place/1st place/1st place) 2. Jordan Oliver, Oklahoma State (4/1/2/1) 3. Frank Molinaro, Penn State (8/5/2/1) Honorable mentions: Anthony Ashnault, Rutgers (8/4/6/1); Jason Tsirtsis, Northwestern/Arizona State (1/3/0/7); Kyle Dake (won his second NCAA title in 2011) 157: 1. Jason Nolf, Penn State (2d place/1st place/1st place/1st place) 2. Isaiah Martinez, Illinois (1/1/2/2) 3. Derek St. John/Iowa (4/2/1/5) Honorable mentions: James Green, Nebraska (7/7/3/3); Hayden Hidlay, North Carolina (2/4/TBD/TBD); Kyle Dake, Cornell (won his third NCAA title in 2012) 165: 1. Kyle Dake, Cornell (1st place x 4 ... at four different weights) 2. David Taylor, Penn State (2/1/1/2) 3. Alex Dieringer, Oklahoma State (3/1/1/1) Honorable mentions: Vincenzo Joseph, Penn State (1st place/1st place/2d place/TBD); Jordan Burroughs, Nebraska (0/3/1/1); Tyler Caldwell, Oklahoma/Oklahoma State (5/2/3/2) 174: 1. Zahid Valencia, Arizona State (3d place/1st place/1st place/TBD) 2. Mark Hall, Penn State (1/2/2/TBD) 3. Andrew Howe, Wisconsin/Oklahoma (2/1/3/2) Honorable mentions: Jonathan Reader, Iowa State (7/4/0/1); Chris Perry, Oklahoma State (0/3/1/1); Bo Jordan, Ohio State (3/3/2/5) 184: 1. Bo Nickal, Penn State (2d place/1st place/1st place/1st place) 2. Ed Ruth, Penn State (3/1/1/1) 3. Gabe Dean, Cornell (3/1/1/2) Honorable mentions: Steve Bosak, Cornell (0/4/1/3); Myles Martin, Ohio State (1/5/2/3) 197: 1. J'den Cox, Missouri (1st place/5th place/1st place/1st place) 2. Quentin Wright, Penn State (6/1/2/1) 3. Cam Simaz, Cornell (7/3/3/1) Honorable mentions: Kyven Gadson, Iowa State (0/4/6/1); Dustin Kilgore, Kent State (0/7/1/2); Kollin Moore, Ohio State (3/4/2/TBD) 285: 1. Kyle Snyder, Ohio State (2d place/1st place/1st place/1st place) 2. Nick Gwiazdowski, North Carolina State (8/1/1/2) 3. Tony Nelson, Minnesota (7/1/1/2) Honorable mentions: Zack Rey, Lehigh (0/3/1/2); Adam Coon, Michigan (0/2/3/2); Mike McMillen, Northwestern (3/2/3/3). Can't get enough all-time college wrestling rankings? Take a look at Craig Sesker's feature Ranking top college wrestlers of all-time and the InterMat Rewind feature listing the wrestlers named to the NCAA 75th Anniversary Team back in 2005 ... and this writer's choices for those who might have been worthy of inclusion.

The Junior World Championships wrapped up last weekend in Tallinn, Estonia, with the United States capturing a handful of medals in freestyle, women's wrestling, and Greco-Roman. The success of the Junior team was a positive sign for the health of their program. Cohlton Schultz securing silver -- along with Alston Nutter, and Peyton Omania capturing bronze -- led to the best Junior performance for Team USA in Greco-Roman since Washington hosted the Junior World Championships in 1984. While the freestyle team sucks up a lot of the oxygen in the United States, it's important to take note of this accomplishment, last year's silver medal by Adam Coon, and the gold medals from the Pan American Games. The progress has been slow, but it's also been pretty steady. Not every level will win gold and not every year, but it is obvious that the team is picking up steam and that success can very quickly build on itself Congrats to everyone involved in the program. From Matt Lindland to Gary Mayabb and many more of these successes are happening because these leaders are investing their time into the program and making sacrifices to see our nation improve in the classic style. To your questions … Zahid Valencia celebrates after winning the NCAA title (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Q: I saw that Zahid Valencia is not planning on taking an Olympic redshirt. Does that surprise you? Do you think he will move up to 184 pounds if he's going to wrestle at 86 kilograms for the Olympic Team Trials? -- Mike C. Foley: That does surprise me a bit. Having the extra time to prepare for the Olympic Team Trials is something that could benefit a younger wrestler. However, he could keep sharp by competing every week at the NCAA level. Though it's a reach I suspect he may even just treat a majority of his collegiate matches as if they were freestyle, limit his mat wrestling and focus on good finishes. Ultimately, he can still train freestyle, has the former USA National Team coach as his coach, and will travel to compete in overseas events. The only benefit may have been the ability to focus on winning another NCAA title to help secure a legacy, but that ultimately may not matter to him. His focus on the team title is compelling. He has a reputation for being thoughtful and I'm not surprised to hear that their chances of a team title were something he considered. As for the weight, you'd have to assume he wants to go up to 184 pounds. The competition is a little light with only two of the top eight eligible to return for the 2019-2020 season to a weight class that was only moderately competitive. In fact, he really might have to wrestle at the weight for the whole season to help his body learn to oxygenate all the extra muscle. To me it feels like a must, but for him it might be a team decision. Overall, I think I like the decision to not redshirt! Q: After reading your last mailbag where you publicly denounce an arbiter's decision to nullify the last Zain-Yianni match, I'd like to hear your take on Tervel Dlagnev receiving a bronze medal after an arbiter nullified all matches from a wrestler long after the fact. Where I understand that in one case an athlete was cheating, the fact remains that the event happened, the outcome was final and right wrong or indifferent Tervel was bumped from receiving a medal. My contention is that both arbiters got the call correct. Even though no wrestler wants to win a medal this way, justice toward doing what is right for wrestling and the athletes prevailed. If you don't like it, then publicly say no rematch is warranted between Yianni and Zain, that Tervel should never have gotten a medal, and that Team USA shouldn't have been seen as the best team that year. I don't feel you can have it both ways. -- Chris A. Foley: The letter of the law is very clear in the case of the Olympic testing. You sign a document saying that you won't do drugs and that if you do you will forfeit any earned medal. There was not an arbitrator deciding whether or not he failed the test, the only arbitration