InterMat Staff

MANHEIM, Pa. -- The National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) is proud to announce the 2019 winners of the Inaugural State and National High School Girls Coach of the Year awards. These awards were made available for any state whose high school association sponsored a Girls Championship, Pilot, or Invitational during the 2018-19 season. This program will continue to grow as the number of states sanctioning high school continues to grow. To date Girls High School Wrestling is now sanctioned in 18 states. States sponsoring girls championships: Alaska, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts. Maine, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Washington. Scholastic Boys Coach of the Year Winners This year's National Girls Coach of the Year is Mike Kimber from Mt. Edgecumbe High Schooll (AK) and the National Girls Assistant Coach of the Year is Brad Warren from Rossville High School (TN). Both Kimber and Warren were selected as State Coach of the Year winners. Kimber (National and Alaska Coach of the Year) just completed his 19th season of coaching, each at Mt. Edgecumbe, his alma mater. Kimber's 2018-19 squad finished as State Champions with 13 qualifiers, 7 placers, and 1 individual state champion giving Mt. Edgecumbe back to back state titles. Coach Kimber was inducted into the Alaska Hall of Fame class of 2018 for his efforts in bringing high school girls wrestling to Alaska. In addition to the 2017 and 2018 State Titles, Kimber's squads have won 5 straight regional championships while garnering 38 state placers, 12 of whom won state titles. Warren (National and Tennessee Assistant Coach of the Year) just completed his 6th season of coaching and his 5th at Rossview High School. Coach Warren serves as the lead coach for the girls team taking chare of the day to day operations of the squad when the boys team competes at a separate location. Warren also serves as an assistant coach for the Tennessee National Girls Team often traveling across the country as they compete at national events. In addition, Coach Warren helped start a new middle school team at Rossview and serves as the co-head coach. "The NWCA is proud to launch the National Girls Coach of the Year program to recognize outstanding coaches who are going above and beyond to help grow girls' wrestling across our country. We now have 18 states sponsoring girls' wrestling with many more having great discussions about implementation in their state. Coach Mike Kimber's, and Coach Brad Warren's outstanding contributions to our sport are too numerous to list, but I know that the lasting impact they are making in the lives of there athletes will not be forgotten." Mike Moyer, NWCA Executive Director. STATE - SCHOLASTIC GIRLS HEAD COACH OF THE YEAR SECTION COACH SCHOOL STATE Section 1 Joseph Lemke Jackson Memorial High School New Jersey Section 3 Sean Moistner Alexander High School Georgia Section 3 Vernon Walworth Hoke County High School North Carolina Section 3 Kayla Sharp Clarksville Northwest High School Tennessee Section 5 Randy Roark Lebanon High School Missouri Section 6 Sparky Adair Eaglecrest HS/Cherry Creek School District Colorado Section 7 Luis Gonzalez San Fernando High School California Section 7 Rob Hesia Kamehameha Kapalama Hawaii Section 8 Mike Kimber Mt. Edgecumbe High School Alaska Section 8 Trent Kroll Hood River Valley High School Oregon Section 8 Barb Morgan Sedro-Woolley High School Washington STATE - SCHOLASTIC GIRLS ASSISTANT COACH OF THE YEAR SECTION COACH SCHOOL STATE Section 1 Frank O'Shea Manalapan High School New Jersey Section 3 Ben Mount Hiram High School Georgia Section 3 Brad Warren Rossview High School Tennessee Section 5 Matt Neely Lebanon High School Missouri Section 7 Fallyn Kapoi Kamehameha Kapalama Hawaii Section 8 Raymond "Thor" Williams Bethel Regional High School Alaska Section 8 Lynn Miller Hood River Valley High School Oregon Section 8 Tyson Lindeman Kelso High School Washington

TULSA, Okla. -- Shortly after their women's freestyle team claimed their first title, Illinois continued their Greco-Roman dominance at the Junior National Duals, picking up their third title in three years with a 46-21 victory over Minnesota Blue. Paxton Creese kicked the dual off at 113 pounds with a 10-0 technical fall for Minnesota. In the opening minute, Creese hit a big four-point throw. He finished the match off quickly with three turns off a gut wrench. Illinois got on the board at 120 pounds, where Nain Vazquez picked up a 13-2 technical fall. Vazquez racked up points with his gut wrench. Brody Norman would claim another for Illinois, earning a 8-5 decision at 126 pounds. Read complete story on TheMat.com ...

Earlier this week Minnesota heavyweight wrestler and NCAA Division I All-American Gable Steveson was arrested alongside teammate Dylan Martinez on suspicion of sexual assault. The wrestlers were released 36 hours later after police were unwilling or unable to file charges against the pair. The investigation is still underway, and charges could be posted at any time, but as of Thursday night the only action taken is that the University of Minnesota has placed the wrestlers on a mandatory suspension from team activities. Nobody in the wrestling community enjoys hearing about the arrest of our top athletes. Our sport receives such little attention, that when it's wasted on the negative some in the community wish to not discuss it or have outlets like InterMat carry the facts. That repulsion to the facts were on display this week. While I can understand wanting a moderated response (innocent until proven guilty), there is no precedent for burying news just because fans don't want to hear it. In fact, the opposite is true. If self-censorship was more common among media outlets (as is now being promoted on message boards and comment threads) then it only harms the fans, since the discretion moves from one of newsworthiness to one of a fan's feelings. The accusations against Steveson and Martinez are serious and should they be found guilty of wrongdoing the punishment will be severe. Sexual assault is a criminal offense, but it's also an offense that can fall under EEOC for dismissal from school, and one that can trigger a SafeSport violation. The latter two may not need a criminal outcome, much like civil court doesn't depend on a criminal verdict. At this point, there is no way for me (or you) to know what happened, but there is room to discuss how we as a community should approach this topic in the future. While the news coverage is interesting, it pales to some of the more reprehensible attitudes. Some members of our community mismanaged this discussion by making victim accusations rather than showing compassion and utilizing patience. The internet often finds a way to promote its platform's most controversial opinions. Just look at the comments on articles from this column over the last 18 months -- there is no topic boring enough to escape the ever-expanding bilge of hate-filled trolls. Like many of you, I saw the article and thought of how incredibly awful for this young woman -- someone's daughter, sister, best friend, coworker -- to be attacked by two men. To have a turbulent mixture of sadness, anger, and doubt swirling in her head is difficult to fully grasp. To maybe have had an innocence forever taken from her. Sexual assault -- rape -- isn't just a physical assault, it's a crime that can injure the mind and soul forever. But there were prominent wrestlers and former wrestlers who looked past those feelings and immediately found comfort in making efforts to victim shame. That this was another example of the non-existent trend of "false reporting" -- women who inaccurately describe sexual encounters in order to slander a man's name. While false reports have happened the numbers are dwarfed by real assaults -- women who haven't suffered just reputational damage but rape. Individuals arguing that this case is false based on the premise they like the wrestler and they've "heard it happens nowadays" doesn't make them the member of some enlightened elite, it convicts them of uncurable stupidity and moral failure. According to RAINN, more than 320,000 Americans older than 12 years old were victims of sexual assault or rape last year alone. Seems that even the trolliest troll would admit that half a million women aren't faking their stories of sexual assault. The cruelty necessary to question the honesty of a victim is incompatible with the values of any community, large or small. When members of the wrestling community chime in with ignorant statements they are seeking attention because they need validation. They need to be seen because they need to feel loved or hated to feel validated; to be exalted by praise or motivated by anger to have a purpose. So for these athletes and keyboard jockeys finding humor in this women's pain, you're a disgrace. But for the fans out there seeing it, do us all a favor and take away the thing that gives them power: ignore them in earnest. Discard their self-serving opinions and myopic world view in favor of something more productive, creative, kind, and loving. We have a wrestling community filled with beautiful, trustworthy and sincere people. Find them. Promote them. It'll make for a much better world, and sport. To your questions … Q: If Gable Steveson requests a special wrestle-off for the U23 team, should it be granted to him? -- @CurtJones87 Foley: I'm not sure what the procedure would be with USA Wrestling, but there is nothing legally (that I'm aware of) that would limit his participation in those types of events. Now, were it an NCAA-sanctioned event he would need to be in good standing with his team, which as of today he isn't as he is still suspended. However, if charges are filed there is likely some guideline in place that would limit him from competition. Also, there is SafeSport which would almost certainly come into play, though I can't speak to how that policy is enforced and what would trigger its implementation (charges vs. conviction). Q: Now that Bo Nickal requested a special wrestle-off for the U23 team, do you think any of the other eligible wrestlers will? I believe Daton Fix, Yianni Diakomihalis, Ryan Deakin and Gable Steveson are all eligible. -- Mike C. Foley: As of now three of the eligible nine wrestlers who lost in Final X have requested a wrestle-off: Bo Nickal, Cohlton Schultz, and Brady Koontz. I wouldn't suspect that Fix will look to wrestle in both tournaments. Yianni's team is currently attempting to litigate him onto the senior team, but could go ahead and schedule the wrestle-off in case they aren't granted what they are seeking. Would be a shame to not see him compete at U23 because of the situation that was created. Imagine Deakin will submit but don't know for sure! Daton Fix scored a late takedown on Thomas Gilman at Final X: Lincoln (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Q: What did you think of the takedown call awarded to Daton Fix against Thomas Gilman late in their third match? Seemed really close, but I personally didn't think it was a takedown. -- Mike C. Foley: After Final X Rutgers I chose to watch a comedy show rather than Final X, so I didn't have the benefit of seeing the scramble live. That means I've probably been manipulated a bit. Still, my take is that it's a pretty straightforward takedown. Gilman switched legs at the end of the scramble and went double under on the left leg, but was flat to the mat. The international rules and interpretation are not very compassionate when control is established with one wrestler in total par-terre position. The leg was also underneath the body. Had Gilman kept his hips off the mat and the leg over his head, or elevated, he could maybe have avoided the points. But I think that if you're flat on the mat and your opponent is parallel with arms locked around you it's a takedown. Q: With Takuto Otoguro and Kaori Icho losing at the Meiji Cup last week, do you think there is a real chance we won't see one or both at the Tokyo Olympics? Icho would be going for her fifth Olympic title in her home country. Would be stunning if she didn't make the team. -- Mike C. Foley: Kaori Icho is 35 years old and has been hammering the mats since she was 5 years old. That's a lot of know-how, but also a lot of damage to the body. She has slowed significantly the past three years. She isn't protecting her legs as well as she was in Rio and everything from her ankles to her back looks stiff as wood. While I'm a card-carrying member of her fan club, I think that Risako Kawai (a fellow Olympic champion) has more steam at the moment. As for Otoguro, he too is facing an accomplished opponent in Rio 2106 silver medalist Rei Higuchi. Otoguro has a number of wins over Higuchi, but looked a step slower in their finals match, often waiting until Higuchi was deep on an attack to launch a counter scoring move. Wasn't pretty, and when you add in his sock pull and suspect lungs maybe Japan would benefit from Higuchi in Tokyo. Nice thing is that this is all settled on July 6 and we get to watch! Q: This makes nine straight world teams for Jordan Burroughs, I think the record is 14 straight by Bruce Baumgartner (1983-1996) having medaled in all but '91. Any idea where JB stacks in consecutive or total world teams made? -- Frank C. Foley: Way, way up there. Only modern comparison would come on the women's side with Adeline making her eighth world team. As for a historical reference I don't have the pull for that at the moment, but I think that someone in the comments can add their best guesses. I mean John Smith made six and won six. Yikes. Spencer Lee defeated Jack Mueller to claim his second straight NCAA title (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com) Q: Why didn't Spencer Lee compete for the World Team? Is he injured? A healthy Lee might have beaten out Fix for that spot. -- Andy S. Foley: Unclear and Iowa isn't talking at the moment. It's been a bit since Spencer has competed in freestyle. Maybe he's deferred to Gilman? Maybe he's not that good at freestyle anymore?! (just kidding). Either way, if he's planning on making a run at the team in 2020 I'm not sure that sitting out the entire quad was the right call. Q: Now that Aaron Pico has taken three losses in seven MMA fights, do you think it could alter his original plans? Do you see him making a run for the 2020 Olympic Team at 65 kilograms? Obviously, he is 6-0 against Zain, but would he have enough time to get back into form? Is he eligible to compete for Mexico? -- Mike C. Foley: Last I've heard he's eligible in terms of transfer, but unclear if he's activated that transfer or what he wants to do in order to compete. There is likely no way he can be on the team for this year's World Championships, since the transfer would have needed to be done last December. He could still enter and qualify from the continental championships or the last chance qualifier. I'd love to see Pico back on the mats! Q: What wine pairs best with watching international tournaments at 4 a.m.? I've got a nice semi-dry Riesling from 2014 I may break out for the Medved. -- @jagger712 Foley: If you like a dry Riesling I think you'll enjoy a Gruner. Typically a little cheaper, drier, and frankly better. But are you trying to drink wine at 4 a.m.? What about an Irish coffee? Trick is to make your own whip cream for the mug and use Jameson. I think I'd start there and move into a 7 a.m. Bloody Maria (tequila) before moving to a more sustainable beer choice -- like Guinness. I'm genuinely interested in hearing what you choose. Also, this reminds me that there will be A LOT of tired fans in September, with the 2019 World Championships in Nur-Sultan.

