Issue 092

September 2012

An in-depth sneak peak into which 2012 Olympians have the potential to become the next Daniel Cormier or Ronda Rousey in the world of MMA... 

For most sportsmen and women, medaling at the Olympic Games is the pinnacle of their careers. To follow in the footsteps of sporting greats such as Muhammad Ali, Mark Spitz, Steve Redgrave, Carl Lewis and Cael Sanderson ensures a career of competition becomes a legacy of success.

However, for most Olympians, whether they get to stand on top of the podium or not, their Games appearance so frequently results in the end of their sporting aspirations. For the lucky few a career in coaching or as a media pundit rapidly becomes their nine-to-five of choice, while for the large majority, rejoining society’s rat race becomes all too much of a reality. 

Some sports, like amateur boxing, set a fighter up for a lucrative career in the pro ring – but with the emergence of MMA into the mainstream over the past decade, now four other Olympic disciplines are laying foundations for careers inside the Octagon.

For the stars of the Greco-Roman and freestyle wrestling, judo, taekwondo and even the boxing disciplines in London 2012 – MMA has become a very real and lucrative option to extend their sporting careers post Olympic Games.

And with so many potential MMA prospects heading to London this summer, Fighters Only gives you the lowdown on the current crop of Olympians with the potential to follow the likes of Daniel Cormier and Ronda Rousey to the very top of mixed martial arts…

Freestyle Wrestling

Freestyle wrestling and mixed martial arts already enjoy a very fruitful relationship. With the likes of Mark Coleman, Ben Askren and Daniel Cormier all making the switch from the Olympic mats to the cage, the path to MMA stardom is already tried and tested. 

And, in return, mixed martial arts has kept up its side of things too; influencing a generation of youngsters to take up freestyle wrestling at an earlier age, flooding grappling clubs with beginners as they chase dreams of becoming UFC stars. The success of promotions like the UFC has educated today’s youth, who realize that if you can’t stuff or execute a takedown you’ll never survive in MMA.

The quality of freestyle wrestlers destined for this summer’s Games is second to none. And, naturally, there’s already whispers suggesting many of them will make the switch over to MMA after the medals are handed out. Possibly the hottest freestyle wrestler en route to London is Jordan Burroughs, otherwise known as ‘All I See Is Gold,’ due to the fact that he’s won every tournament he’s been in since 2009. 

The constant pressure to win gold would crumble most athletes, but Burroughs takes it all in his stride as every win leads him to his ultimate goal as a wrestler: matching or surpassing legendary wrestler John Smith’s record as a four-time world champion and two-time Olympian. This means Team USA starlet Burroughs would not actually debut in MMA until after the next Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. So how did the New Jersey native get interested in MMA?

“I got into MMA through TV and pay-per-view. That’s how most people get into the sport,” says the 23-year-old. “It’s on very often and my friends love to watch it. A lot of wrestlers I’ve competed against or watched growing up are champions now. It’s an entertaining sport and it’s super interesting. I definitely intend to look into it one day.”

You’d be forgiven for thinking that, for a such a young man, Burroughs is biting off more than he can chew. However, for now, his eyes are firmly set on London 2012 and continuing his incredible run on the mats.

He adds: “My main focus right now is on wrestling. Being a UFC champion is so far ahead in my future that I’m just focusing on one thing at a time. Right now, my ultimate goal is to be an Olympic gold medalist. The UFC will come in time, but right now my passion is getting that gold medal and representing Team USA.”

And Burroughs isn’t the only person on the US wrestling team who has MMA on their mind once the Olympics are over. Clarissa Chun, who fights in the 48kg weight class, has been cross-training in MMA since 2008 at Rough House MMA and Fitness in Colorado Springs. And also joining Chun in the cage soon, could be fellow Hawaiian Stephany Lee. 

As well as being number one in her weight division in the US, Lee is also a prime candidate to jump into mixed martial arts thanks to the fact she also holds a black belt in judo. Like Ronda Rousey’s proven, a female Olympian with that kind of experience behind her could well make a huge impact in MMA – with huge financial reward – in a very short space of time.

With the likes of other Team USA members Jake Herbert and Jake Varner, plus Australian 60kg standout Farzad Tarash all having links or expressing interest in mixed martial arts, we should definitely expect a heavy influx of Olympic freestyle wrestlers to be entering a ring or cage near you very soon.

Greco-Roman Wrestling

Sometimes it feels like Olympic freestyle wrestlers get all the love in MMA, but truth be told, Greco-Roman Olympians have contributed a hell of a lot to mixed martial arts over the years also. 

Matt Lindland won a silver medal at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, before carving out a career in the cage. Whilst Randy Couture was a three-time Olympic alternate, and Dan Henderson was a two-time Olympic competitor.