would come from Artur Taymazov who would appeal that finding. However, it's unclear that the appeal would have any basis other than a Hail Mary to have his medal reinstated. The Yianni-Zain match ended and the U.S. World Team member was announced. The staff didn't like the decision made on the mats and asked that it go to the arbitration process. The two are not parallel cases, unless you concede that appealing a decision you know to be final is "cheating." The rule is incredibly clear: "No protest after the end of a match or any appeal before CAS or any other jurisdiction against a decision made by the refereeing body may be lodged." Unfortunately, the arbitrator twisted himself into a pretzel to undo this VERY clear interpretation of international rules at times: citing minority opinions in other cases, establishing logic arguments based on wrong definitions, and expressly dismissing the weight of common practice. In fact, if you find the case online you can also read that everyone he asked agreed that the score was 2-2 and the right call was made in the match, he just FELT like a neutral position was established on "three occasions" in the final 40 seconds. The arbiter also stated clearly that one of the reasons he allowed it is that he believed these matches are normally not re-wrestled because of geography, the sliver of time that all nations are in the same place, and the undo strain it causes on other competitors. However, since he knew time remained, he used it as a justification to dismiss the parts of the UWW rules he didn't like. Oh well, it's over. I'm just fearful that this type of appeal -- and the manner in which the arbitrator handled the case -- will have negative consequences on the sport. Wrestling really should be figured out on the mat. If there is some good to come of the decision it's that the Technical Commission can go through and tighten up the verbiage to prevent an onslaught of future cases. Best of luck to Yianni and Zain! Both young men would be great representatives for Team USA in Nur-Sultan and will have everyone's full support when they step on the mat. Onward. Q: I know you don't like the idea of matches re-wrestled and decided in the courts. But how do you see Zain vs. Yianni going now that it's set? -- Mike C. Foley: If Zain is healthy, Zain is the favorite. If Zain is hurt, he's the underdog. They are too closely matched for him to cede anything to a very dangerous Yianni. I think that there will be a lot of early action in the first match and if Zain has learned to control the danger of exposure from Yianni's defense (that's complicated) then it could very well be a tough day for Yianni. Likewise, if Yianni opens up a 4-0 lead off an early exchange I think he'll be instructed to take fewer risks and go into clock management since there is NO WAY that a referee is getting close to making a penalty call that could decide the outcome. Q: Any takeaways from the Kyle Dake vs. Alex Dieringer matches? -- Mike C. Foley: In the very rare occurrence that a wrestling match broke out during their time on the mat, Kyle Dake did enjoy the better of the exchanges. However, his walking back to the danger area is concerning on the world stage. International referees will extend him zero credit for those outbursts if he's seen as disengaging from the action. There is emphasis on active wrestling and a few steps back like that will get you put on the clock, called for passivity, and generally disadvantaged in the eyes of the referee. My guess is the strategy will change with the atmosphere, but there is nothing to say that when he starts wrestling that some of those low-scoring tendencies won't rear up. I love watching a hyped-up Kyle Dake launch humans on their head and most of the world does too. MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME Cool documentary on Odunayo we shot last year and just edited and posted! Yui Susaki is a MONSTER Q: What things can we implement in order to compete with Japan's dominance throughout all age groups in women's wrestling? It seems they are still extending their lead on the rest of the world remarkably. -- @Rhino184 Foley: The Japanese women's team has been dominant at the age group level for the last several years, winning 44 of 76 total gold medals at the junior level since 2011, or approximately 58%. At the same time their senior level women have been comparatively less successful since 2011 with only 30 of 67 gold medals at the World Championships and Olympics, or approximately 45%. That's a significant percentage difference. There are a few reasons for that difference in outcomes. Talent tends to level out a little at the senior level because the good athletes from other countries have a longer time to sit in the age group. Cadets and Juniors are a glimpse at the development of the nations on their way to the senior level. Once there the best women from other countries are able to be more successful since they can sometimes grow over the course of several seasons. The time to catch up is huge for some of the nations who tend to not support their Junior and Cadet teams. Nobody is better supported than the Japanese at the youth level. However, when they get to the senior level they get Petra Olli who started wrestling much later and has only very recently received top-level training and travel The talent of coaches and athletes are isolated to the island of Japan, they just enjoy an incredible support system from a much younger age. So what can the United States do? We need to increase the number of participants, increase their opportunities to compete, include women's wrestling as part of the sport's overall culture, and create positions focused on development of the women's youth program. The bad news is that we are 20 years behind the Japanese. The good news is that everything listed above has started kicking into overdrive the past few years and we can already see some massive improvements in the success of our senior level women. Team USA is going to be a big problem for the world in Nur-Sultan and for years to come. The only caveat I'll offer is that Olympic success might be delayed to 2024 since I have serious reservations about taking on the world's greatest women's wrestling nation on their home turf. (Side note: I think the men's programs should also pay