Pat Whitcomb lifts Taylor Kornoely after winning the NCAA title at heavyweight (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) Pat Whitcomb, head wrestling coach at North Idaho College who was fired in the middle of last season after more than two decades at the helm, has filed a tort claim with intent to sue his alma mater and former employer for damages. A tort is a filing that alleges civil wrongdoing that caused loss or harm from an action. Torts allow the opportunity for cases to be settled out of court before a suit is filed. Whitcomb accuses the college of discrimination, reputational damage, retaliation and misconduct, with an estimate of damages to the former NIC wrestler/coach to be between $50,000 and $100,000 to date. "During the past several years, NIC has suffered through a series of allegations of wrongful, corrupt and unlawful conduct," the tort claim states. "Pat Whitcomb, previously employed as a wrestling coach for NIC, attempted to prevent such misconduct where he could, and to bring to light the misconduct he could not prevent. "As a result, he has suffered extensive retaliation, ultimately ending in the loss of his employment, interference with his business relationships and other harms and damages." As InterMat reported on Jan. 25, Whitcomb said he was fired on January 7 for what he believes are his efforts to upgrade facilities to accommodate double-amputee wrestler Hassan Hawthorne, 2016 Alabama 145-pound state champ, for speaking up for a co-worker who was assaulted on campus, and because school leaders want to drop wrestling -- arguably NIC's most successful varsity sport (the program was ranked fourth in the nation at the time of his firing) -- in favor of launching a baseball program. Whitcomb's attorney, James Piotrowski, also filed a complaint similar to the NIC tort claim to the Idaho Human Rights Commission. When asked about the tort claim, Laura Rumpler, NIC's chief communications and government relations officer, told the Coeur d'Alene Press, "It is the responsibility of NIC's leadership to make the difficult decisions to ensure employees who serve our students operate with integrity and align with the college's values of student success and academic excellence." "While I (or the college) cannot comment specifically on the possibility of pending litigation, NIC denies any wrongful conduct and is confident that any judicial process will afford clarity and bring the truth and facts to light," according to Rumpler. In the 22 years since Whitcomb was hired as head wrestling coach, NIC could claim 18 individual national champions and 108 All-Americans. He was honored as National Coach of the Year twice and Region 18 Coach of the Year eight times. Whitcomb is a member of the NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) Wrestling Hall of Fame and NIC Hall of Fame. Two weeks ago, North Idaho announced it had hired Michael Sebaaly as its head wrestling coach. Founded in 1933, North Idaho College is a public, two-year community college located in Coeur d'Alene. It has a total enrollment of approximately 7,800 students.

Punahele Soriano, NCAA Division III All-American wrestler at Iowa's Wartburg College, secured a UFC contract with his impressive win on the Season 3 premiere of Dana White's Contender Series Tuesday night at UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Punahele Soriano (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)The 26-year-old Hawaiian native scored a unanimous decision in a three-round middleweight (185-pound) bout over Jamie Pickett, (30-27, 30-27, 30-26). It was the first time Soriano had a professional MMA fight go beyond the first round. In the first round, Soriano came out strong as he usually does, but Pickett was able to survive the late barrage before the sound of the horn," according to MMAjunkie.com. "Soriano remained calm and calculated, using his wrestling to control the rest of the fight." After the win, the former Wartburg Knight -- who earned All-America honors at the 2014 NCAAs by placing seventh in the 197-pound bracket -- Soriano expressed some concern whether he might not be selected by UFC president Dana White for a UFC contract. "To be honest, yeah," Soriano said. "It's kind of what I was thinking." A few minutes after Soriano's fight, though, White announced that he had chosen Soriano for a UFC contract, praising the former D3 mat star's ability to adjust his game plan and go the distance for the first time. Soriano is now 6-0 in his pro career which started in January 2017 … and the owner of a UFC contract. His first UFC fight has yet to be scheduled.

Bo Nickal takes a shot on J'den Cox at Final X: Rutgers (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Hodge Trophy winner Bo Nickal has requested a requested a best-of-three special wrestle-off against U23 national freestyle champion Jakob Woodley for the 92-kilogram spot on USA's U23 team that will compete at the U23 World Championships. He was granted the special wrestle-off because he meets USA Wrestling's criteria. According to USA Wrestling's World Team procedures, "If a U23 age eligible athlete qualifies for Final X at the senior level, they do not have to participate in the U23 World Team Trials and can request a wrestle-off against the U23 World Team Trials champion at a date after Final X." After capping his career at Penn State as a three-time NCAA champion in March, Nickal won a U.S. Open title at 92 kilograms in April. The next month, Nickal earned a spot in Final X by winning the World Team Trials Challenge Tournament. He fell to world champion and three-time world-level medalist J'den Cox at Final X: Rutgers. While Nickal is the first wrestler to request a special wrestle-off for a spot on the U23 team, four other freestyle wrestlers are eligible: Daton Fix at 57 kilograms, Yianni Diakomihalis at 65 kilograms, Ryan Deakin at 70 kilograms and Gable Steveson at 125 kilograms. Three Greco-Roman wrestlers are eligible as well for a special wrestle-off.

Brent Fleetwood rides Northwestern's Sebastian Rivera at the CKLV Invitational (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) The Pennsylvania Regional Training Center (PRTC) has announced the addition of three-time NCAA qualifier Brent Fleetwood to its freestyle program. He plans to compete at 57 kilograms. "Brent is an exciting addition to our training center. His dedication and passion for the sport will translate effectively to Olympic level competition. Throughout his career, he has been competitive against the nation's best wrestlers. The support structure, coaching, and training partners at the PRTC will allow him reach his wrestling potential and goals," said Brandon Slay, Executive Director and Head Coach of the PRTC. A four-time Delaware high school state champion, Brent competed for both North Dakota State and Central Michigan during his collegiate career. He was the runner-up at the Big 12 Conference Championship in 2019 and placed third at the 2016 Mid-American Conference tournament. He compiled an 86-45 career record, including a 27-6 record in his final season. Brent has also had freestyle success having competed at the 2018 US Open Freestyle where he compiled a 5-3 record to place sixth at 57 kilograms. He also gained valuable experience at the 2018 World Team Trials, going went 1-2. Added Brent, "Wrestling is very important to me and my career is only beginning. I had very high goals at the collegiate level and feel my dreams are still achievable. The ecosystem at the PRTC is one I've been seeking to join. It's an amazing opportunity to train with Ethan Lizak, Michael Colaiocco, Carmen Ferrante, Doug Zapf, Lucas Revano, Antonio Minnino as well as coaches Matt Valenti and Matt Azevedo. I'm excited to get started and look forward to showing what we can accomplish together."

