InterMat Staff

The on-going drama to finalize the Main Event for the 2010 Beat the Streets Gala on the U.S.S. Intrepid in New York City on Thursday, May 13 has taken another twist. Initially, the featured freestyle bout was a rematch between NCAA champions Brent Metcalf of Iowa and Darrion Caldwell of North Carolina State, who battled three times in college and are top challengers for the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. Caldwell was injured in training on Monday, just three days before the event. Organizers secured a new rival for Metcalf in the Main Event, 2010 NCAA champion Kyle Dake, which was announced on Tuesday night. It’s now the day before the event and there’s another change. Dake can not wrestle after all. Another talented opponent for Metcalf has been secured, past NCAA runner-up and 2007 Junior World freestyle champion Bubba Jenkins. Metcalf met Jenkins, who was then competing for Penn State, in the finals of the 2008 NCAA Championships in St. Louis, Mo., claiming a 14-8 decision for his first NCAA title. Since then, Metcalf’s college career has ended. He was a two-time NCAA champion (2008, 2010) and a 2009 NCAA runner-up. Metcalf started his career at Virginia Tech and lost one year of eligibility when he transferred to Iowa. He completed his college career with a 108-3 record, and was the 2008 Dan Hodge Trophy winner as the nation’s best college wrestler. Jenkins competed in the 2009 NCAA Championships, but did not earn All-American honors. This past season, he left the Penn State team. He will attend Arizona State next season for his final college season. This spring, competing for the Sunkist Kids, Jenkins won a gold medal at the University Nationals in freestyle at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. So, fans at the Beat the Streets Gala will see Metcalf face another rival from his college career, another athlete who is an Olympic hopeful for 2012. “We truly appreciate all of these great athletes volunteering to participate in the Battle on the Intrepid and supporting the Beat the Streets program,” said Brian Giffin of Beat the Streets, Inc. “We thank both Darrion Caldwell and Kyle Dake for their support of this event. It is unfortunate that they can not participate. We are pleased that Bubba Jenkins has agreed to wrestle, and we expect the Main Event against Brent Metcalf will be an outstanding match. All of the matches should be fun, and are for a great cause.” The event will be held on the USS Intrepid, an aircraft carrier which is docked on the west side of Manhattan in New York City. It is part of the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum. It is being billed as the Battle on the Intrepid, in recognition of “wrestlers in the nation’s service.” The competition is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. TheMat.com will provide a live webcast of the seven-match card from the deck of the U.S.S. Intrepid, starting at approximately 6:15 p.m. The USA Wrestling Prime Time postgame show will follow from the Beat the Streets Gala dinner and awards presentation at approximately 8:15 p.m. Gary Abbott and Mitch Hull will call the action. Each year, the Beat the Streets Gala is held to celebrate wrestling and raise funds for Beat the Streets Wrestling, Inc., the successful program which has provided wrestling opportunities for thousands of middle school and high school students in New York City. Registration for the Beat the Streets Gala will begin at 6:00 p.m., followed by the Battle on the Intrepid from 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. Cocktails will be served from 7:30 p.m., followed by the dinner and awards presentation starting at 8:15 p.m. All participants will disembark from the U.S.S. Intrepid at 11:00 p.m. There will be a live musical performance by The Lost Trailers at the function. The minimum donation to support Beat the Streets and reserve admission to the Gala is $150. There are a many number of other levels of contributions available to those who wish to join the excitement and support this worthy cause. For further information about the event, please visit the website at www.beat-the-streets.org or you may contact Brian Giffin via email at BGiffin@beat-the-streets.org or via phone at 212-777-5702.

Mario Mason is returning to New Jersey. The former Blair Academy standout who spent the past two seasons at the University of Minnesota has made the decision to transfer to Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey, which is just over an hour drive from where he grew up in Moorestown, New Jersey. Mario Mason (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)"A lot of it was because of my family back home, maybe just being a little bit more comfortable there," said Mason of his decision to transfer. "The style that I wrestle compared to Minnesota's style is pretty different. Rutgers is just a better fit." One of Mason's longtime friends and coaches, Cory Cooperman, also a Blair Academy product, is on Scott Goodale's staff at Rutgers, which also factored into his decision. Interestingly, Cooperman also spent time (redshirt season) at the University of Minnesota before returning to the East Coast to wrestle for Lehigh University, where he became a three-time All-American. "I have known Coop since I was in eighth grade going into high school," said Mason, who won virtually every tournament he entered in high school, including the Beast of the East, Walsh Ironman, NHSCA Nationals, Cadet Nationals, Junior Nationals, and Prep Nationals. "He was a coach for me. He actually coached me in a few national finals matches. He was always in my corner. I'm pretty close with him. He's like an older brother to me. It will be cool to wrestle for him." Mason said that Minnesota gave him a release to "schools close to home." "I wanted to get my release because of family issues," said Mason, who has three seasons of college wrestling eligibility remaining. "The closer I am to home, the easier it will be for me to deal with those issues. I just decided that I have already been far enough away from home ... and I just needed to be closer to home." Mario Mason (Photo/Morgan Hennessy)After compiling a 14-2 record as a redshirt, Mason stepped into Minnesota's lineup this past season at 149 pounds and finished the season with 19-12 record. He placed fifth at the Big Ten Championships before going 0-2 at the NCAA Championships in Omaha, Nebraska. Mason characterized his season as "pretty terrible," but harbors no hard feelings toward the program he is leaving. "I don't have any hard feelings toward Minnesota," said Mason, who is majoring in sports management and eventually wants to become a wrestling coach. "I get along with all the guys on the team. I think I get along with the coaches pretty well. I'm not happy to be leaving because they are guys that I have become pretty good friends with over the past two years. I know they're not happy. It's just something I have to do." Mason plans to stay at 149 pounds next season. He has high expectations for himself and goals he wants to accomplish in wrestling. "I want to win NCAAs and would like to go undefeated while doing it," said Mason. "Then I want to go on to wrestle in the Worlds and Olympics ... and win gold medals."