attention to the Japanese contingent. I'm predicting three men's gold medals between Greco-Roman and freestyle) Q: I'm obsessed with wrestling and there is no better time to be a fan than now. I remember being in high school in the late 90's and the only opportunity to watch was the NCAA finals each year and the occasional video ('95 Worlds highlights with Kurt Angle, Satiev and others was a great one). Now with Flo, matches on the Big Ten Network, every session of NCAAs on TV, and Trackwrestling showing Senior, Junior and Cadet Worlds (where I find myself waking up early to catch the action), it's pretty much all access and I love it. What do you think are some of next steps to take fandom to an even higher level and to grow the sport? Two-piece uniform, offense-focused scoring like freestyle, events? -- Andy S. Foley: Agreed. There has never been a better time to be a wrestling fan in America. I agree with two-piece uniforms and taking the best of freestyle and blending it with folkstyle, but I think these next items are the way to push wrestling more into the mainstream. Feature film: Something with the cultural impact of Vision Quest. NCAA powerhouse programs starting women's wrestling: Iowa, Penn State, Ohio State … Beach wrestling: Simple, low-barrier to entry, exceedingly watchable. Cross-promotion: Wrestling featured during other sporting events or cultural moments. Q: Who ya got for preseason Hodge Trophy favorites? Who are your dark horse candidates? -- Ryan P. Foley: With Mekhi Lewis redshirting, I'll go with these as my top three: Spencer Lee Zahid Valencia Anthony Cassar I suppose that Yianni could be in the lineup and Hodge eligible, but I also imagine that if he wins the spot on the team and places at the World Championships that he'll dedicate himself to the freestyle side to hold his position and prepare for the Olympic Games. Likewise, if he doesn't I could also see him getting in a lot of overseas action and training to try to back the spot. Imagine Cornell's legal team is probably brushing up on Olympic qualification regulations as we speak. Wonder if between Dake and Yianni they just decided to keep them on retainer through August 2020? Maybe a few doctors with full notepads? (Oh, calm down. I'm teasing.) Q: Do you suspect Daniel Cormier will retire after his recent loss to Stipe Miocic? Or do you think he will fight again? -- Mike C. Foley: I think he'll retire. Cormier deserves a parade for the way he has improved MMA through his thoughtfulness towards others, excellent commentary (which he'll still do), and dominant fighting style. How wonderful that he was able to have such a long and successful career after a late start in the cage. His legacy as one of the greatest of all-time is secure. And if there ever was a question remember that those only losses are to arguably the greatest UFC heavyweight and light heavyweight of all-time. Cormier is the man. I'm headed on vacation next week and will be back Sept. 6.

MOUNT PLEASANT, Iowa -- Iowa Wesleyan University announces that Robert Watson-Powell will serve as the men's and women's wrestling coach for the Tigers beginning on September 2, 2019. Coach Powell will relaunch the wrestling program and serve as the first NCAA Division III wrestling coach at Iowa Wesleyan, which recently added both men's and women's wrestling teams. The women's program is the first NCAA Division III women's program in the state of Iowa. The IW wrestling teams will begin competition during the 2020-2021 academic year. "We are excited to bring Coach Powell to the Iowa Wesleyan Community,'' said Director of Athletics, Derek Zander. "Coach Powell's vision for this program aligns with the mission and vision of Iowa Wesleyan University. He will bring a wide variety of experience in both freestyle and folkstyle wrestling to assist in recruiting high-quality student-athletes to compete for Iowa Wesleyan." Coach Powell brings a vast amount of knowledge and coaching experience to the newly developed program. He is a 2014 graduate of Muskingum University in New Concord, OH where he received a BA in health and physical education. He went on to earn an MBA in sports and recreational management from New England College in Henniker, NH in 2019. Robert began his coaching career as a volunteer assistant at Maysville High School in Zanesville, OH. He was also a volunteer assistant at Muskingum University for two years. He went on to become the head coach at Willard High School in Willard, OH from 2014-16. After that, he became a volunteer assistant at the high school he graduated from, Kenston High School, in Chagrin Falls, OH from 2016-17. He also served as a graduate assistant and New England College from 2017-19 where he was highly involved in the recruiting efforts for the program. "I am very blessed to have been given this opportunity to become the first NCAA Division III Head Wrestling Coach at Iowa Wesleyan University. In my short time on campus, the faculty and staff have made me feel right at home, and a part of Tiger Nation. I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to be part of an athletic department that has grown tremendously over the past few years. The addition of men's and women's wrestling is another step towards their commitment to growth and athletic success. I am extremely eager to arrive on campus to become a part of the Iowa Wesleyan Community and to begin building The Tiger's Wrestling Program." Coach Powell also brings to IW an impressive leadership background from his time at Muskingum University. Robert was the team captain from 2011-13. He facilitated all pre and post-season workouts for his team and led recruitment meetings for prospective students. He was the Recruitment Chair for the Black Student Union and was the President for the Interfraternal Council. He was also the Fundraising and Community Chair for the Ulster Club Fraternity. A press conference will be held with Coach Powell on Tuesday, September 3 at 11:00 a.m. in the Espy-McCurdy Conference Room of the Howe Student Activity Center on the campus of Iowa Wesleyan University. Tiger Athletics: Iowa Wesleyan University strives to provide its student-athletes the opportunity to be successful in life and sports. Engaged in the SLIAC and UMAC Conferences, Tiger athletics is a proud member of NCAA Division III.