Bellarmine University's intercollegiate wrestling program will be making the move from NCAA Division II to Division I, the Louisville-based school announced Tuesday. The transition -- which will start after the completion of the 2019-2020 season -- will take four years. During that time, Bellarmine will not be eligible to compete in NCAA championship events. Once the transition is complete, the Bellarmine Knights will be the only Division I wrestling program in Kentucky. Most Bellarmine varsity sports will be competing in the Atlantic Sun (ASUN) conference which had officially invited the school to join the conference this week. However, for now, wrestling (along with field hockey) will compete in Division I with independent status because most ASUN member schools do not offer intercollegiate wrestling. The oldest and greatest sport is actually a fairly new varsity sport at Bellarmine. Almost exactly three years ago, the school announced it would be absorbing the wrestling program at St. Catharine College, a tiny college in central Kentucky which had announced in June 2016 it would be closing its doors, effective immediately. Bellarmine stepped forward after another Kentucky-based school had said it would welcome athletes from three other sports but not wrestling. Head coach Spencer Adams, a three-time NAIA (National Association Intercollegiate Athletes) All-American wrestler at Campbellsville University of Kentucky, had coached at St. Catharine before taking the helm of the new Bellarmine program three years ago. For the past three seasons, Bellarmine wrestling had competed in the Great Lakes Valley Conference, compiling a 9-5 record during the 2018-19 regular season. In March, two BU Knights -- 125-pounder Brandon Lucas, and Gage Branson at 149 -- became Bellarmine's first wrestlers to compete at the NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships in Cleveland, both just missing becoming All-Americans. Founded in 1950, Bellarmine (pronounced BEL-ur-men) University is a private, Catholic, four-year school located just outside downtown Louisville, Kentucky's largest city. Bellarmine has an enrollment of approximately 3,600 students.

Miron Kharchilava with members of Team Miron Miron Kharchilava, founder of Team Miron, joins Chad Dennis on Episode 31 of The MatBoss Podcast. Much of this episode's discussion centers around how Miron got to the United States, his upbringing and depictions of life in the Soviet Union before and after the breakup. He also talks about his son, Carson Kharchla, one of the nation's top-ranked recruits for the Class of 2019. Miron will also talk about his time wrestling collegiately in the U.S. after spending time on the Soviet national team and his philosophy of being a state champion in life, not just on the mat. 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

Casey Dobson of Providence works from the top position against Nick Drendel of Williams Baptist (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) This article is in response to Todd Martin's column, The Bottom Line: A Strange Concept, which challenges the claim that Henry Cejudo -- or in fact any wrestler, no matter the wrestling resume -- could be considered the greatest multi-combat-sport athlete ever. Wrestlers were upset with the article, obviously, because wrestlers are a defensive mob of cauliflower-eared maniacs always chomping at the bit to defend our sport. I know this because I am one of those maniacs. I'm a former high school and college wrestler, a former high school referee, and a current high school coach. I am an avid wrestling fan and make the pilgrimage to the NCAA tournament every other year. But when I saw the reactions to Martin's post, I rolled my eyes. We wrestling fans are too knee-jerky and quick to overreact. At least since 2013, when the IOC nearly voted to remove wrestling from the Olympics, we are loudly insecure about the future of our sport. We love our sport, and we will double-leg anyone who disagrees that it's the oldest and greatest sport in the world. I saw replies on Twitter attacking Martin and asking why wrestlers make the best MMA fighters if they aren't considered combat athletes. Some also conflated toughness with combat, arguing that wrestlers were tough and thus combatants. These fans didn't read the article carefully enough, though, or they would've read the part where Martin wrote, "[wrestling] has proven itself the most valuable building block for a complete MMA fighter," or when he clearly stated that winning a gold medal in wrestling, "is as impressive as athletic achievements come." Martin wasn't bashing wrestling at all, he was posing an interesting question about how the sport should be classified. I agree that wrestling is the best sport in the world, but does it actually matter if it's considered a combat sport? The sport is great in and of itself. And as I continued to think about it, I realized that classifying wrestling as non-combative might actually be a good thing. Yes, it's the best building block for MMA and other combat sports, as proven by Cejudo and so many others. And yes, it teaches the warrior graces: courage under pressure, triumphing over pain, moving past defeat, etc etc. But no, unlike MMA and the other combat sports, wrestling does not require simulating the experience of death. Well, it sort of does. But the wrestling version of that simulation -- the pin -- as painful and inglorious as it is, has been honed over thousands of years into a highly stylized, even abstracted representation of death. Why? To make the sport safe and, well, sportsmanlike. To make a place in the arena where courage and skill can be developed and illustrated apart from the grisly sacrifice or ugly near-sacrifice of human life as seen in MMA. As Martin put it, "Death is not desired in a sport." Sure there are some pins, like a tight head-and-arm or a Chandler Rogers assassin, that closely resemble submission holds from other combat sports, and if you've ever seen a bouncer subdue an unruly patron in a bar fight, you know that wrestling takedowns are commonplace in real-world scenarios. But many pins, like the crossface cradle, for example, do not "incapacitate" the opponent so much as restrain him or her until the ref's hand slaps the mat. And now, in the twenty-first century, as blood and death spill across the video screens and game consoles of every home in America, that bit of extra space between "combat sport" and just plain old hard, painful, awesome "sport" might be more important than ever. Last year, when I came up with the crazy idea of trying to start a wrestling program at a high school that didn't have any high-impact sports offerings -- for example, no football -- one of my first challenges was to reassure the administration that wrestling is a safe sport, not a fight. And when I tried to recruit athletes, I cannot tell you how many times I comforted apprehensive parents by saying that their sons and daughters were not going to be punched in the head or have their arms twisted off. "This isn't MMA or boxing," I'd say to calm them, "it's just a sport with rules and a clear scoring system." It worked. The admin let me start the program and the parents let their kids come out for the sport. Our slowly dying sport is now one high school program larger precisely because I had convinced people that wrestling is not a combat sport. As concussion research and knowledge of CTE permeates through our society, as youth numbers in peewee football and youth boxing plummet, defining our sport as non-combative might be essential to its survival.

Jared Haught gets his hand raised after winning in the NCAA semifinals in 2018 (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) BLACKSBURG -- Virginia Tech head wrestling coach Tony Robie announced Tuesday that Hokie great Jared Haught has been added to his staff as the volunteer assistant coach. With the addition of Haught, Ty Walz has been promoted from volunteer assistant to director of performance-wrestling "Jared Haught embodies every quality that we are looking for as a member of our staff and he'll be a great example for our team," said Robie. "Jared's success on the mat speaks for itself and his work ethic, commitment and toughness are legendary in our wrestling room. He loves to train and he'll be a great assist to our upperweights. The addition of Jared also allows Ty Walz to focus even more on training as he enters his second year on the national team. Overall, adding Jared to our coaching staff is a home run. " Haught was a two-time ACC champion, four-time NCAA qualifier and a three-time All-American for the Hokies from 2014-18. As a senior, Haught became only the second Tech wrestler and the first West Virginia native to make it to a national final when he reached the championship match at 197 pounds at the 2018 NCAA Championships in Cleveland. Haught and his wife, Morgan, reside in Blacksburg. Walz, a three-time All-American who has served as volunteer assistant the past two seasons, recently made his second-consecutive senior men's freestyle national team at 97 kg. As teammates, Walz and Haught played key roles on Virginia Tech's 2016 team that finished fourth in the nation at the NCAA Championships. With the addition of Haught, Tech's staff is now made up of five coaches who have racked up 14 All-America honors in their careers. Haught, Robie and assistant coaches Jared Frayer and Cody Brewer all wrestled in NCAA finals at their respective weight classes. The Hokies return two All-Americans from last year's squad in David McFadden and national champion Mekhi Lewis. Tech's incoming freshman class is made up of multiple top 100 prospects and has been ranked as a consensus top-five class according to FloWrestling, InterMat and The Open Mat.

Nine individuals were injured when a 15-passenger van flipped on an Alabama highway while on the way to a wrestling event at Disney World in Florida midday Monday. The Ford van was carrying 11 individuals at the time of the crash in Montgomery County in central Alabama. Nine were hospitalized, some with serious injuries. At least one individual required surgery, and is now in stable condition, according to WHNT-TV of Huntsville, Ala. The van, carrying athletes from the Warrior Wrestling Club of Shelby County, was headed to the Disney Duals wrestling tournament in Orlando. The wrestling club has posted this message on its Facebook page: “Earlier today, a group of wrestlers from AL and TN headed south to compete in the AAU Scholastic Duals at Disney. During the drive down, one of the vans was involved in an accident. All parents have been informed. With respect to the parents and wrestlers we will not be disclosing any names or injuries. All we ask is for your prayers.”