Worcester, MA -- WPI Director of Physical Education, Recreation and Athletics Dana L. Harmon announced today the hiring of Steve Hall as the Head Wrestling Coach. Hall replaces Lance Baden and Rob Polin, who served as co-head coaches this past season. Hall was standout heavyweight wrestler in the mid-1980’s for Hall of Fame coach Phil Grebinar. He totaled a career record of 54-4-2 (.902 winning percentage) and is tied for fourth in dual-meet wins. The 296 team points he amassed places him second all-time while his 22 career pins is good enough for seventh. Hall belongs to a rare group of WPI wrestlers who garnered four All-New England honors and he was a key part of WPI’s first two New England championship teams in 1985 and 1987. He was inducted into the WPI Athletics Hall of Fame in September of 2008. “Our wrestling program is fortunate to have Steve Hall as our coach,” said Harmon. “As an undergraduate and wrestler at WPI, Steve learned to succeed and that has carried through in his business, personal life and in coaching. His passion for WPI wrestling is undeniable and I look forward to his leadership of our program in the coming years.” After graduation Hall served as an assistant coach under Grebinar for four years. During that time, he coached All-Americans Brian Glatz and John Roy, a total of five New England champions and 33 New England placewinners. He has remained extremely active in various youth football, wrestling, and lacrosse organizations including serving as founder of the non-profit Nashoba Area Wrestling Association and president of the non-profit Lincoln-Sudbury Lacrosse Association. “I am thrilled about the opportunity to take over the program that has been such an important part of so many lives within the WPI Wrestling Family,” stated Hall. “ My focus will be on ensuring that all of the current and future members of the program have the opportunity to experience what the tradition of WPI Wrestling really means. I am also very excited about the possibility of providing a unique perspective to the recruiting process at WPI. I am living proof of what a WPI education and the WPI wrestling experience can provide you.” Hall has been involved at some level with the sport of wrestling for 35 years and arrived at WPI after a impressive career at Unatego High School in upstate New York. He was a Section Four champion and third at the all-divisions New York State Championships. He wrestled for National Wrestling Hall of Fame coach Dan Wickham and helped the Spartans win the Section Four title and earn a final ranking of seventh amongst all divisions within New York. While at WPI, Hall also enjoyed success out of the classroom as he was named a Academic All-American following the 1986-87 season. He graduated from WPI with a degree in mechanical engineering design and has had a successful professional career starting and running companies. Hall is currently the owner of Federation Sports and Consulting, a corporate management consulting and sports management firm. Steve and his wife, Michelle (WPI '85), reside in Sudbury with their two sons, Connor and Matthew.