Kyle Kiss PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- Rutgers wrestling head coach Scott Goodale added four-time NJSIAA placewinner and former University of North Carolina wrestler Kyle Kiss as the program's recruiting coordinator. Kiss, who spent the past four seasons as an assistant at Clarion, replaces Harry Turner, who was named the first-ever head coach at Division III New Jersey City University earlier this summer. "We're excited to bring Kyle on staff," Goodale said. A Jersey guy who has successfully wrestled at the highest level of the sport, Kyle will be a tremendous asset in our recruiting efforts as we continue to look for the best athletes in the country to compete here at Rutgers." Kiss served as an assistant coach at Clarion from 2015-19, where he led the Golden Eagles' recruiting efforts under head coach Keith Ferraro. Clarion produced 10 NCAA qualifiers during Kiss' time with the program, including four during the 2017-18 campaign. With the help of Kiss, the Golden Eagles sent two or more wrestlers to nationals in each of the past four seasons. Prior to his arrival at Clarion, Kiss served as an assistant at North Carolina during the 2014-15 season. While at UNC, Kiss worked closely with the middle weights and coached five national qualifiers, including All-American 165-pounder Ethan Ramos. Kiss enjoyed a successful collegiate career wrestling at North Carolina from 2007-11, where he compiled 70 victories during his time in Chapel Hill. A three-time ACC placewinner, Kiss muscled 22 victories as a junior in 2009-10 and added 19 wins during his senior season in 2010-11. A native of Loch Arbour, New Jersey and a 2007 graduate of Ocean Township, Kiss was a four-time NJSIAA placewinner. He was a two-time Beast of the East finalist and was also a state finalist as a senior. Rutgers is coming off an historic 2018-19 campaign which was capped by the program's first individual NCAA titles from Anthony Ashnault and Nick Suriano, as well as its first top-10 finish at the national tournament. Rutgers wrestled to a 12-6 dual record, which included wins over three ranked foes - No. 10 Wisconsin, No. 19 Princeton and No. 20 Purdue. RU returns five national qualifiers next season, including Suriano, who secured a 29-3 record to go along with his Big Ten and NCAA titles.

A high school wrestler in suburban Cincinnati stepped in to prevent an attempted kidnapping of a classmate on school grounds Monday. Cody Hardin, a junior on the wrestling team at Conner High School in Hebron, Kentucky, was walking from the nearby vocational school to Conner when a female classmate rushed past him ... followed by Benjamin Margitza, an 18-year-old man from Las Vegas who had flown to the nearby Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky International Airport reportedly with the intent of kidnapping her and taking her home with him. The girl had become the target of Margitza's increasingly obsessive, sexually-oriented social media harassment since the beginning of 2019. Even when she blocked him and changed her phone number, Margitza messaged friends, followers and people she followed. Margitza arrived at Conner, knowing the girl he was pursuing was a student there, to try to convince her to come with him to Las Vegas ... when Conner wrestler Cody Hardin stepped in between the two. Hardin said he tried to persuade Margitza to leave the girl alone ... without success. When it became clear Margitza intended to follow her into the school, the member of the Cougar wrestling team stepped between them ... and tried to guide the would-be victim towards the school to get help. Here's how Hardin described the situation to WKRC-TV, the CBS affiliate in Cincinnati: "She walked past us and the guy walked past us and they met up at the sidewalk and she's all, 'Get him away from me!' So I grabbed her by the shoulders and walked her to the front door. And he tried to get in the school, and I said three or four times, 'I wouldn't do that.' And then he finally said, 'Why?' And I grabbed him by the back of the neck and I said, 'I wouldn't do that.' And I made sure the door was closed so he wouldn't get into that school." Once Hardin and the girl were inside, they found the principal and the school resource officer, who quickly arrested Margitza before he could leave school grounds. In an interview with ABC affiliate WCPO-TV, Hardin admitted he was shaking immediately after the incident, saying, "My adrenaline was running." The next day, the school principal and district superintendent both thanked Hardin for his actions. Then, on Wednesday, Conner High Principal Andy Wyckoff issued the following statement: "Conner High School would like to publicly recognize Joseph 'Cody' Hardin for his quick thinking and action in keeping his fellow students safe in the incident on 8/19/19. When it seems so many pull out a cell phone and record a 'wrong' going on in the world, Cody took the correct action and performed a 'right'. He immediately helped avert a threat, and got himself and others to safety. Cody will receive rewards through our PBIS System for helping his fellow students." While Cody Hardin is being hailed as a hero, Benjamin Margitza is now in the Boone County Jail, charged with attempted kidnapping and trespassing. Conner High School is part of a four-school campus which also includes the Boone County Area Technology Center in Hebron, Kentucky, all within sight of the Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky International Airport, and across the Ohio River from Cincinnati. Conner High has an enrollment of approximately 1,400 students.

