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.
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