Andy Bisek, at age 23, has established himself as a legitimate contender to earn a spot on the U.S. World Team and the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team in Greco-Roman at 74 kg. But his wrestling career path nearly took a completely different turn six years ago. Andy BisekBisek, who placed third at the Minnesota high school state tournament as a senior, committed to wrestle at Minnesota State-Mankato, a Division II program, out of high school in 2004. The summer after Bisek's senior year, a month before he was to begin classes at Minnesota State-Mankato, he chose to wrestle Greco-Roman at the Junior Nationals in Fargo. That's when he suddenly had a change of heart about his post-college plans. "Before Fargo, I went through orientation at Mankato and I was actually enrolled in classes," said Bisek, a native of Chaska, Minnesota. "I had talked to my roommate about what we were going to bring." Bisek went to Minnesota's Greco-Roman training camp before Junior Nationals in July and casually asked longtime friend Chas Betts, who just completed his senior year at St. Michael-Albertville High School, about his post-college plans. "I asked Chas what he's doing and he said that he's going to Northern Michigan to wrestle Greco," said Bisek, who admits that he knew nothing about the program at the time. "I ended up placing seventh in Fargo. I had a talk in Fargo with the Northern Michigan coach, Ivan Ivanov, and decided that I was going to go there." With that life-changing decision, Bisek's entire focus shifted from folkstyle wrestling to Greco-Roman wrestling. In the fall of 2004, Bisek enrolled in the United States Olympic Education Center (USOEC) program on the campus of Northern Michigan in Marquette. The program, which was established in 1999, has more than 100 resident athletes who all share the same dream of winning World and Olympic medals. It's not uncommon for freshmen to struggle in the wrestling room, especially in the first few months, against more experienced teammates. Even the most talented wrestlers take their lumps. Stephen Abas, for example, who set the national takedown record in high school and would eventually go on to win an Olympic silver medal, admits that he did not get a single takedown in the Fresno State wrestling room during the first two months of his college wrestling career. Bisek was no exception to the rule. "I definitely got beat up a lot that first year," said Bisek. "I remember trying to think of how many different guys in the room I could hold my own against in my weight class and the weight class below me. I think it was only one or two out of about 15." But eventually Bisek started finding success in the wrestling room, which translated into success in competition. Just a few months into his Greco-Roman career at Northern Michigan, Bisek won a period over T.C. Dantzler, an Olympian and five-time U.S. World Team member. Later that first season, Bisek won the FILA Junior World Team Trials. Andy Bisek throws 2008 Olympian Jake Deitchler (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)By his second season he was placing at major international events on the senior level, like the New York Athletic Club Holiday International. He won the FILA Junior World Team Trials again in 2006 and represented the United States at the FILA Junior World Championships, where he went 1-1. Bisek claimed his first University Nationals title in 2007. In 2008, Bisek repeated as University Nationals champion, but had his first major breakthrough on the senior level by reaching the U.S. Open finals. Last season, Bisek placed fifth at the U.S. Open, defeating 2008 U.S. Olympian Jake Deitchler in his final match. He was fourth in the Challenge Tournament at the U.S. World Team Trials. This season has been filled with life-changing events for Bisek. Last July, Ivan Ivanov resigned as head coach of the USOEC program to start a new Greco-Roman program in Boise, Idaho. "It was somewhat of a shock," said Bisek of his coach's resignation. "I knew that he was going there to visit. I also knew that the job here isn't necessarily ideal for someone with his coaching ability. It's not just coaching. It's a lot about having to babysit some of the kids at times. When Ivan left, I wondered how things were going to change and who his replacement would be." Dennis HallIn late August, Dennis Hall, who is widely considered to be one of the greatest American Greco-Roman wrestlers ever, was hired as head coach of the USOEC program. "With Dennis, it's definitely different, but still positive," said Bisek. "We're able to make gains. It's just done in a different way. "Dennis brings a lot more intensity into the room. Ivan would be intense, but Dennis has different ways of firing us up. He tries to create more competition within the room. He's kind of upset that there haven't been any fist fights or anything. He's just trying to provoke us to almost want to kill the other guy." Hall says Bisek has handled the coaching change well. "He took to the transition really well," said Hall, a three-time World and Olympic medalist. "He's one of the leaders of our team this year. Every day he works hard and leads by example. He's a great competitor. He's always willing to learn. He has an open mind to new techniques, new ways of doing things. I think he's getting almost to where he wants to be. He's got a little bit of work to do, but I think he'll do well at the Trials." Jacob CurbyAnother major event in Bisek's life occurred on January 22 when longtime friend and USOEC teammate Jacob Curby, who was ranked third in the U.S. at 66 kg, passed away unexpectedly. "I remember going on the most fun wrestling trip with him, his dad, Chas, and another wrestler," said Bisek. "We went to Spain and Georgia. It's definitely a trip I'll never forget. "He was just a funny guy. Every day, as soon as I would sign on to instant messenger, he would be telling me about something he ate that he thought I would enjoy. He definitely liked his coffee, muffins, and pastries. There are so many things about him that I'll never forget." Bisek is engaged with the wedding set to take place in June, a week after he wrestles at the 2010 U.S. World Team Trials in Council Bluffs, Iowa. He also just recently graduated from Northern Michigan with a degree in physical geography and minors in biology and art & design. Despite all the life changes, Bisek is putting together his strongest season on the mat. He was runner-up at the Sunkist International Open in October. Three weeks later, Bisek won the New York Athletic Club Holiday International. In January, Bisek went 3-1 at the Kit Carson Cup. He was the only U.S. wrestler to win a match at the Hungarian Grand Prix in March. Bisek not only won a match, but he won two matches, which included a victory over Olympic and World champion Farid Mansurov of Azerbaijan. Last month, Bisek won his fourth University Nationals title and finished third at the U.S. Open. Hall doesn't think there is much separating Bisek from the No. 1 wrestler in the weight class. "I think the difference is scoring on people on the feet," said Hall, a 1995 World champion. "His defense has gotten a lot better. We're working on little things that can open up people where he's able to score on his feet." Bisek plans to move out to Colorado Springs this summer to train full-time at the U.S. Olympic Training Center. He knows there are other opportunities out there, which he considered, like staying at Northern Michigan or reuniting with his former coach, Ivanov, in Boise, Idaho. But he believes Colorado Spring is where he needs to be. He points to the fact there are more opportunities at the U.S. Olympic Training Center to train with partners from foreign countries. Andy Bisek (Photo, Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)Bisek's wrestling goals are simply stated, but far from simply accomplished. "My short-term goal is to come out on top at the Trials next month," said Bisek, who served as a training partner for Chas Betts at the 2009 World Championships in Herning, Denmark. "I'm right in there with the two guys ahead of me. I'm looking to make the World Team. My long-term goal is to make the Olympic Team in 2012 and hopefully win a medal." Bisek is one of many young, rising Greco-Roman stars that have come out of the USOEC program in Northern Michigan. The program has produced several U.S. Open champions, U.S. World Team members, and U.S. Olympians. Bisek is hoping to be the next. So what would Bisek tell a young wrestler who is considering joining the USOEC program at Northern Michigan? "The program is going to be unlike any other college program," said Bisek. "A lot of college programs may slightly differ from each other, but they are all somewhat similar. This program is going to be nothing like that. It's a lot of fun. It's a lot of hard work. But you get to go places and train with different people. It's a lot more than about just the NCAAs. It's about being a World and Olympic champ." This story also appears in the May 14 issue of The Guillotine. The Guillotine has been covering amateur wrestling in Minnesota since 1971. Its mission is to report and promote amateur wrestling at all levels -- from youth and high school wrestling to college and international level wrestling. Subscribe to The Guillotine.

Darrion Caldwell (Rahway, N.J./Sunkist Kids) reinjured his shoulder during a practice session at the U.S. Olympic Training Center on Monday afternoon. Due to the injury, he will not be competing as part of the 2010 Beat the Streets Gala on the U.S.S. Intrepid in New York City on Thursday, May 13. He was scheduled to face his top college rival Brent Metcalf in the main event of a seven-match card of wrestling bouts which will be showcased on Thursday at the Beat the Streets Gala. Caldwell missed the 2009 college season for North Carolina State due to shoulder surgery this past fall. He has not been medically cleared to compete and is undergoing additional tests at this time. Replacing Caldwell in the main event matchup against Metcalf will be 2010 NCAA champion Kyle Dake (Ithaca, N.Y./Shamrock WC), who won a NCAA title for Cornell as a true freshman this year. It will be a battle of two 2010 NCAA champions. Dake won the NCAA title at 141 pounds, while Metcalf won his second career NCAA title at 149 pounds. One other lineup change has been announced. There will not be an 84 kg/185 lbs. bout as previously announced in men’s freestyle. Instead, 2008 Olympian Andy Hrovat (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) will compete against 2009 U.S. Open runner-up Kyle Cerminara (Philadelphia, Pa./New York AC) at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. The event will be held on the USS Intrepid, an aircraft carrier which is docked on the west side of Manhattan in New York City. It is part of the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum. It is being billed as the Battle on the Intrepid, in recognition of “wrestlers in the nation’s service.” The competition is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. TheMat.com will provide a live webcast of the seven-match card from the deck of the U.S.S. Intrepid, starting at approximately 6:15 p.m. The USA Wrestling Prime Time postgame show will follow from the Beat the Streets Gala dinner and awards presentation at approximately 8:15 p.m. Gary Abbott and Mitch Hull will call the action. Each year, the Beat the Streets Gala is held to celebrate wrestling and raise funds for Beat the Streets Wrestling, Inc., the successful program which has provided wrestling opportunities for thousands of middle school and high school students in New York City. Registration for the Beat the Streets Gala will begin at 6:00 p.m., followed by the Battle on the Intrepid from 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. Cocktails will be served from 7:30 p.m., followed by the dinner and awards presentation starting at 8:15 p.m. All participants will disembark from the U.S.S. Intrepid at 11:00 p.m. There will be a live musical performance by The Lost Trailers at the function. The minimum donation to support Beat the Streets and reserve admission to the Gala is $150. There are a many number of other levels of contributions available to those who wish to join the excitement and support this worthy cause. For further information about the event, please visit the website at www.beat-the-streets.org or you may contact Brian Giffin via email at BGiffin@beat-the-streets.org or via phone at 212-777-5702. Undercard Middle School 135 lbs. -- Will Wilson vs. Shateek Palmer High School 150 lbs. -- Jorge Jimenez vs. Andre Antoine Women’s freestyle 59 kg -- Leigh Jaynes vs. Kelsey Campbell Greco-Roman 66 kg -- Spenser Mango vs. Ellis Coleman Men’s freestyle 74 kg -- Ben Askren vs. Moza Fay Men’s freestyle 96 kg -- Andy Hrovat vs. Kyle Cerminara Main Event Men’s freestyle 66 kg -- Brent Metcalf vs. Kyle Dake