Tyler Graff after beating Joe Colon at Final X (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) Six-year-old Tyler Graff walked into a wrestling clinic and all he saw was gold. A wide-eyed Graff listened intently as Kevin Jackson shared his inspirational story with young wrestlers in Fort Collins, Colorado. And then Jackson reached into a bag and pulled out something shiny. His Olympic gold medal and his two gold medals from the World Championships. "If you work hard," Jackson said, "you can achieve your dreams." Graff was paying close attention. "Ever since that day," Graff said, "I've wanted to become a world and Olympic champion." Now nearly a quarter of a century later, Graff finally has his opportunity to achieve one of his goals. He will compete for the United States at his first Senior World Championships next month in Kazakhstan. Graff will wrestle for Team USA at 61 kilograms for the strong American freestyle team. "I've always had the desire to be the best wrestler in the world - that never changed," Graff said. "I just had faith and I believed that I needed to keep working. I kept everything in perspective and it finally happened. It was a very rewarding feeling to take the next step. All the time I put in and all the years I've wrestled, it was well worth it when I made the World Team." Graff just turned 30, but he's no stranger to having success. He made two Junior world teams and a University world team. He was an NCAA finalist at Wisconsin. And he's excelled on the Senior level. He's won championships at nine international tournaments. Graff earned two wins over returning world bronze medalist Joe Colon earlier this summer to make his first U.S. World Team. Colon is ranked No. 2 in the world behind returning world champion Yowlys Bonne Rodriguez of Cuba. Colon knocked off Rodriguez earlier this year before falling to Graff in the Final X event that determined the U.S. World Team. "We've had some battles," Graff said of Colon. "Joe is obviously a good wrestler and we've had some good matches. I just had to execute and wrestle like I was capable." Tyler Graff at the Final X press conference (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) Graff also has benefited from a change of scenery. He started working with a new coach, past World Team member Reece Humphrey, at the New Jersey Regional Training Center. "I started working with Reece in April and he's done a lot to help me," Graff said. "He's a great coach. The guy is awesome. He is a huge motivator for everybody he comes across. He can work with all different styles and personalities. He can adapt his coaching to whatever style I wrestle. "I am able to wrestle with him and train with him. If he really wanted to compete, he still could. He pushes us all in the room and it's been great having him to coach me and train with." Graff is coming off a bronze-medal finish earlier this month at the Medved International in Minsk, Belarus. Graff fell to Russia's Artyom Gebekov 7-0 in his first bout before downing Turkey's Emrah Ormanoglu 3-0 and North Macedonia's Vladimir Egorov 5-0. "When I wrestled the Russian, I was in deep on several shots," Graff said. "I had the leg lifted, but I wasn't able to finish for the takedown. I knew there were things I could do to capitalize. I need to make adjustments. I need to be able to convert and finish for takedowns. That tournament is something I can definitely learn from and build off. "I was able to come back and was able to win a couple of matches. I made some adjustments. I feel like I keep making gains and I keep progressing. Both of those guys I beat had close matches with the Russian. They were good opponents." Humphrey came away encouraged by Graff's performance. "Tyler wrestled great," Humphrey said. "The Russian was a good opponent for him. Tyler was in on the guy's leg six times, but he wasn't able to finish. He came back strong and dominated his next two matches on the backside. "I am excited to see what Tyler is capable of doing at the World Championships. He is doing a great job attacking with his offense - he just needs to work on finishing to score the takedown. I know he can correct that." Humphrey said Graff is capable of making a strong run in Kazakhstan. "Tyler beat Joe Colon and Colon was a returning world medalist who beat the Cuban who won Worlds last year," Humphrey said. "We know Tyler is right in there. He's always been a scrapper. He's been improving in so many areas. He needs to finish his shots better. His down blocking and his defense have improved. He has elevated his game. He's always been a grinder and always been really tough. He has that will to win. He absolutely has the capability to win a medal at the World Championships." Graff knows the Olympic Games are right around the corner, but he hasn't given much thought to it. He competes in the non-Olympic weight class of 61 kilograms, and would have to either drop down to 57 kilograms or move up to 65 kilograms in one of those Olympic classes. "My plan is to 100 percent focus on this World Championships," he said. "As soon as the Worlds are complete, I will take that task on. For now, I am completely locked in on getting ready for the Worlds." Humphrey said Graff has been enjoyable to work with. "I think Tyler's in a place where he's comfortable now," Humphrey said. "For whatever reason, we have really clicked and he's made a big jump since he came here. He has a team he trusts. He's made some big jumps mentally. And he's improved technically. It's his time." Graff was a top contender at 57 kilograms at the 2017 U.S. World Team Trials before losing a close match to Thomas Gilman, who went on to earn a silver medal at the World Championships