Wrestling always provided a steady pipeline of talented athletes making the move into MMA but those numbers have dwindled in recent years, especially when it comes to the biggest names in the sport.
While Olympic gold medalist and multi-time NCAA champion Gable Steveson is making his UFC debut in July, many of the top wrestlers have opted against fighting as a future occupation. Two-time Olympian and UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier believes the biggest cause that’s disrupted so many wrestlers from even attempting to become fighters really comes down to money.
“We don’t have a male American champion right now,” Cormier Ya’ll Street TV while forgetting that Sean Strickland holds the UFC middleweight title. “I think we might have done so much that the American wrestler isn’t as available right now. There are RTC’s in wrestling where guys make a little more money. Remember, I told you, I used to sit back going how many times did I go right when I should have went left? Now, right is $200,000 a year to coach.
“Most wrestlers think that $200,000 is a lot of money, especially when you’re living in those small towns like Stillwater [Okla.] and Happy Valley, wherever Penn State is, Raleigh, N.C. Those small towns that’s a lot of money. The American wrestler isn’t as open to fighting as we need him to be.”
Money was once the driving factor for a lot of wrestlers making the move into MMA because after college, the opportunities to earn a living solely through competition was nearly impossible.
Only the top wrestlers in the sport earn a truly livable wage and that only comes through championships or high-place finishes in the Olympics or the World Championships of wrestling. Outside of that, wrestlers weren’t able to make much money and moving into MMA provided that opportunity.
But coaching is one avenue that wrestlers have obviously started to use to stay active and earn a living that doesn’t require getting punched in the face.
Add to that Real American Freestyle has become a viable option for many wrestlers to earn money outside of the biggest tournaments in the sport.
Obviously, Cormier would like to see more top Americans choose MMA in the future but for instance out of the 16 American wrestlers who competed at the 2024 Olympics in Paris, only silver medalist Kennedy Blades has expressed serious interest in potentially fighting one day.
Perhaps that changes in the future but the flow of top wrestlers coming to MMA has definitely slowed down in recent years.
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