Mark Schwab, former University of Northern Iowa wrestler, and Ty Kimble, president of the Panther Wrestling Booster Club be radio show guests this week. "On the Mat" is a presentation of the Dan Gable International Wrestling Institute and Museum and can be heard live on the Internet at www.kcnzam.com or locally in Northeast Iowa each Wednesday from 5:00 - 6:00 PM Central time on AM 1650, The Fan. Feel free to e-mail radio@wrestlingmuseum.org with any questions or comments about the show. Schwab was a four-time state champion for Osage (IA) High School and a two-time All-American as a University of Northern Iowa Panther. His younger brother, Doug Schwab, is reportedly going to be announced as the new UNI head wrestling coach on Thursday. Cedar Falls resident Ty Kimble serves as the president of the Panther Wrestling Booster Club. The booster club will be hosting a social at the Dan Gable International Wrestling Institute & Museum in Waterloo for the new UNI head wrestling coach on Thursday night starting at 7:00.

The University of Northern Iowa will hold a press conference on Thursday at noon in the McLeod Center's Alumni Suite to announce the hiring of a new head wrestling coach. The Panthers' official athletic website - www.UNIPanthers.com - will also broadcast the press conference free of charge.

James Nicholson

Fred Feeney

Brent Metcalf

Al Bevilacqua

Spenser Mango

Russ Camillieri

Stan Williamson

Rick Yarosh

Dave Auble

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- All-American and Big Ten champion John Dergo was named Illinois’ outstanding wrestler at the season-ending banquet at Alexander’s Steakhouse Thursday night. Dergo also took home the honor for most pins on the team as he recorded nine falls on the season. In addition, sophomore Jordan Blanton took home the All-American Award after placing fifth at the 2010 NCAA Championships, senior Clint Arlis was named Most Improved, redshirt-freshman Conrad Polz was named the Outstanding Freshman and senior Patrick Bond earned the NCAA qualifier award. Dergo had an excellent senior year, going 36-4 at 184 pounds while winning a Big Ten title and finishing fifth at the NCAA Championships. His 36 wins are tied with teammate Jimmy Kennedy for ninth in a single season in school history, and his .900 winning percentage ranks 11th all-time. His nine pins ranks seventh on the single-season list and he ended his career with a 105-41 record, tied for 15th on the all-time wins list. His .719 career winning percentage ranks 19th. Blanton had a remarkable sophomore campaign, going 25-9 with six falls. Blanton took third at the Big Ten Championships before finishing fifth at the NCAA Championships. Arlis became Illinois’ starter at 157 pounds at the end of January and finished with a 14-7 record and a seventh-place finish at the Big Ten Championships. Polz also took seventh at the Big Ten Championships, going 17-15 on the season. Bond went 24-14 in his senior season, finishing fifth at the Big Ten Championships and qualifying for the NCAA Championships for the fourth time in his career. 2009-10 Wrestling Award Winners Outstanding Wrestler -- John Dergo Most Falls -- John Dergo All-American Award -- Jordan Blanton NCAA Qualifier -- Patrick Bond Most Improved -- Clint Arlis Outstanding Freshman -- Conrad Polz