in Paris. Gilman beat Graff on criteria after their quarterfinal match ended in a 1-1 deadlock at the 2017 Trials. Graff is now part of a loaded American World Team led by Olympic and world champions Jordan Burroughs and Kyle Snyder. "It's awesome to be around those guys on the U.S. team," he said. "It's surreal. There are some tremendous wrestlers and great people on this team. Being around those guys and working with them, it's been great and it's been fun. Some of them have done it multiple times and been the best in the world on numerous occasions. I pick their brains and ask them questions. I see the way they train and how they approach it. It's the best room in the world when we're at a camp together." Tyler Graff works to finish a takedown on Earl Hall at the U.S. Open (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Graff said he was watching from home when Snyder earned a dramatic win over Olympic and world champion Abdulrashid Sadulaev of Russia to give the U.S. the men's freestyle team title in 2017. "It's great to have an opportunity to be on a team that can contend for the title," Graff said. "It was awesome when the U.S. won in 2017 - we want to win it again. Everybody is focused on getting the best out of each other. By approaching it that way, that helps everybody perform their best. "When Snyder beat Sadulaev to give the U.S. the team title, I was really excited for Kyle and for the team. It was awesome to see them do it. I was happy for those guys. I went and worked out right after that because I was so inspired." One of the American freestyle coaches on the U.S. freestyle team is Jackson, the wrestler who inspired Graff 24 years ago at that Colorado clinic. "I am excited to compete at the World Championships," Graff said. "I need to make every day count as I prepare for this tournament. I know what I need to do, I just need to go out there and execute. "Every time I step on the mat, I have high expectations and goals. I've had some setbacks in my career, but I wouldn't be where I am today without all of the lessons that I've learned. I've worked a long time for this opportunity and I'm going to make sure I'm ready." Craig Sesker has written about wrestling for more than three decades. He's covered three Olympic Games and is a two-time national wrestling writer of the year.

Zain Retherford and Yianni Diakomihalis have a staredown at Final X: Rutgers (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) The final spot on the U.S. World Team will be decided on Labor Day. Zain Retherford and Yianni Diakomihalis will wrestle for the World Team spot at 65 kilograms in freestyle on Monday, Sept. 2 at Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. Wrestling will begin at 3 p.m. ET. Retherford will enter the best-of-three series with a 1-0 lead after winning the first match at Final X: Rutgers. The second match, which Retherford initially won, was nullified due to officials improperly allowing a challenge at the conclusion of the match. The match(es) will be streamed on FloWrestling.com. Ticket information will be released soon.

Professional mixed martial arts fights usually take place in a casino or a basketball arena. Chris Honeycutt's next MMA bout will apparently be held on a cruise ship ... as part of an international economic forum to be held in Russia next month. The former Edinboro University All-American wrestler will face Russian MMA fighter Alexander Shlemenko in what is being described as the main event at the first-ever Roscongress Vladivostok Combat Night tournament on Thursday, Sept. 5 onboard the Costa Venezia cruise ship in the Pacific port city of Vladivostok in eastern Russia, according to the Russian news agency TASS. The Honeycutt-Shlemenko middleweight (185-pound) MMA fight is being organized by Telesport Media and the Roscongress Foundation, which describes itself as an organization "facilitating the development of Russia's economic potential, promoting its national interests, and strengthening the country's image." https://roscongress.org/en/about/ Shlemenko, a 35-year-old Russian native known by the nickname "Storm," claims a pro MMA record of 58 wins and 12 defeats in a career going back 15.5 years. (Note that early in his career, he sometimes had two fights at one event.) Of those victories, 32 are by KO/TKO; 10 by submission and 16 by decision. Shemenko's Wikipedia page describes the Russian as being "an expert in hand-to-hand combat and traditional kickboxing." The bio also says "Storm" did some Greco-Roman wrestling as a teen. Honeycutt, 31, was a two-time state wrestling champion in two different states -- as a sophomore in Massachusetts, then as a senior in Ohio at the storied St. Edward High School in suburban Cleveland. He continued his mat career at Edinboro in Pennsylvania, where he was a two-time NCAA Division I All-American, making it to the 197-pound finals at the 2012 NCAA championships. Honeycutt launched his pro MMA career in June 2013, crafting an overall record of 11-3, with most of those fights within the Bellator MMA organization, where he was 7-3. Honeycutt's last Bellator bout was a split decision loss to Costello van Steenis at Bellator 210 last November. He was released from his Bellator contract just last week, along with eight other fighters. The Honeycutt-Shlemenko MMA fight is part of the 2019 Eastern Economic Forum, scheduled to be held September 4-6, 2019 in Vladivostok. According to TASS, last year's Eastern Economic Forum resulted in 220 signed agreements, contracts, memorandums and protocols worth over three trillion rubles ($46 billion). Last year's forum in Vladivostok was attended by over 6,000 delegates and 1,350 journalists from 60 countries.