Gable Steveson gets his hand raised after placing third at the NCAAs (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine) Two University of Minnesota wrestlers -- Gable Steveson and Dylan Martinez -- who were arrested on suspicion of criminal sexual conduct this weekend were released from jail in Minneapolis without charges Tuesday. The Hennepin County attorney's office said in a statement Tuesday that an investigation of Steveson and Martinez continues, but "no charges can be brought at this time." The office faced a noon deadline (Central time) for a charging decision. The county attorney's office will review the evidence against the two with Minneapolis Police Department over the next 90 days. The two Golden Gopher wrestlers were arrested on Saturday. The Minneapolis police report indicated that the two wrestlers sexually penetrated a victim with an object and the person received treatment at the hospital. According to the Star Tribune, the St. Paul Police Department released a transcript of the 911 call that came to them Saturday. A male caller told police that his female friend "seems to be sexually assaulted and is not OK. She left with a couple guys and she is absolutely bawling her eyes out and doesn't know what happened ..." Steveson, the nation's No. 1 wrestling recruit in the Class of 2018, was an All-American as a true freshman for the Gophers, placing third in the nation at heavyweight. Last month, Steveson won the World Team Trials Challenge Tournament to reach Final X. He then fell to two-time world bronze medalist Nick Gwiazdowski at Final X on June 8 at Rutgers. Martinez transferred to Minnesota from Fresno City College where he was a two-time California community college champion.

Mixed martial arts. A combative discipline comprised of other combative disciplines. Since the beginning of this still new sport, participants of the highest caliber from the majority of the known martial arts have been drawn to the cage. Of all the martial arts represented in this arena, a strong argument can be made that no discipline has lent more of its top practitioners to the cage than the world's oldest sport: wrestling. Top wrestlers have had a prominent place in MMA since the beginning. Now, in June of 2019, the headlines across the MMA world are full of names familiar to fans of collegiate and Olympic style wrestling. With Olympic gold medalist Henry Cejudo ascending to the very top of MMA's biggest promotion, and wrestling prodigy/MMA super-prospect Aaron Pico suffering another crushing defeat in the world's most famous sports arena, all in the last week, there is no doubt that wrestlers are getting more than their fair share of shine as staples of the mixed martial arts scene. It has not always been this way though. Let's take a look at 10 world-class wrestlers who inconspicuously entered MMA. Cary Kolat In 2005, a few years removed from a highly successful (and highly controversial) wrestling career, Cary Kolat ventured into a new facet of hand-to-hand combat. Possessing a resume that included items like four-time Pennsylvania state champ, Cadet world champ, four-time NCAA Division I All American, two-time NCAA champ, world silver medalist, world bronze medalist, World Cup champ, and Olympian, it's easy to see why Kolat was encouraged to try MMA. Training alongside fellow Sydney Olympian Matt Lindland and other wrestling greats who were now full-fledged MMA big shots like Dan Henderson and Randy Couture, Cary jumped right into professional MMA. His physical, aggressive, technical wrestling style lent itself well to MMA and Kolat impressed his peers at the respected MMA gym, Team Quest. Booked to fight for Sportfight, a promotion owned by Lindland and Couture, against the far more experienced Enoch Wilson, the stage was set for Kolat to begin his climb up the 155-pound rankings. Things did not go as planned. Kolat performed admirably, impressing early on with his athleticism, clean technique, and wrestling prowess. He looked surprisingly at home in there and even showed some crisp striking, but a minute or so into the second round Kolat scored a takedown and shortly after found himself tangled up in a submission hold, ultimately tapping out to a triangle choke. Unfortunately, despite showing real promise, Kolat never fought again. He has been firmly entrenched in the wrestling scene ever since, as a coach, doing camps, running clubs, and putting out fantastic wrestling content via his website and YouTube channel. Kenny Monday When it comes to the conversation about the greatest American wrestlers of all time, you will almost always hear the name Kenny Monday brought up. A true to life legend, Monday owns a resume matched by few. Another four-time high school state champ, Kenny went on to win an NCAA Division I national title, an Olympic gold medal, an Olympic silver medal, a world gold, and a world silver. Oh yeah and he also made a third Olympic team in 1996, placing sixth at the Atlanta Games. Less than one year later, Monday found himself in an MMA cage fighting a man named John Lewis. Even in 1997, Lewis was already an instrumental player in the development of MMA. He'd had five official fights on his record by the time he faced off against the debuting Monday, was a dangerous submission fighter, and had great coaches in his corner. Fighting on the same card as friend, teammate, and fellow Olympic gold medalist Kevin Jackson, Monday took the fight to Lewis and in the second round he unleashed a serious barrage of punches from top position and scored the TKO win. The MMA scene was buzzing. Monday was expected to do big things in the sport, but it was not to be. Six months later Monday participated in the ahead-of its-time "Contenders" submission grappling event but was quickly tapped out via foot lock by MMA pioneer Matt Hume. Monday never fought or grappled again after this. However, he did remain in the MMA world to some extent. Over the years Monday has been a wrestling coach for prominent MMA fighters and has promoted MMA event "Battlegrounds MMA". Kenny also remains a fixture in the USA Wrestling scene and serves as the head coach of the Tar Heel Wrestling Club at UNC. Eldari Kurtanidze In the early to mid-2000's, Japanese MMA powerhouse Pride Fighting Championships was all about putting on the biggest and wildest shows possible, often attracting crowds numbering 50, 70, even 90 thousand. Putting on such spectacles meant booking all kinds of MMA matches that would appeal to the diverse Japanese fan base. If there's one thing that the Japanese fight fans loved and respected, it was the Olympic athlete. And what better way to show your appreciation for your Olympic heroes than to match them up in a fight with a vastly more experienced opponent. In 2006 at a Pride FC New Year's Eve show, this is the position that Georgian freestyle legend Eldari Kurtanidze found himself in. Nearing the end of his prime of a hugely successful wrestling career that yielded two bronze medals at the Olympics, two world titles, two world silver medals, and a world bronze medal to boot, Kurtanidze was most likely enticed into the Pride ring via a well-known method utilized by Pride brass … a duffel bag full of cash. Kurtanidze was matched up with fellow amateur wrestling stud and MMA veteran Kazuyuki Fujita, who has already amassed 18 fights by the time he faced Kurtanidze. The fight went as most expected, with Kurtanidze advancing clumsily in search of the tie up/takedown and with Fujita punching him in the face. Two minutes and 9 seconds into the first round Fujita stuffed a takedown attempt from Kurtanidze and landed one punch too many on the wrestling legend. Kurtanidze returned to wrestling a few months later and continued to perform well until retiring in 2014. Needless to say, he finished his MMA career 0-1. Istvan Majoros On New Year's Eve 2006 in Japan, right about the time Eladari Kurtanidze was experiencing his first MMA fight in a Pride ring in Saitama, Greco-Roman wrestler Istvan Majoros was in Osaka being welcomed to MMA under the K-1 banner. Keeping in line with the Japanese MMA tradition of feeding debuting wrestlers to the wolves right out the gate, Majoros was matched up with fellow wrestler, a wrecking machine known as Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto. Two years prior to this momentous occasion Majoros had reached the apex of amateur wrestling when he won the gold medal in the 55-kilogram weight class at the Athens Olympics. He followed that up with a world bronze a year later. To his credit, the Hungarian Greco-Roman wrestler went in there to fight, taking it to "Kid". Surprisingly, Majoros eschewed the clinch positions and instead opted to pursue easily defended leg attacks on his Japanese adversary. Yamamoto picked the much lesser experienced Majoros apart with straight punches and counter knees, eventually having mercy on the Hungarian at 3:46 of Round 1, letting the ref move in and stop the fight. Majoros, the 2004 Hungarian Sportsmen of the Year, did not return to MMA or wrestling after this match. Dennis Hall coaching Nathan Tomasello at the U.S. Open (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Dennis Hall If you followed USA Greco-Roman legend Dennis Hall's career then you know the guy is a fighter. He wrestled with such tenacity and developed a reputation as one of the hardest training athletes out there who would actively seek out the best wrestlers to train with. The approach paid off handsomely with Hall winning a silver medal at the 1996 Olympics preceded by a world gold in 1995 and a world bronze in 1994. In 1998, a year after trying out submission grappling at the same "Contenders" event that saw Kenny Monday lose, Hall was headed to Japan to try out MMA. Greatly respected MMA coach and a USA Wrestling great in his own right, Rico Chiapparelli was happy to take Hall on to his RAW Team (Real American Wrestlers). Hall debuted in the legendary Japanese promotion, Shooto. His opponent? Noboru Asahi, a Japanese MMA veteran with an 18-2-3 record heading into Hall's debut. Hall fought well for a neophyte. He landed hard right hands and scored a slick double leg on his crafty opponent. His success was short-lived, however, and when Asahi got back to his feet he fed Hall a steady diet of low kicks that changed the trajectory of the fight. In Round 2 Asahi countered a Hall takedown attempt with a nasty low kick that enabled him to take the three-time Olympian down and secure a dominant position. Hall fought off the submission valiantly but ultimately succumbed to the armbar. Hall went right back to wrestling and never fought again. He'd go on to make two more world teams, an Olympic team, and win the Pan American Games. Today, Hall still trains USA's top Greco-Roman wrestlers. Lindsey Durlacher wrestling Mike Mena at Real Pro Wrestling (Photo/Danielle Hobeika) Lindsey Durlacher Apparently having debuting world class wrestlers fight established MMA buzz saws is not entirely a Japanese custom. In 2002, already a two-time NCAA All American and Dave Schultz International champion, Greco specialist Lindsey Durlacher took his first MMA fight. Standing opposite him on fight night was lighter weight MMA pioneer and fellow Midwesterner, Miguel Torres. Already 20 fights into his then undefeated MMA career, Torres was beginning to really pick up steam and was a proven finisher. Lethal with both his strikes and especially his submissions, there is no doubt that Torres was the favorite. What wound up happening was a dogfight. A war of attrition that to this day Miguel Torres counts amongst his toughest. The wrestler pushed forward for the entirety of the fight. He scored takedowns off both leg attacks and from the clinch and somewhat amazingly was able to maintain top position for much of the fight without becoming entangled in Torres' long-limbed submission attacks. In the end, it was Torres' sweeps from bottom, active guard and submission attempts, and striking that won him the unanimous decision victory. Durlacher would fight again a few months later and again in 2005, winning both bouts, but he would go on from the Torres fight to do the best wrestling of his career, winning two more Schultz titles and a bronze medal at the 2006 World Championships. Sadly, Durlacher passed away June 4, 2011, from complications following a surgery to repair a broken sternum. He was 36 years old. Andrzej Wroński While all-time great wrestler Alexander Karelin did participate in a worked, MMA-like fight in the Japanese promotion, Rings, Polish Greco-Roman heavyweight wrestler Andrzej Wroński owns the impressive distinction of being the only two-time Olympic gold medalist wrestler to ever fight in MMA. He won world gold in 1994 as well. In one of the more intriguing stories mentioned here, Wroński decided in 2011, at the age of 45, seven years removed from competitive wrestling, to take an MMA fight in his native Poland. The man facing Wroński would be fellow Polish Olympic and world champion judoka Pawel Nastula. Somewhat ironically, six years earlier Nastula himself had been given the privilege of facing a dangerous MMA veteran for his first fight in……you guessed it, Pride Fighting Championships. Unsurprisingly, Wroński was overmatched against Nastula, who had spent the previous six years honing his craft as a full-time MMA fighter. Once the fight began it was quickly evident that the contest would be short, and it was. Roughly a minute into Round 1 Nastula knocked out the legendary wrestler and retired him from combat sports for good. This could've been a very intriguing matchup had it taken place years earlier, but as is often the case in MMA, compelling fights materialize late or never. Carlton Haselrig World-class heavyweight talent is among the most coveted of commodities in the MMA game. When a heavyweight wrestling big shot makes the jump over to MMA it is often a big deal, even if the athlete in question is older. For this reason, it will probably come as a surprise to many that NCAA legend Carlton Haselrig actually spent over a year from 2008 to 2009 fighting in the cage. At 42 years of age, after a long and storied athletic career that included becoming a six-time NCAA champ and a Pro Bowl-level NFL guard, the big man was taking up a new vocation. Haselrig's wrestling career is the stuff of legend. After winning a Pennsylvania state title in high school despite his school not having a wrestling team, he went on to enroll in NCAA Division II's University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown. Back in those days the Division II national champ was entitled to wrestled in the Division I championships that followed, and Haselrig won both titles in three consecutive years. Haselrig also dabbled in Olympic style wrestling, competing successfully in both freestyle and Greco-Roman, but a variety of circumstances prevented him from winning any medals beyond the Junior division. Haselrig actually took MMA seriously, and he faced a good quality of opposition, but he had racked up too many miles on his body by that point and exited the sport after five fights, going 3-2. Haselrig has since been inducted as a distinguished member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. Alan Fried Heading back to Japan for this next entry, we have another extremely decorated wrestler debuting against another extremely dangerous Japanese opponent. Alan Fried, successful as he was, might have had the most untapped potential he was never able to fully unleash due to injuries. A very successful wrestler in both freestyle and folkstyle, Fried has most of the titles you set out to win as an aspiring wrestler. Multiple high school state titles in the super-tough state of Ohio, three-time NCAA Division I finalist (champ in 1994), Pan Am champ, Dave Schultz International champ, and world champ in the 20 an under division (then known as Espoir). Despite being such a high-level wrestler, in summer of 1997, still in his wrestling prime, Fried took a fight in Shooto against none other than Rumino Sato, Mr. Flying armbar himself. In what was Sato's 10th fight, the Japanese MMA pioneer was on a tear, racking up eight submission victories and a single draw against the aforementioned John Lewis. Sato was a strong wrestler with fantastic athleticism and dangerous striking to go with his nasty submissions. Fried came out in Round 1 aggressively, but was ultimately overmatched by a superior foe. He submitted to an armbar 59 seconds into Round 1, sustaining an injury that still ails him to this day. This was Fried's only MMA fight. He returned to the wrestling scene and resumed winning titles and coaching. Stephen Abas American wrestling royalty Stephen Abas had a relatively quiet run in MMA from 2010 to 2011, taking three fights and winning them all. After failing to make the 2008 Olympic team, Stephen decided to pursue MMA despite having sustained a few significant injuries. Still pretty young at 32 years old, Abas brought with him to MMA three California state titles, national high school titles in folkstyle and freestyle, three 3 NCAA Division I titles, multiple World Cup and Schultz International titles, a Junior world title, and an Olympic silver medal. Stephen AbasNot only were his credentials obviously world class, he also teamed up with several top coaches and training partners who could round out his skills nicely (namely Joe Warren, KJ Noons, Diego Sanchez, Saulo and Xande Ribeiro, etc). Things were moving along nicely for the California native as he was taking fights and getting in cage time, but injuries and the considerable opportunity afforded to a wrestler of his caliber drew Abas back to wrestling. He was willing to come out of retirement in 2013 to fight his wrestling rival and then MMA hopeful Henry Cejudo, but the promoters for Galdiator Challenge say that Henry "refused." Abas returned to wrestling in 2015 to pursue another Olympic team spot but suffered a few losses before gaining any momentum. He still coaches wrestling today. These are just a few of the world-class wrestling talents that have given MMA a shot over the years, with most of these stints taking place largely under the radar. Nowadays, with the MMA world keenly aware of what a high-level wrestler can do, a debuting wrestler entering the MMA ranks receives much more attention, and rightfully so. Stay tuned for more coverage of wrestlers in mixed martial arts.