Logan Stieber

Event: UFC 113: Machida vs. Shogun 2 Venue: Bell Centre (Montreal, Quebec, Canada) Date: May 8, 2010 Last Saturday, the UFC Monster used an "impressive multi-faceted wagering assault" on the Kentucky Derby, nailing the winner, Super Saver, early at odds of 16:1, and hitting BOTH the $2 exacta (paying $154) and the $2 trifecta (paying $2337.40). I made so much money that I had to sign IRS paperwork to declare the income! Now, let's see if I can keep that roll going ... The UFC is my real game. The UFC returns to Canada tonight for the much-anticipated rematch for the light heavyweight championship between undefeated Lyota "Dragon" Machida (16-0) and Mauricio "Shogun" Rua (18-4). Most UFC fans thought Rua should have won a close decision the last time they met, but you have to beat a champion to be the champion, and the judges saw it otherwise. In a card stacked full of Canadian fighters, tonight's card also offers some great betting opportunities to pad your bankroll, and stay ahead of a tight economy. The UFC Monster's mission is to guide InterMat readers towards valued wagers, with the expectation of earning additional dollars, that could be re-invested in purchasing InterMat Platinum subscriptions for friends and family alike. Current odds for all UFC fights can be found at www.bestfightodds.com. They do a great job of putting the juice out there. I do a great job of pinning the bookmaker's back to the mat! You can check out my record in the archives of this Web site. I do quite well in making money betting mixed martial arts affairs. In UFC 112 I won money for readers despite having more losers than winners! It's in the value of the betting line. So let's take a look at tonight's main card. Nobody fights like Lyota Machida. He is an unorthodox karate (yes, karate) fighter who makes most opponents look inept and awkward, due to his strange striking angles and great counter-punching ability. He measures his opponent carefully, and, like a cobra snake, waits for that one moment to strike. And, when he does, it's lights out. Ask previously-undefeated Thiago Silva or previously undefeated Rashad Evans. They both went to sleep from a vicious Machida strike. His victim list includes Tito Ortiz, B.J. Penn, and Rich Franklin. Wow. Sokoudjou had no chance. And, now enter the legendary Shogun from Pride. Since '03 he has only lost to Mark Coleman because of a broken arm, a weird, unexpected submission to Forrest Griffin, and the controversial decision loss to Machida. That's it. OMG. This could be the fight of the night! But I still like Machida here. He will have absorbed each and every move from the last fight. He will know and practice what he needs to do to win this one. And, neither fighter will want to leave it again in the hands of the judges. That I know. Take Machida and lay the -190, as he keeps his belt with a convincing third-round KO. Josh Koscheck (16-4) vs. British welterweight Paul Daley (23-8-2). The winner gets Georges St. Pierre for a title shot. GSP has already schooled Kos. And the last British slugger (Hardy) to fight GSP got wasted. But this fight has a lot at stake. Without a doubt, Koscheck is one of the very best wrestlers in the UFC. His pile-driving shots drive his opponents across the cage, and his striking power has gotten better and better with each fight. But that's the problem here. Koscheck likes to bang, and he has trouble staying on message (wrestling) when he fights those who like to stand and pound away. And Paul Daley is one of those beasts! He has cremated his only two UFC opponents in lightning fashion with devastating KOs. Against Anthony Jackson, Kos took it to the mat when he felt over-matched by AJ's wild swinging power. That's what he needs to do here. But he will be on the clock. If this one goes to the mat, it's an easy Koscheck victory. But, if they go toe-to-toe, it will be Daley as a 'dog that cashes my ticket. I'll take my chances because I like the price. Daley at +220 is my play here. The winner will also be named by Dana White, as the coach for one of the teams for next season's Ultimate Fighter show. If you like banging, you will love Sam "Hands of Stone" Stout's (16-5-1) fight against Jeremy "Lil' Heathen" Stephens (17-5). These lightweights won't see the mat. Their abilities lie in their punching power. Neither has ever been knocked out! That's amazing to me. Half of their fights go to a decision, and this may be another. I like Scott Casber's boy here, Jeremy Stephens. His uppercut power is awesome and Stout likes to fight at close quarters. The price is right. Lil' Heathen gets +170 from the oddsmakers. I'll take my chances. If this one doesn't go the distance, I'll call it Stephens with a 2nd round KO. Canadian middleweight Patrick "the Predator" Cote (14-5) has recovered from his serious knee injury that made him look so feeble against Anderson "the Spider" Silva last time out. Tonight he takes on Mississippi's Alan "the Talent" Belcher (14-5). Tho' Cote calls himself a Brazilian Jiu-jitsu specialist, most of his wins have come by KO. Belcher is what we call a UFC gate-keeper, a fighter good enough to win most fights, but not good enough to beat the elite. Cote's a good fighter, not an elite. Belcher at -160 wins here with a rear-naked choke submission in the second round. Does anyone really care about Kimbo Slice (4-1)? Why is he on the main card? For money, of course. Dana wants to appeal to everyone out there, willing to pay $50 for a show. After an embarrassing introduction to the sport, Kimbo is now taking it seriously, and has actually (supposedly) learned some technique! Well, we'll see. His hand-picked opponent Matt Mitrione has had one MMA fight, a KO win. Oh my. While my brain says "pass," my gut tells me that there is a method to Dana's madness, and that he wants Kimbo to bring along all his massive fan base as he starts to climb the heavyweight ladder in search of Brock Lesnar … hehehe. Good luck with that! The public is betting against Kimbo, as late money appears to be coming in on Mitrione. But I will (for one night only) be in Kimbo's corner, and will accept his puncher's chance at EVEN money. Kimbo puts Mitrione asleep in the first round, sending me to the winner's window again! … and now let's take a quick look at the preliminaries: Canadian journeyman, Joe Doerksen (39-12) has had over 50 MMA fights! Can you imagine what his body feels like? He will take on middleweight Tom "Filthy" Lawlor (6-2), who has been made the prohibitive favorite at -500 (you lay $5 to win $1). I know Doerksen may be yesterday's news, but getting +440 on him warrants a wager on my part. Of his 39 wins, 32 have come by submission! I'm banking on him having just one more chokehold left in his arsenal as he puts Filthy away in the third. Welterweight Marcus "the Irish hand Grenade" Davis (15-3) should have little trouble putting away Canadian Jonathan "the Road Warrior" Goulet (22-10-1). At -420 there is little value there, but I see little risk, as well. Take Davis and lay the juice. A first round KO may earn him KO of the night, and a $60,000 bonus from Dana! Undefeated, former Oklahoma State two-time NCAA wrestling champ Johny Hendricks (7-0) just gets better and better each time out. Nobody will outwrestle him, and his punching power and technique is awesome. His relentless, rapid upper-cuts are lethal. His opponent, T.J. Grant (15-3), another Canadian, will try to end Hendo's streak with some strong submission skills that have carried his young career so far. A dozen of his 15 wins have come by submission. But does anyone see Johny Hendricks getting submitted? Not me. I'm laying -370 on Hendo, da Man! Hendo wins a unanimous decision. Joey "The Mexecutioner" Beltran (11-3) has a great nickname. He also embarrassed Rolles Gracie last time out in Vegas. I was there. Tonight, he fights Tim "The Tharshing Machine" Hague (10-3), who has lost his last two in the Octagon, Three strikes and you're out with a pink slip from Dana. For those who like to see heavyweights push each other around, this one is for you. Not me. I'll close my eyes and hope that the bigger bully wins here. Desperation means something in sports. It means I'm headed to the winner's window on Hague laying the -240. He may get a submission. He may get a KO. I think he gets the judge's now. Yet, another Canadian, journeyman gate-keeper, Jason MacDonald (22-12), will try to slow down John Salter's (4-1) young career tonight. Experience counts. I like MacDonald at a reasonable -160 to submit Salter in the third round with a patented rear-naked choke. King of the Cage (KOC) veteran, welterweight Mike Guymon (12-3-1), makes his UFC debut tonight against neck-cranking Yoshiyuki "Zenko" Yoshida (11-4). At -260, I still think the value lies with Yoshida. He has octagon experience and his submission skills should carry him to victory here. His losses have been to powerful strikers, of class to which Guymon doesn't fit. Take Yoshida to win by first round triangle choke. This will be the submission of the night, as well. So that's it. I have action on all eleven (11) fights. Let's take a look at how we should spread our "fictitious" $1000 bankroll … Let's lay $180 to win $100 on Lyota Machida to retain his belt. Let's lay $75 to win $165 on Paul Daley to upset Koscheck. Let's lay $70 to win $119 on Jeremy Stephens to KO Sam Stout. Let's lay $55 to win $50 on Alan Belcher. Let's lay $100 to win $100 on street punk, Kimbo Slice. Let's lay $25 to win $110 on Joe Doerksen to squeeze one more win out. Let's lay $126 to win $30 on Marcus Davis. Let's lay $111 to win $30 on Johny Hendricks to do it again! Let's lay $72 to win $30 on Tim Hague. Let's lay $ 80 to win $50 on Jason MacDonald. Let's lay $104 to win $40 on Yoshida's neck cranks. In total, we are risking $998 to win $824. Let's give the $2 tip to the cocktail waitress. Let's not forget to share your winnings in support of your local youth wrestling program, where tomorrow's champions are born! Enjoy the fights. I know I will.