Though the sport of mixed martial arts has always done a fair job of attracting their share of world-class wresters to the ring or cage, the recent growth of the sport on a global scale has only served to increase its pull on the world's best takedown artists. Earlier MMA promotions in the United States, Japan, Eastern Europe, Russia, and even Brazil have been prominently featuring some of the world's top wrestlers for years. But now, with the solidification of those existing markets and the proliferation of new, well-funded shows in places like Singapore, Poland, Nordic countries, and the Caucasus Russian Republics, we are seeing an unprecedented influx of wrestling talent from all over the globe. Excited? Well, you should be. If you're a fan of wrestling you should really give these guys a watch inside the cage. They are so used to plying their trade against the very best wrestlers in the world, and because of this, seized advantages are often minute. Watching top wrestlers unleashed in the less-restrictive arena that is MMA, against opponents who aren't nearly as good at wrestling is a ton of fun. Plus, nowadays, with MMA shows the world over, and a lot of crossover amongst the wrestler and fighter populations, we get to see Olympic-level wrestlers unveil new skills with every fight. The days of the plodding, one-dimensional wrestlers are over. The wrestlers featured herein are/were legitimate champions and medalists at the highest levels of wrestling. They have varying amounts of fights on their record, but all these men are expected to have their best fighting years ahead of them. On to the list ... Logan Storley Undefeated (10-0) South Dakota native Logan Storley has been afforded privileges in his athletic development that few others can boast. Having very early access to fellow Webster High wrestler and eventual mentor Brock Lesnar, Storley had designs on fighting early on. A superb high school wrestler, he won a state title every year from seventh to 12th grade. He also won a Fargo freestyle title, NHSCA Junior Nationals, and in 2011, won both the Junior Hodge and the Dave Schultz Excellence Award. The former presented to him by none other than his buddy Lesnar. Like Lesnar, Storley attended the University of Minnesota where in addition to becoming a four-time Division I All-American, he was successful in freestyle. Taking second at UWW Junior Nationals (2012) and University Nationals (2013), he also qualified for the 2013 World Team trials at 84 kilograms by winning the Northern Plains Regional. Storley forged useful relationships with more wrestlers-turned fighters while still in college. UFC champs Robbie Lawler and Benson Henderson, and top MMA coaches Duke Roufus and Greg Nelson have proven valuable allies as Storley's pugilistic progression has been seamless. Since the beginning, Storley fought like a true MMA veteran. His measured aggression and well-roundedness are major forces to reckon with. He shifts effortlessly between punching in close, dumping foes on their heads, and ground-and-pounding them into a TKO. He is incredibly strong and near-impossible to reverse once on top. Currently climbing the Bellator MMA ranks and fighting out the Hard Knocks 365 camp with Robbie Lawler, Kamaru Usman, and others, Storley's future is as bright as they come. Deron Winn Missouri native Deron Winn was about as decorated a high schooler could hope to be. Four-time all-state with three titles, his lone loss at the state tournament came as a freshman to fighter Michael Chandler. He won five national titles, three in Greco and one freestyle at Fargo, and one at NHSCA Senior Nationals. Despite interest from most major Division I programs, poor grades and some fighting forced Winn to take another route. In doing so he became a two-time NJCAA national champ and an NAIA All-American (third place). After college, Winn got to prove himself against Division I competition. Wrestling for the Cyclone Wrestling Club at Iowa State, and spending time at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, he defeated many top Division I wrestlers, including national champs Chris Pendleton, Jon Reader, Max Askren, J' den Cox, and others. Internationally he won an array of medals at the Dave Schultz and NYAC International/Bill Farrell Memorial, also taking home hardware in Ukraine and Cuba. Initially having "little to no interest" in MMA, a 2015 trip to American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose to train with Daniel Cormier changed things. His original plan being to wrestle and fight simultaneously, Winn turned his focus to MMA after a 2018 World Team spot eluded him. Taking full advantage of his wrestling contacts, he's trained with the likes of Josh Koscheck in Fresno, Antonio McKee in Long Beach, and Cormier (and a host of others) in San Jose. His God-given punching power now coupled with some technique and tact, and with a build that creates many challenges for opponents, thus far his fights have largely been short, violent affairs. However, in his last two outings he has proven his ability to win tough, three-round fights against UFC-caliber foes. His last fight, also his UFC debut, earned him a big win and $50,000 performance bonus. Migran Arutyunyan (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Migran Arutyunyan Until recently, you'd be hard-pressed to find even one legit world-class wrestler from the Caucasus region who's entered MMA. We've had fighters from this region who could wrestle their rear ends off in the cage, but none were near the top of the ladder in their country. Luckily, that is changing, and Armenian-Russian Greco-Roman superstar, Migran "Maestro" Arutyunyan is proof of that. Representing Russia and then Armenia, Arutyunyan enjoyed a fantastic career. He medaled at Worlds and Europeans in the Junior division before taking second and first at Russian Nationals in 2011 and 2012 respectively. He then picked up several prestigious medals for Armenia on his way to the 2016 Games. He beat two world champs heading to the finals where he was denied a gold medal due to passivity calls. Furious, and close to quitting, he decided to pursue MMA and will take another crack at gold in 2020. Thus far Arutyunyan's MMA career has great support and his credentials afford him a plethora of resources and options. He's enlisted Russian boxers Ilez Yandiev and Svetlana Andreeva and has Sambo world champ Ayvazyan Zhora for grappling. Also spending time in the USA, he's trained with UFC vets and fellow Armenians Gegard Mousasi and Manny Gamburyan at Hayastan MMA and SK Golden Boys Wrestling Club in California. As for his actual skills, Arutyunyan has shined in 2 pro fights. Unsurprisingly his wrestling is amazing, but he has a grasp on the finer points of cage-fighting that belies his inexperience. Setting up takedowns with punches, using the cage to help control an opponent, and clever baiting tactics while grappling are hallmarks of a seasoned fighter. Skilled and exceptionally strong, he should be lots of fun to watch, and being with the same management as many UFC fighters, he can fight where he chooses. It also means he may be fast-tracked to the top. Only time will tell. Aaron Pico Aaron Pico Never in the history of MMA have we seen a prospect so thoroughly prepared for the sport as Aaron Pico. Making his fighting intentions known at a very young age, the buzz he generated in the combat sports world has been rather remarkable. A phenomenal wrestler growing up, Pico was also active and successful in both boxing and pankration, a form of grappling-heavy, watered down MMA. In high school he won pretty much everything. He won a California state title as a freshman, five Fargo titles (three in freestyle, two in Greco), USA Wrestling Folkstyle Nationals, and Cadet Worlds. Successful on the senior circuit as well, Pico came painfully close to making the 2016 Olympic Team, narrowly losing to Frank Molinaro on criteria before moving to MMA. Leading up to his debut in Bellator MMA, people were lining up to train Pico. He spent time at AKA with Daniel Cormier and company, Team Bodyshop with Antonio McKee, he boxed with Freddy Roach, and still trained wrestling with the best in the game. Rumors of him destroying top fighters in training were coming from everywhere and his coaches raved about him. After a disastrous debut against a bigger, older, much more experienced fighter, expectations simmered a bit. Showing great resolve and maturity, Pico handled defeat like a champ. Then, in his next four fights, we saw his incredible talent on full display when he scored four dazzling first-round knock outs. He was indeed for real. But MMA is a cruel game, and despite every aspect of Pico's skill being top-notch, he lost his last two fights in devastating fashion. Pico is at a bit of a crossroads, and there is much speculation as to where his future lay. His immense skill set will always make him dangerous, but perseverance and maybe even some lucky breaks may be in order if he is to reach the top of the MMA world. Bekzod Abdurakhmanov In 2013, I had been serving as a strength and conditioning coach for a fighter who took a fight at Sherman Cage Rage, a small but solid Pennsylvania MMA show. Watching the fight before his from backstage, he noticed a certain confidence of one of the fighters as they made their walk to the cage. The fight began and inside of a round the noted fighter had violently TKO'd his opponent. Everyone in attendance knew they had just witnessed an extremely high-level athlete. That athlete was Bekzod Abdurakhmanov. A star young wrestler coming up in Uzbekistan, Abdurakhmanov had his entire career mapped out until an incident involving him knocking out an opponent on the mat caused a diversion. Luckily his older brother Muzaffar had previously relocated to the USA and assisted Abdurakhmanov in doing the same. A very interesting story, the next few years were a whirlwind that saw Abdurakhmanov become a three-time college wrestling All-American (two NJCAA, one Division I), join his brother on the coaching staff at Harvard, return to Uzbekistan to wrestle, and start an MMA career. He performed well on the senior scene, placing in the top eight at most tournaments, all while winning five amateur and six pro fights inside of 18 months. He was looking like one of the most promising MMA prospects in history until in 2014 he broke through in wrestling, taking second at the Dave Schultz and winning bronze at the World Championships. This changed things. All of a sudden an Olympic gold medal seemed possible. Abdurakhmanov put fighting on hold, spending the next few years collecting wrestling medals. He won the Asian Games and Asian Championships several times, he tech falled Jordan Burroughs in Rio, and won another bronze at the 2018 Worlds. What lands him on this list is the fact that he quietly took another fight late in 2017. He's also been seen in famed MMA coach Mark DellaGrotte's MMA and Muay Thai gym in Boston again. It wouldn't surprise me in the least if Abdurakhmanov stops wrestling after the Tokyo Games to focus of MMA. Tune in to future installments where we will cover a Russian/Azeri Olympian who is winning fights with spinning wheel kicks, a possible future UFC heavyweight champion, and one of the best NCAA wrestlers in history.