Sebastian Rivera defeated Spencer Lee to win a Midlands title (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) EVANSTON, Ill. -- Following a dominant season on the mat, rising junior Sebastian Rivera was honored as Northwestern's Male Athlete of the Year at the annual NESPYs on Friday at the Hilton Orrington. Rivera was one of the most dominant forces in college wrestling during his 2018-19 campaign, going undefeated in the 125-pound weight class during the regular-season. He won his weight class at both the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational and Ken Kraft Midlands Championships in December, and captured his first Big Ten Championship in dramatic fashion in March in Minneapolis. Ranked No. 1 in the nation for most of the season, Rivera earned his second consecutive All-America honor at the NCAA Championships in Pittsburgh. The New Jersey native was selected from a distinguished group of finalists that included football's Clayton Thorson, golf's Ryan Lumsden and basketball's Vic Law. As Northwestern's winner, Rivera is now one of 14 finalists for the Big Ten Male Athlete of the Year award.

Less than a week before making his UFC debut, former wrestler Deron Winn now has yet another opponent for his UFC debut. Eric Spicely -- Winn's third named rival for UFC Fight Night 153 this Saturday, June 22 in Greenville, South Carolina -- replaces Bruno Silva, who had been announced for Winn's middleweight (185-pound) bout back on May 20 but withdrew from the event for undisclosed reasons. Silva had replaced Markus Perez, who had been announced as Winn's original opponent but withdrew due to injury in mid-May. Spicely is a former "Ultimate Fighter" semifinalist who left the promotion back in late 2018 but just re-signed with UFC this past weekend, according to MMAjunkie.com. The 32-year-old Spicely brings a 12-4 professional mixed martial arts record -- and a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt -- to his match with Winn. While away from UFC, Spicely competed under the CES MMA banner, picking up consecutive TKO victories, most recently against UFC veteran Caio Magalhaes at CES 55 at the end of March. Winn, 30, who signed with UFC at Christmastime 2018, is now 5-0 in his two years of MMA fighting. Four of his five wins have come from a knockout or TKO. Prior to entering MMA competition, Winn was a three-time Missouri high school state wrestling champ, and twice a NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) titlewinner for St. Louis Community College, Meramec.

Jason Nolf celebrates after a semifinal victory at the Big Ten Championships (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) Jason Nolf has concluded his athletic career at Penn State with three individual NCAA wrestling titles ... and being named the Nittany Lions' male recipient of the 2019 Big Ten Medal of Honor, the school announced Monday. Ally McHugh, Penn State's first woman swimmer to earn an individual NCAA title in her sport for the Nittany Lions, is the school's female recipient of this year's Big Ten Medal of Honor. For just over a century, the Big Ten -- the nation's oldest collegiate conference -- has awarded the Big Ten Medal of Honor to recognize academic and athletic excellence. The award was first presented in 1915 to one student from the graduating class of each university in the conference who had "attained the greatest proficiency in athletics and scholastic work." In 1982, the award was expanded to include one female student-athlete from each member institution. While nearly 10,000 students compete in intercollegiate athletics in the Big Ten each year, only 28 earn a Big Ten Medal of Honor each year. In the 105-year history of the award, just over 1,000 student-athletes have been presented with this honor. Jason Nolf concluded his successful collegiate mat career in March by winning his third consecutive NCAA Championship at 157 pounds. He ended a stellar 2018-19 season with a perfect 31-0 record, including 15 pins, five technical falls and six major decision ... helping lead Penn State to its fourth straight NCAA team title and eighth in nine years. Nolf, a Yatesboro, Pennsylvania native who graduated with a degree in kinesiology last month, wrapped up an incredible overall record of 117-3, including 60 falls ... the most pins for one wrestler in an entire college career in the 100-plus year history of Penn State wrestling. In addition to receiving the 2019 Big Ten Medal of Honor, Nolf has earned other distinctions in his academic and athletic career. He was a four-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree; three-time NWCA First Team National All-Academic and a 2017 CoSIDA Academic All-American (second team). Nolf also received Penn State Athletics' 2018-19 Ernest B. McCoy Memorial Award (with women's soccer's Emily Ogle), presented to one female and one male student-athlete who have combined successful athletic participation with academic excellence.