It took one month to turn around a decision that hit the hearts of the New Mexico wrestling community. On April 1, 2010, they were told that the only college wrestling program in the state would be dropped along with Women’s Rodeo. At this point, some quick thinking individuals stepped in to raise awareness and support for the program that they fought so very hard to reinstate after its eighteen year absence. “This started to come together through keen insight from government officials and community leaders throughout the state of New Mexico. The youth needed to be taken care of. Over the past five years, the plan they put together to start wrestling program was working and gaining momentum. All of a sudden, it was in jeopardy of being dropped five short years after it was reinstated. The wrestling program at New Mexico Highlands was doing what many other programs were not. They were gaining prominent recognition at the NCAA Championships with their first NCAA Champion, Seth Wright. Both Wright and Coach Moses are putting NMHU on the map,” said legendary coach Dan Gable. In 2005, legislative appropriations allowed for the reintroduction of wrestling to NMHU along with the creation of women’s rodeo. The problem was that this funding over the past five years has been dwindling. With the current economic situation throughout the country, it was only getting worse. Mike Lujan, a high school teacher and wrestling coach for the past 28 years, is a tireless advocate for the opportunities that wrestling will give the youth of New Mexico as they get older. “It is extremely important for New Mexico to have wrestling; this is our only collegiate program in the state. I would do anything for the sport of wrestling because without it, I feel that I would not be where I am today. In fact, I would probably be dead or in jail,” said Lujan. “Wrestling provided me the opportunity to go to college and become a teacher and a coach. Since receiving my teaching degree, I wanted to be able to give that opportunity back to the youth of New Mexico. Every state in the country is broke in this economy and this is not where cuts should be placed. This changes our country’s future by affecting the youth,” said Mike Lujan. To Lujan, there was no other time than the present to get the ball rolling. He began making calls to key people within their state government in the hopes they could find a way to overturn this decision. He also organized a group of 180 people to go sit in on the Board of Regents meeting. One of those people that Lujan contacted was State Senator Phil Griego, Senator Griego knew the background of the program at NMHU and did not want those opportunities to be taken away from the youth of New Mexico. Senator Griego had to act fast as it was two days before the Board of Regent’s vote. He made personal calls to each Regent as well as to the NMHU President. He eventually was able to get a 30 day reprieve so he could raise the funds necessary to keep the program. Governor Bill Richardson played a large part in saving both women’s rodeo and wrestling. Having started an initiative to get the youth more involved in rodeo, saving the rodeo program was also important to him. He was able to allocate $100,000 toward the women’s rodeo program at New Mexico Highlands. That money was commingled with NMHU institutional funds so both save both programs could be saved. “When I thanked the Board of Regents for making this decision, I wanted to make sure they realized what a powerful choice they had made for these future New Mexico Highlands students. To me, education and athletics go hand in hand. If you deplete one or the other, nothing works properly. At Highlands, the wrestling team gave New Mexico kids the hope of getting a wrestling scholarship to New Mexico Highlands. That, in turn, allows them to also obtain a college education which they otherwise might not have access to,” said Senator Griego. Coach Gable continued, “This program is working in every way and has so many positive things coming from it. The only natural thing to do is to keep it going. To do so, it is going to need consistency to keep it going for years to come. This is still a challenge to make sure that this is not going to be a yearly happening due to lack of funding; NMHU needs longevity and planning to secure this program. Thank goodness for the relentless efforts of Coach Lujan, Senator Griego, Coach Moses, and the NMHU administration to save the program this time around.” Building champions is exactly what this program has been doing in its very short five year history. Since the wrestling team was reinstated they had success both on the mat and in the classroom under head coach Doug Moses. This year, they celebrated with their first Division II NCAA Champion, Seth Wright, who joins three other Cowboys who have earned All-AmPhilan status five times since 2005. Coach Moses has also had ten wrestlers achieve NWCA Division II All Academic honors to top off their list of accomplishments since becoming a Division II program. “I am eternally grateful for the support of the state legislature and the New Mexico Highlands University administration for their efforts to save my wrestling program. This will enable our NMHU wrestling team to continue to provide quality educational and athletic opportunities for countless “in state” high school wrestlers throughout New Mexico,” said Coach Moses. As states all around the country are facing tough economic times, it is important to realize that cutting back opportunities for youth is not the answer to the problem. It will more than likely create many long term problems down the road. In New Mexico, there are 1,461 high school wrestlers and only one “in state” college for them to compete at after high school. “We dodged a bullet this time around. We can never let this happen again. Not at NMHU or any other college that sponsors wrestling. It is important for all of us to position every intercollegiate wrestling team to reduce its dependency on institutional funding with outside support from alumni, camps, clinics, and the wrestling community in each region. The NWCA looks forward to working with Coach Gable, Coach Moses, the New Mexico wrestling community, and the NMHU administration to develop a fundraising model that will protect the wrestling program indefinitely,” said NWCA Executive Director, Mike Moyer