Dom Bradley wrestling Tony Nelson in the semifinals of the U.S. Open (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Mizzou wrestling two-time All-American Dom Bradley has joined head coach Brian Smith's coaching staff as a volunteer assistant, announced today by the program. Bradley posted a 105-15 record over four seasons as the team's heavyweight, giving him the program's fourth-best career winning percentage (.875, 100-win minimum). Bradley will assume the volunteer assistant position on the coaching staff, which was previously held by Alan Waters for the last two seasons. "I'm super excited to come home and continue my training and launch my coaching career," Bradley said. "Anytime you can come back to your alma mater is special. Coach Smith sold me on Tiger Style 15 years ago and now I get to help him pass on Tiger Style, not only as an athlete but now as a coach. I grew up in Missouri, so Mizzou is really home to me. I'm excited to get to work." "Obviously we are thrilled to have Dom back in our program, giving him an opportunity to make one last run at an Olympic team while also taking the first step towards what I envision will be a long coaching career in our sport," Smith said. "Dom embodied all of the characteristics that we talk about in Tiger Style and he lives his life the right way. His love for our sport and training will undoubtedly leave an indelible mark on our wrestlers and we are excited to welcome him back to Mizzou as I know how much this place means to him." Bradley was a staple in the lineup for Coach Smith during his career in Columbia. He placed third at the 2011 NCAA Championships and followed that with a fourth-place nod as a senior in 2013, giving him a pair of All-America honors. He claimed a Big 12 title in 2011 and followed that with a MAC title in 2013, winning his 100th career bout to open his MAC title run that year. In 2010, Bradley earned the program's Hap Whitney Coach's Award, given to the wrestler who displays dedication, commitment, sacrifice and unselfishness to the team on a consistent basis. He was also the program's Marshall Esteppe Most Outstanding Freshman in 2009 and the program's Most Outstanding Wrestler in 2011. Bradley ranks tied for eighth in Mizzou history with his 39 wins during the 2012-13 season while his 11 major decisions that year are fifth-most in a single season at Mizzou. He lettered at Mizzou from 2009-13. He took an Olympic redshirt in 2012.

Moriah StickleyIOWA CITY, Iowa -- University of Iowa head wrestling coach Tom Brands announced Monday that Moriah Stickley is joining the Hawkeye wrestling staff as director of operations. Stickley graduated from the University of Iowa in 2019 with a degree in Health and Human Physiology. She has been a manager for the Hawkeye wrestling team since 2015 and has four years of administrative experience working with the Hawkeye Wrestling Club. Stickley fills a position vacated by Luke Eustice, who was a member of Iowa's staff for 14 seasons before departing in April to pursue other professional opportunities.

Jordan Burroughs gets his hand raised after beating Isaiah Martinez at Final X (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) The biggest story of the Final X wrestling event in Lincoln nearly came between sessions. Word circulated on social media Saturday afternoon that Olympic gold medalist and four-time world champion Jordan Burroughs had a close call before eventually making weight. Burroughs said in a post-match interview that he actually had been under the 74 kilograms he needed to make weight, but there reportedly was a discrepancy between the check scale and the official scale that was used during weigh-ins. That could have been disastrous with Burroughs being the featured attraction in Lincoln where he wrestled collegiately and where he has trained for the past 12-plus years. Not to mention the negative impact it could have had on the U.S. team for the 2019 World Championships. But like he has so many times in his Hall of Fame career, Burroughs found a way. And he was on the mat in his familiar surroundings at the University of Nebraska's Devaney Center on Saturday night. Burroughs had his hands full before pulling out a tough three-match series against two-time NCAA champion Isaiah Martinez in men's freestyle. Burroughs, as clutch as any wrestler in U.S. history, earned a dramatic victory in the first bout with a last-second takedown before Martinez escaped with a 6-5 triumph in the second bout. Burroughs came out strong in the deciding third bout, scoring two early takedowns to take command en route to a 7-1 victory. Burroughs, who turns 31 next month, has made every U.S. World and Olympic Team at 74 kilograms since 2011. He won his four world titles in the odd-numbered years of 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2017. That may bode well for him this year in 2019. The U.S. will be sending strong men's and women's freestyle teams to this fall's World Championships in Kazakhstan. The Greco-Roman squad also has the potential to win some medals. The only world team spot left to be decided is in men's freestyle at 79 kilograms. Reigning world champion Kyle Dake, granted an extension because of an injury, will face Junior world silver medalist Alex Dieringer at a later date for the final spot on the American squad. The Dake-Dieringer series promises to provide plenty of drama. Dake edged Dieringer in a close match last year, but Dieringer has had an outstanding season. It will be an entertaining and hard-fought battle when they take the mat. Here are the rest of my top takeaways from the Final X wrestling extravaganza in Lincoln. Four-time world champion Adeline Gray was dominant at Final X (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Drive for five Adeline Gray, as expected, rolled to the women's freestyle title at heavyweight in Lincoln. Gray is the reigning world champion and has captured four world titles since 2012. She continues to wrestle at a high level and has an excellent opportunity to become the first American to capture five world titles. All hail Kyle Kyven Gadson is a very good wrestler who could fare well on the world level, but we may never know with Gadson stuck in a weight class with Olympic gold medalist and two-time world champion Kyle Snyder. It was all Snyder once again as he swept Gadson again to make his fourth world team. Snyder already is one of the best Americans of all-time and he showed why once again with a dominant effort. He's a strong, powerful and confident wrestler who is technically sound and is in tremendous shape. Hafizov's persistence pays off One of the best stories of the Final X was seeing Ildar Hafizov land a spot on the U.S. team. The 31-year-old, a 2008 Olympian for Uzbekistan, made the Greco-Roman world team at 60 kilograms. He hasn't seen his family in five years. He will now have that opportunity with the World Championships being held in Kazakhstan, which shares a border with his home country of Uzbekistan. Daton Fix after beating Thomas Gilman at Final X (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Fix is in Thomas Gilman has placed second and fifth in the world the past two seasons, but that didn't stop young phenom Daton Fix from powering to a spot on his first Senior world team at 57 kilograms. Fix, a Junior world champion, rolled to a 9-1 win in the first bout before Gilman fought back to win the second bout. Gilman led on criteria late in the third bout before Fix, second at the 2019 NCAAs as a freshman, scored late to prevail. Fix has wrestled extensively on the world level in age-group championships and he will be ready for the big stage on the Senior level this fall. Ragan's recovery Alli Ragan looks as poised, determined and strong as ever after making another women's freestyle team, this time at 59 kilograms. Ragan is a two-time world silver medalist who made the 2018 U.S. World Team, but was unable to compete after being injured. She has come back strong and has benefited from her training environment at the University of Iowa. Kayla Miracle, another wrestler who trains in Iowa City, broke through to make her first world team Saturday. Heavy duty Adam Coon supplied a huge spark for the U.S. Greco program by earning a surprise silver medal at his first Senior World Championships in 2018. Now Coon is back on the team and will be the leader on an American Greco team with a chance to have a strong showing in Kazakhstan and gain some momentum going into the 2020 Olympic year. Green bounces back World silver and bronze medalist James Green suffered a surprising setback to Ryan Deakin at the U.S. Open, but Green bounced back like many people expected by sweeping Deakin at the Final X. Green scored an 18-second win in the first bout, scoring a quick takedown and a succession of laces. Green scored late to earn a one-point win in the second bout to make another world team at 70 kilograms in men's freestyle. Mango's mission Ryan Mango has been close to making world teams for a number of years before he finally came through to make the Greco team at 63 kilograms. Mango is a dynamic and explosive wrestler who can unleash a spectacular throw in the blink of an eye. The younger brother of two-time Olympian Spenser Mango now receives his chance on the big stage. Ryan Mango has the capability to win a medal this year. Hildebrandt takes care of business Sarah Hildebrandt received a taste of the world finals in women's freestyle and now she's back for more after making the U.S. team at 53 kilograms. Hildebrandt has been the model of consistency and will look to improve on her silver medal performance from the 2018 World Championship. Graff knocks off Colon It was the hard-fought battle that many expected at 61 kilograms with returning world medalist Joe Colon facing long-time rival Tyler Graff. The men's freestyle series was extended to a full three matches before Graff won the final two bouts to make his first world team. Graff is another tough wrestler who was an NCAA runner-up and has also had his share of success on the international level. He has persevered through a lot of adversity as well before earning his shot on the world stage. Hancock receives another shot G'Angelo Hancock is still very young, but he's already knocked off some of the best wrestlers in the world in his Greco-Roman career. Hancock is another wrestler who has the talent and the tools to make it onto a world podium. Keep an eye on him at 97 kilograms in Kazakhstan. 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.

Gable Steveson (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine) University of Minnesota wrestlers Gable Steveson and Dylan Martinez were arrested Saturday on suspicion of criminal sexual conduct. Jail records indicate the two Gopher wrestlers were arrested in Minneapolis at different times and different locations. They have not been charged with a crime. The following statement was released by the University of Minnesota athletics department: "We are aware of a situation involving two of our student athletes and are in the process of gathering more information. These students have been suspended from all team activity pending further information. Federal and state law precludes any further details at this time." According to a report on KSTP.com, Steveson's family attorney Christa Groshek is urging people to not rush to judgment during the investigation. "He's a good kid, and a good athlete," she said. Groshek told the Star Tribune, "He cooperated with law enforcement. He cooperated by giving a statement, and he did that because he didn't think he had anything to hide. So the fact that he's sitting in jail, that's a shock to him." Steveson, the nation's No. 1 wrestling recruit in the Class of 2018, was an All-American as a true freshman for the Gophers, placing third in the nation at heavyweight. Last month, Steveson won the World Team Trials Challenge Tournament to reach Final X. He then fell to two-time world bronze medalist Nick Gwiazdowski at Final X on June 8 at Rutgers. Martinez transferred to Minnesota from Fresno City College where he was a two-time California community college champion. This is a developing story.

SPOKANE, Wash. -- For the second time this week, Minnesota Blue and Illinois advanced to the finals of the 16U National Duals. On Thursday, Minnesota Blue beat Illinois for the Greco-Roman title, 40-33. Today, the two teams advanced within the Gold-Silver Pool again for a rematch with the freestyle title up for grabs. As would be expected, this showdown went down to the very last match. However, it was Minnesota Blue's dominance in the lighter weights, winning six straight bouts to end the match, which led to its 40-34 victory over Illinois and a team double title at the 16U National Duals. Illinois led 30-16 after a win at heavyweight, and six matches remained in the light weights. After five straight wins, Minnesota Blue took a 35-34 lead with only the 120 pound match left. Maxwell Peterson of Minnesota squared off with Abraham Hinrichsen of Illinois. Petersen scored a spin-behind takedown to lead 2-0 at the break. In the second period, as the wrestlers sparred for position, Peterson powered directly into Hinrichsen, taking right to his back for a pin, creating a huge celebration on the Minnesota bench. Read complete story on TheMat.com ...

Jordan Burroughs with his children Beacon and Ora after winning at Final X: Lincoln (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) LINCOLN, Neb. -- It wasn't easy, but Jordan Burroughs found a way to win on Saturday night and make his ninth straight World or Olympic team at 74 kilograms. The 30-year-old Burroughs, a 2012 Olympic champion and seven-time world-level medalist, prevailed in three hard-fought matches against Isaiah Martinez at Final X: Lincoln at the Bob Devaney Sports Center on the campus of the University of Nebraska. Martinez, a two-time U.S. Open champion and four-time NCAA finalist, held a 4-3 lead late in the first match before Burroughs scored a late takedown to claim a 5-4 victory. The second match went to Martinez, 6-5. In the third and deciding match, Burroughs controlled the match from start to finish, taking a 7-1 victory. "It's going to get more difficult every single year," said Burroughs. "I think the general consensus from the public is, 'OK, JB is going to go on, he's going to make another Olympic team and he's going to try to redeem himself from Rio. But it's never easy. These guys are extremely tough." On the eve of Father's Day, Burroughs said he represents fathers everywhere. "I want to be that embodiment of, hey, listen, you can be driven and be a good dad at home," said Burroughs, who has two young children, Beacon and Ora. "I think that I balance that line very well. There not a lot of people doing what I'm doing that have two kids at home." James Green gets his hand raised after beating Ryan Deakin at Final X: Lincoln (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) Burroughs' teammate James Green, a two-time world medalist, also earned a spot on the World Team in front of his home fans in Lincoln. The 26-year-old Green avenged a U.S. Open loss by beating 2017 Junior world silver medalist Ryan Deakin in two straight matches at 70 kilograms. Green needed just 18 seconds in the first match to roll to a 10-0 technical fall. After a takedown, Green used an ankle lace to score four turns and close out the match. The second match was much more competitive. Deakin led 2-2 on criteria in the second period, but Green scored a takedown with just over 20 seconds remaining to grab a 4-2 lead. He held on to win 4-3. "70 kilos is not an Olympic weight, so I have to make the most of these opportunities," said Green Olympic champion Kyle Snyder won in two straight matches over Kyven Gadson at 97 kilograms. Snyder took the first match 4-0 before closing out the series with a 12-1 technical fall. He scored multiple times in par terre. "I've been working a lot on my gut with Coach Slay, Tervel, Coach Ryan," said the 23-year-old Snyder, who has won three world-level gold medals. "They've been helping me a ton. I want to continue to improve on top so that I can end matches quick." Daton Fix celebrates after beating Thomas Gilman at 57 kilograms (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) Daton Fix, a three-time Junior world medalist, made his first Senior team by topping 2017 world silver medalist Thomas Gilman in three matches at 57 kilograms. Fix cruised to a 9-1 win in the first match. Gilman evened the series by winning the second match 3-2. The third and deciding match was a back-and-forth affair, with Fix scoring a late go-ahead takedown to win 6-3. Three months ago, Fix fell in the NCAA finals to Nick Suriano of Rutgers. He used that loss to fuel him this spring and summer in freestyle. "My dream was to be a four-time NCAA champion," said Fix, who has three more seasons of college eligibility at Oklahoma State. "I got that taken from me. I wasn't happy about it, so I went back in the room and started developing my skills and being able to get to legs. You really saw how that helped me in that first match. That last match shows I can win in more ways than one." At 61 kilograms, Tyler Graff broke through to make his first World Team, beating returning world silver medalist Joe Colon in three matches. Colon took the first match 6-4, but Graff battled back to win the second match 9-2. In the third and deciding match, Colon scored first off an exposure to go up 2-0. Graff then took the lead with a takedown and then transitioned to an ankle lace and rolled to a 12-2 technical fall. Graff becomes the second member of the NJRTC to make the World Team, joining Pat Downey at 86 kilograms. "I've got a lot to work to do," Graff said. "I just made the team. I can't get too high on this. I've got to get ready for the Worlds now." In the only Greco-Roman Final X match contested on Saturday night, Adam Coon, a returning world silver medalist, claimed his spot on the World Team at 130 kilograms by defeating 18-year-old rising star Cohlton Schultz in two straight matches. In the first match, Coon countered a headlock for a takedown and then used a strong par terre game -- scoring with three consecutive gut wrenches -- to claim an 8-0 technical fall. Schultz scored first in the second match and led 1-0 at the break. But Coon came out strong in the second period, scoring a takedown, passivity point and turn to win 5-1. Adeline Gray raises her arms in triumph after earning a spot on the World Team (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) In women's wrestling, Adeline Gray and Sarah Hildebrandt earned spots back on the World Team, while Kayla Miracle made her first Senior team. Gray, a four-time world champion, was untested in picking up two dominant victories over Precious Bell at 76 kilograms. In the first match, Gray raced out to a 6-0 lead before putting Bell on her back and securing a first-period fall. In the second match, Gray built a quick 6-0 lead on the strength of three exposures. She then put the match away with a takedown and gut wrench. "I did a great job of understanding where my energy needed to be and where my emotion needed to be, and I brought that," said Gray. Sarah Hildebrandt scores with an ankle lace against Katherine Shai (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) Hildebrandt, a returning world silver medalist, was unscored upon in winning in two straight matches over Katherine Shai at 53 kilograms. Hildebrandt took the first match 3-0, scoring the match's only takedown with 35 seconds left. In the second match, Hildebrandt scored a takedown in the first period and transitioned to an ankle lace, which she used to score six points and go up 8-0, which is how the match would end after a scoreless second period. Three-time U.S. Open champion Kayla Miracle exacted revenge on 2018 world bronze medalist Mallory Velte from last year's Final X. Miracle was dominant on Saturday, winning in two straight matches at 62 kilograms. In the first match, Miracle rolled to a 12-2 technical fall. She used a takedown and four-point move to go up 6-0. Then Miracle, a four-time WCWA national champion, was able to get multiple exposures and nearly picked up a fall before getting the technical fall. In the second match, Miracle blanked Velte 4-0. She used a takedown and step out to take 3-0 lead into the break. She added a step out in the final period. She described herself as Kayla Miracle 2.0. "I decided I'm not going to let what happened last year happen again," said Miracle, who trains with the Hawkeye Wrestling Club. "I didn't want it to be that way. It had to be a new person." Freestyle results 57 kilograms: Daton Fix over Thomas Gilman, 2 matches to 1 Match 1: Fix dec. Gilman, 9-1 Match 2: Gilman dec. Fix, 3-2 Match 3: Fix dec. Gilman, 6-3 61 kilograms: Tyler Graff over Joe Colon, 2 matches to 1 Match 1: Colon dec. Graff, 6-4 Match 2: Graff dec. Colon, 9-2 Match 3: Graff tech. fall Colon, 12-2 70 kilograms: James Green over Ryan Deakin, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Green tech. fall Deakin, 11-0 Match 2: Green dec. Deakin, 4-3 97 kilograms: Kyle Snyder over Kyven Gadson, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Snyder dec. Gadson, 4-0 Match 2: Snyder tech. fall Gadson, 12-1 74 kilograms: Jordan Burroughs over Isaiah Martinez, 2 matches to 1 Match 1: Burroughs dec. Martinez, 5-4 Match 2: Martinez dec. Burroughs, 6-5 Match 3: Burroughs dec. Martinez, 7-1 Greco-Roman results 130 kilograms: Adam Coon over Cohlton Schultz, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Coon tech. fall Schultz, 8-0 Match 2: Coon dec. Schultz, 5-1 Women's wrestling results 62 kilograms: Kayla Miracle over Mallory Velte, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Miracle tech. fall Velte, 12-2 Match 2: Miracle dec. Velte, 4-0 53 kilograms: Sarah Hildebrandt over Katherine Shai, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Hildebrandt dec. Shai, 3-0 Match 2: Hildebrandt dec. Shai, 8-0 76 kilograms: Adeline Gray over Precious Bell, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Gray pinned Bell, 1:57 Match 2: Gray tech. fall Bell, 10-0