Lindenwood University has named Toccara Montgomery as the new head coach of its women’s wrestling program. Montgomery is a former Olympic wrestler and comes to St. Charles after wrestling and coaching at the University of the Cumberlands since 2001. “I have high hopes and ambitions for the Lindenwood program,” said Montgomery. “My first goal is to get the numbers up and get bodies in the wrestling room to create competition. My ultimate goal is win nationals and build a dynasty here.” Montgomery was a member of the 2004 United States Olympic team and she placed seventh in her weight class at the Athens Games. She a member of the national team from 2001-06 and won two United States Senior National Championships. Montgomery was a two-time silver medalist at the World Championships. In 2001, she was named the FILA International Female Wrestler of the Year, just the third American and first female from the United States to win that honor. At Cumberlands, Montgomery helped build the program into one of the top women’s wrestling programs in the nation. While wrestling, she had a perfect 29-0 dual record and won the 2004 Women’s Collegiate National Championship. For the past three years, she has served as a graduate assistant coach for the Patriots. During her time at Cumberlands, the program was ranked first or second in the nation from 2004-09, including being No. 1 from 2004-06. Montgomery received her undergraduate degree from Cumberlands in 2006 in Education, and received her master’s in 2009 in Instructional Leadership.

Johny Hendricks will take the cage this Saturday night at UFC 113 in Montreal, facing his toughest opponent to date, Canadian T.J. Grant. Johny HendricksTo the general public, Johny Hendricks is the guy who shocked everyone almost a year ago with a first-round knockout of the widely popular Amir Sadollah. After his victory over Sadollah, Hendricks ran across the cage with a large grin on his face and some began calling him "Happy Beard Guy." Many with wrestling backgrounds who follow MMA will watch the event with non-wrestling fans. Non-wrestling fans may even ask, 'Who is this Johny Hendricks guy?' Some wrestling fans will respond that he was a two-time NCAA champion and four-time All-American at Oklahoma State. Many will likely point out the fact that he is the former villain of college wrestling and maybe even call him a bad guy. But do wrestling fans really know Johny Hendricks? How many have actually spoken to him? What did he do that made fans cheer extra loud when he lost the last match of college wrestling career? Why did the college wrestling world embrace Ben Askren for his unique personality and loathe Johny Hendricks for his unique personality? "Look, in wrestling, I was so tired of what people said about me," said Hendricks. "I felt like, if you think that I really am that way, you know what, I'll give you something to bark at me about. I have no ego. God blessed me with the abilities that I have and it would be very rude for me to be like, 'I am better than anybody.' In wrestling, I was tired of that. I was like, hey, I'll talk to you, clear some things up, just give me the time of day and we'll do this. They wouldn't do that for me. They would just say that Johny's at it again ... yadda yadda yadda. If you want that kind of person, I will give you that kind of person. " Hendricks was tenacious on the wrestling mat. He competed with a non-stop, in-your-face, attacking style. When Hendricks took the mat, wrestling fans knew they were in for a show, regardless of whether they liked him or loathed him. However, despite that, most wrestling fans outside of Oklahoma rooted against him. Johny Hendricks (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)"I wore my emotions on my sleeve when I wrestled," said Hendricks. "I was deemed the bad guy. If someone tied up with me hard and popped me in the face, oh no, I wasn't accepting that. So I would pop them back and say this isn't going to happen and they didn't like seeing that from me for some reason. I really don't know why." Rewind three years to Hendricks' senior season at Oklahoma State in 2007. The National Duals had just concluded in mid-January. Hendricks had gone through a 10-match stretch in which he wrestled eight ranked wrestlers, including the No. 2, No. 3, and No. 4, No. 5, and No. 7-ranked wrestlers in the country. He won all 10 of those matches and was not feeling challenged. He had just dominated his main rival, Iowa's Mark Perry, 9-1. Hendricks was burned out. He was tired of the persona. He was sick of wrestling. He approached his coach, John Smith, and asked for time away. He felt alone and isolated. He wished that someone would take the leadership reins like he did for his predecessors. "I was the only leader," said Hendricks. "Nobody else helped take it with me my last year. When Jake (Rosholt) and Espo (Zack Esposito) were seniors I stepped up with my leadership role at times so that they could do what they had to do and focus on their senior years. I feel like I didn't have that. I took that role as the leader of Oklahoma State. Coach Smith wouldn't let me take time away. I went through the motions. It started wearing on me and I started not to care what happened." Hendricks would go on to lose in the NCAA finals to Perry in his final college wrestling match. After that loss, Hendricks stepped away from the sport he had known all this life and prayed about what the next step was going to be. He knew he was too young to quit competing. He did not want to wrestle internationally, although Coach Smith suggested it. Hendricks had faith something would come his way and work itself out. "I did not want to wrestle internationally or train for the Olympics," said Hendricks. "I was mad at the wrestling community." Three weeks after his final college wrestling match, Hendricks received a call from Team Takedown, an MMA management company, and was asked a simple question: "Do you want to be an MMA fighter?" He didn't know much about MMA, but decided to give it a try. Johny Hendricks (Photo/Sherdog.com)He began training at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas, a world-renowned gym founded by UFC legend Randy Couture, a former Oklahoma State Cowboy. Hendricks then surrounded himself with world-class coaches, including such as his jujitsu coach Marc Laimon, boxing coach Ron Frazier, and striking coach Ken Hahn. Hendricks knows that he still has a lot to learn as a fighter, but he is hungry and is not putting a limit on how far he can go or how high he can climb in the UFC. "Man, I can't wait until I get a couple years under my belt and really truly understand this game ... because then it's going to be awesome," said Hendricks. Hendricks admits that it will take time to get to where he wants to be and understands that he cannot fight for the sake of getting bouts. He schedules fights about 12 weeks apart so he can get time to learn technique and understand all the nuances of MMA. He and former Oklahoma State teammate Jake Rosholt were featured on a television series Tapout. In his early MMA career, Hendricks walked through smaller venues en route to reach the WEC, the UFC's sister promotion. He kept winning and learning. His game continues to evolve. "I fell in love with the striking game just because you've got to have people fear your hands," said Hendricks. "You have to have people believe that. Then my takedowns are way easier." When the UFC called last summer, the promotion company did Hendricks no favors by lining him up to fight Amir Sadollah at UFC 101 on August 8 in Philadelphia. Sadollah was the contestant winner of the popular TV show, The Ultimate Fighter, which springboards fighters into instant celebrity status and notoriety. In Sadollah's previous fights, he showed serious skills in defeating some accomplished former wrestlers Gerald Harris and CB Dollaway. Hendricks knew he had a daunting task, but went on to knock out Sadollah with an uppercut in the first round, stunning the MMA world. He then heard a familiar sound, booing. The crowd was not booing Hendricks, but was unhappy that the referee jumped in to stop the fight so quickly. They wanted to see more. In his post-fight interviews, Hendricks spoke with class and dignity, talking about how much respect he had for Sadollah, which helped him gain popularity with MMA fans. Johny Hendricks with his daughter, Abri"Three years ago if you told me that I would be an MMA fighter in the UFC, I would have laughed at you," said Hendricks. "I want to be a champion. I train six days a week and it's like wrestling all over again. Hard work and learning. I won't stop until I achieve my goal ... how ever long it takes and whatever it takes. Just like wrestling, I had that goal of being champion and I wasn't going to stop until I was champion." While the goal to be champion remains the same, other things have changed. Hendricks, who became a father in October with the birth of his daughter, Abri, has reinvented himself in MMA. He is hungrier than he has ever been and has brought the hard work that wrestlers preach and live by to MMA. Hendricks has been ever so gracious and MMA fans have embraced and enjoyed his unique personality. No labels. No false persona. No team standards. But the question remains: Will wrestling fans finally embrace Johny Hendricks? For all things MMA, follow Tony Nguyen on Twitter at www.twitter.com/tonynguyenmma.