Alli Ragan gets her hand raised after beating Lauren Louive at Final X (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) LINCOLN, Neb. -- Six more wrestlers earned spots on the 2019 World Team with victories in Saturday's opening session at Final X: Lincoln. Two of the winners came in women's wrestling, while four came in Greco-Roman. Both Final X winners in the women's wrestling competition were repeat Final X winners: Alli Ragan and Jacarra Winchester. Ragan, a two-time world silver medalist, dominated Lauren Louive in two straight matches at 59 kilograms. Ragan, who trains with the Hawkeye Wrestling Club, won both matches by 10-0 technical fall. In the first match, Ragan scored three takedowns and two turns to claim a first-period technical fall. It was more of the same in the second match as she rolled to another 10-0 technical fall, scoring three takedowns and two turns again to put the match away in the first period. A year ago, Ragan won Final X, but was unable to compete at the World Championships due to injury. "I don't really think about the past," said Ragan. "This is what's most important, it's what's in front of me. I'm here. I'm part of the process. Worlds now. Try to get on top of that podium." Jacarra Winchester defeated Dominique Parrish in two straight matches (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) Winchester made her second straight World Team with two straight wins over Dominique Parrish at 55 kilograms. Winchester scored five first-period takedowns in the first match to win 10-0. In the second match, Winchester jumped out to an 8-1 lead at the break. Parrish was able to score a takedown in the final period, but ultimately fell short 8-3 in the second match. Last year, Winchester competed at the World Championships and fell just short of earning a medal, losing in the bronze-medal match to place fifth. In Greco-Roman, Ildar Hafizov, Ryan Mango, Raymond Bunker and G'Angelo Hancock secured spots on the World Team. Ildar Hafizov lifts Mike Fuenffinger at Final X (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) Hafizov, a member of the U.S. Army's World Class Athlete Program, showcased his strong par terre skills on his way to defeating teammate Mike Fuenffinger in two straight matches at 60 kilograms. In the first match, Hafizov, a 2008 Olympian for Uzbekistan, opened up the scoring early, scoring a point off a passivity, a two-point turn off a high gut wrench and a four-point throw to go up 7-0. Fuenffinger came on strong in the second period, scoring five unanswered points but fell 7-5. The second match was all Hafizov. After scoring a point off passivity, Hafizov scored four consecutive turns to claim a 9-0 technical fall. Hafizov moved to the United States in 2014. He will see his family at the World Championships in Kazakhstan -- which borders his native Uzbekistan -- for the first time in over five years. "I think it's a huge opportunity for me personally to go to Kazakhstan and see them because I didn't see them in more than five years since I moved here," said Hafizov. "My father dreaming to come to visit Kazakhstan and see me … little brothers too." Bunker, a U.S. Open champion, defeated Alex Mossing to earn a spot on the World Team at 72 kilograms for the first time in his career. The 25-year-old U.S. Marine took the first match 3-1 before closing it out with a 7-0 victory. After the match, Bunker dedicated the victory to his mother who is battling cancer. Ryan Mango celebrates after defeating Xavier Johnson (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) Mango claimed his spot on the World Team by defeating Xavier Johnson in two consecutive matches at 63 kilograms. Mango came from behind in both matches. In the opening match, Johnson took a 2-0 lead into the break. In the second period, Mango came out with a takedown before using a trap-arm gut wrench to roll to a 13-2 technical fall. In the second match, Johnson once again controlled the early part of the match. He jumped out to a 5-0 lead on the strength of a passivity point and four-point throw. Just like in the first match, Mango battled back. This time he used a step out, passivity and four-point throw to claim a 6-5 come-from-behind victory. The final Greco-Roman wrestler to earn a spot on the 2019 World Team in the opening session was G'Angelo Hancock, who defeated Lucas Sheridan in two straight matches at 97 kilograms. It marks the third straight year Hancock has made the World Team. The 21-year-old Hancock opened with first-period technical fall (8-0) over Sheridan. He then closed out the series with a 5-2 victory. Tonight's Final X session is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. ET. Women's wrestling results 59 kilograms: Alli Ragan over Lauren Louive, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Ragan tech. fall Louive, 10-0 Match 2: Ragan tech. fall Louive, 10-0 55 kilograms: Jacarra Winchester over Dominique Parrish, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Winchester tech. fall Parrish, 10-0 Match 2: Winchester dec. Parrish, 8-3 Greco-Roman results 60 kilograms: Ildar Hafizov over Mike Fuenffinger, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Hafizov dec. Fuenffinger, 7-5 Match 2: Hafizov tech. fall Fuenffinger, 9-0 63 kilograms: Ryan Mango over Xavier Johnson, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Mango tech. fall Johnson, 13-2 Match 2: Mango dec. Johnson, 6-5 72 kilograms: Raymond Bunker over Alex Mossing, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Bunker dec. Mossing, 3-1 Match 2: Bunker dec. Mossing, 7-0 97 kilograms: G'Angelo Hancock over Lucas Sheridan, 2 matches to 0 Match 1: Hancock tech. fall Sheridan, 8-0 Match 2: Hancock dec. Sheridan, 5-2

It was a rough night for former wrestlers at Bellator 222, as Darrion Caldwell, Chael Sonnen and Aaron Pico all came out on the losing end of their bouts ... while Dillon Danis, who, as a high school wrestler was a New Jersey state championships qualifier, scored a first-round victory. Caldwell loses rematch, Bellator belt Darrion Caldwell -- the former North Carolina State wrestler who scored the stunning upset win over Iowa's Brent Metcalf to win the 149-pound crown at the 2009 NCAAs -- suffered the third loss of his pro MMA career, and his second loss to Kyoji Horiguchi, this time at Bellator 222. Six months ago, Caldwell -- Bellator bantamweight (135-pound) champ -- faced off against Rizin FF titleholder Horiguchi in a cross-promotional clash of the titans ... with the Japanese champ scoring a third-round TKO. This time, Horiguchi came out on top again ... but the bout went the full five rounds, with the Rizin FF champ getting a unanimous decision, 48-47, 49-46, 49-46, in the opening match of the main event portion of the Bellator 222 card. All three "judges" in Sherdog.com's live play-by-play reporting scored the former Wolfpack mat champ as winning the first round, but then split as to who won the second ... but came back into agreement in scoring rounds three through five as being Horiguchi's. "On Friday, Caldwell had a chance for revenge in his own country, but Horiguchi again proved to be too good as he walked away with the Bellator title," according to Brian Mazique of Forbes.com. "Horiguchi's quickness and strength were too much for Caldwell as the former easily handled his rival's vaunted wrestling and length." Caldwell not only loses his Bellator title, but also drops to 13-3-0 in his career going back to 2012, while Horiguchi is now 28-2-0. Sonnen retired by Machida Chael Sonnen, 42, a two-time NCAA All-American for the now-defunct wrestling program at University of Oregon, said goodbye to a professional MMA career going back two decades. Chael Sonnen (Photo/Bellator)Fellow veteran Lyoto Machida, 41, scored a TKO at 22 seconds in the second round over Sonnen, leading the former Duck wrestler to announce his retirement immediately after their middleweight (185-pound) bout. "A jumping knee caught Sonnen square in the face as he tried to close the distance to initiate a takedown," reported Forbes. "After taking the shot, he shelled up on the canvas as Machida pounded him with hammer fists until the referee called a halt to the bout." Sonnen then removed his gloves after the match, saying farewell, first inside the cage ... then at a post-event press conference, where he said he was retiring because, "I've used all of my toughness up." Sonnen wraps up his 22-year fighting career with a 30-17-1 overall record, while Machida is now 26-8. Pico falls again in Madison Square Garden Aaron Pico and Madison Square Garden don't seem to see eye-to-eye. Pico -- the 22-year-old former amateur wrestling sensation who said no to a collegiate mat career -- revisited the iconic New York City arena where he launched his pro MMA two years ago with a first-round submission loss. Friday night, Pico suffered a second straight loss in his young career, this time at the hands of Adam Borics, the 25-year-old fighter from Hungary. "Aaron Pico finally reverted to his wrestling roots in his seventh MMA fight, and while it seemed to pay off, it only took one shot from Adam Borics to end the fight by knockout," according to MMAjunkie.com. "Following a brutal knockout loss in his previous outing, Pico changed fight camps to Jackson Wink MMA in Albuquerque, N.M., and showed some evolution in his approach against Borics," MMAjunkie.com continued. "Pico avoided brawling and instead wrestled, which his opponent had no answers for ... until he did." In the second round, Borics went airborne, landing a flying knee that ended the featherweight (145-pound) bout at 3:55 of Round 2. Borics improves his perfect pro record to 13-0, while Pico is now 4-3 in his two-year-old career. Danis continues his winning ways "Two fights into his fight career and Dillon Danis is living up to the hype so far." That's how MMAFighting.com opened its account of the wrestler-turned-Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt's welterweight (170-pound) bout at Bellator 222. The 25-year-old Danis -- who launched his pro MMA career in April of last year -- got his second straight submission win with an armbar to put away Max Humphrey at 4:28 in the first round. "It took Danis less than 30 seconds to drop to the ground, grab onto Humphrey's legs and then bring the fight into his world on the mat," MMAFighting.com continued. "Once Danis secured the takedown, he immediately took Humphrey's back and began hammering away from the top with a huge barrage of punches." "Finally when Danis broke Humphrey's hold on his arm, he extended the submission by going belly down on the mat and the tap came a split second later." Danis is now 2-0, while Humphrey falls to 3-3.