IOWA CITY, IA -- University of Iowa wrestler Montell Marion has been permanently suspended from all activities related to the Hawkeye wrestling program. Marion, a sophomore who was the 2010 NCAA runner-up at 141 pounds, was arrested and charged with a DUI at 2:16 a.m. Tuesday in Iowa City. "Due to Montell's recent and previous violations of our student-athlete code of conduct, we have no choice at this point but to remove him from the Iowa wrestling program," said University of Iowa Associate Athletic Director for Student Services Fred Mims. "It is very unfortunate. Montell has demonstrated great potential as a student and a student-athlete. He is someone the program will miss greatly. We all hope he is able to overcome this situation and find success in whatever he decides to do." If Marion chooses to transfer to another NCAA institution, Mims said the University of Iowa Athletics Department would support a transfer pursuant to the NCAA's one-time transfer policy. Marion posted a 37-9 record in two seasons with the Hawkeyes. He picked up his first all-America honor this season, placing third at the 2010 Big Ten Championships. The Des Moines, IA, native posted a 11-3 dual record, going 6-2 in Big Ten duals and scoring 45 team points in dual competition after earning the 141-pound spot in the lineup in late December.

AMES, Iowa -- David Zabriskie didn’t own a pair of football cleats, but that didn’t stop Iowa State’s 2010 NCAA heavyweight champion from saying yes to another challenge. Zabriskie flew to Cleveland, Ohio, April 30-May 2 to participate in the Cleveland Browns’ rookie mini-camp. Zabriskie spent his five-year collegiate career in the Cyclone wrestling room, leaving zero time to pursue other athletic interests. Dating back to his high school days in Branchville, N.J., “Z” never found his way to the gridiron, but that didn’t faze him in his first attempt to grapple with a pigskin. He had known a bid to an NFL camp was a possibility. “One of Cleveland’s coaches asked me a few months ago if this was something I wanted to pursue,” Zabriskie said. “And then they got a hold of me after the draft.” Zabriskie went through a rigorous weekend schedule of two-a-day practices and hours of team meetings. “It was different,” Zabriskie said. “It wasn't as physically demanding as I thought it would be. I'm used to wrestling practice where you're kind of working the whole time. At the camp, you spend a lot of time going over plays, and then part of the time you're just standing there watching. It was long, though. Each day was about 15 hours.” If Zabriskie were to attain NFL success, he wouldn’t be the first NCAA heavyweight champion to walk the same path. Stephen Neal, a member of the New England Patriots football team, was a two-time heavyweight titlist for Cal-State Bakersfield (1998-99). Carlton Haselrig, a six-time NCAA champion between Division I and II (Pitt.-Johnston, 1987-89), went on to a five-year career in the NFL. The athleticism and explosiveness generally exhibited by wrestlers can sometimes translate to the professional football ranks. Zabriskie found himself positioned at linebacker during parts of the camp, a spot on the field with many unknown nuances. “I gained a lot of respect for the sport,” Zabriskie said. “There is a lot of work that goes into the plays. You can't see or hear it sometimes. I found that was a major challenge to playing that position.” The Cyclone wrestling standout exited the camp on its final day with an experience to remember. “Sunday morning, I talked to a few guys who told me good job and thanked me for coming out,” Zabriskie said. “It was a fun experience. A few guys I talked to didn't believe I’d never played football before.” The cleats that are on loan from the ISU football team may or may not be returned. “I'm not sure when I'll use them again,” Zabriskie said. “But right now, that's about all I have from my football career. And a couple Browns’ t-shirts.”