Any Greco-Roman wrestlers coming from this year’s Games clearly have big shoes to fill, but that’s not to say there isn’t some serious talent entering the competition this year. For example, Team USA’s Ellis Coleman, 20, went viral when he performed his ‘flying squirrel’ takedown on unsuspecting Iranian wrestler, Mehdi Chooli Zeidvand at the Junior World Championships in 2011. 

Safe to say, the MMA world went crazy and questions began to surface regarding whether or not Coleman would make the switch over to pro sports this fall. And, according to Coleman, MMA has already been brought to the table by a former Bellator champion.

“I’d be interested in going to MMA one day. I’m actually training with Joe Warren right now, and he’s been talking to me about getting into fighting when I’m done with wrestling, or possibly while I’m still wrestling,” Coleman says. “It’s such an explosive and exciting sport and, you know, me and my brother were brought up in Chicago so we used to get beaten up a bunch in elementary school, and we used to fight each other all the time too. I like it because it’s similar to wrestling as it’s a one-on-one sport.”

Coleman is joined on the ‘MMA watch list’ by the highly-touted 2008 Olympic gold medalist, Mijain Lopez. Ever since he won the gold medal in Beijing, there have been rumors Lopez was going to be defecting to mixed martial arts. It’s been four years since the suggestions first surfaced and Lopez still hasn’t made the switch. But no doubt after he defends his crown in London those rumors will kick up again and it may well prove time for this Cuban to finally follow in the footsteps of countryman judoka Hector Lombard in defecting to MMA.

Taekwondo

Believe it or not, there’s actually never been a taekwondo Olympian compete in mixed martial arts, which is incredible considering there are so many fighters in MMA who have a strong taekwondo striking base. From Anthony Pettis to Anderson Silva, taekwondo has always had a prominent, yet understated role in the realm of striking for MMA.

Amongst the plethora of fantastic taekwondo prospects traveling to London, two stand out in regards to making the switch to mixed martial arts. Lee Dae-Hoon, 20, will be representing South Korea in the 58kg category and is a strong favorite to win gold. He’s an aggressive fighter who likes to utilize his long limbs against his shorter opponents, much like how Jon Jones does in the light-heavyweight division. 

With MMA in Asia slowly but surely returning to it’s prosperous ways, the UFC looking to make waves in Korea in the near future and with Hoon only being just out of his teenage years, the Olympian has all the potential in the world at becoming the next big Asian MMA star.

Aso worth monitoring, is Team GB’s Jade Jones. Despite being only 19 years old, she’s accomplished plenty already in her taekwondo career, winning gold in the Youth Olympic Games in 2010 and silver in the World Championships in 2011.

Much like Hoon, she’s a young phenom and could quite easily stay in taekwondo and compete in the 2016 Olympics in Rio too. And, with it’s continuing growth – especially on the women’s side, MMA is becoming more and more attractive every year. There are very few high-level strikers in the women’s sport, meaning Jones would be at a distinct advantage against any female mixed martial artist if she were able to take to the grappling aspect of MMA, the same way that she has taken to taekwondo.

Taekwondo isn’t appreciated as much as it should be and there’s no real money in it. However, if a taekwondo Olympian was to transition into MMA and do well, there’s a chance MMA could have the same affect on taekwondo as it has had on judo and wrestling.

Judo

There’s been a recent boom when it comes to judokas in mixed martial arts enjoying significant success. Sure we had the likes of Karo Parisyan throwing opponents around back in the day, but now Olympians such as Rick Hawn and Ronda Rousey are winning tournaments and titles inside the cage. And now with London about to begin, the MMA world is bracing itself for the next influx of judo players who are looking to follow in the footsteps of their Olympic predecessors.

It seems as if Team USA is a hot bed for potential MMA talent as of late. Hawn and Rousey made the move to mixed martial arts and broke through this year with Hawn winning the Bellator lightweight tournament and Rousey continuing her winning streak by capturing the Strikeforce bantamweight strap with a devastating armbar display against Miesha Tate. 

Two more judokas from Team USA have been touted as MMA’s next hottest prospects. One of them, Travis Stevens from Bellevue, Washington, may be one of the front runners in the 81kg division, but his journey to put on a gi didn’t start out the way you’d assume.

“I got started in judo by accident. I went to the local youth center in my town and messed up the application form and signed up for judo rather than football,” the 26-year-old tells FO. “I was hooked from day one. I loved the competitiveness of the sport, the physicalness of it. Judo is a lot like wrestling but I prefer judo just because I can physically grab the gi and control someone and get them to submit.”

The pressure and high expectations of the Olympics are nothing new to Stevens who competed in the Olympics in Beijing in 2008, placing ninth overall, and he’s now looking to finally get the medal he clearly desires. “Everyday during training I set small goals for myself to ensure I’m pushing myself mentally. Things like, ‘Make sure I get up before my opponent after every exchange,’ or, ‘Always be ready to go first’. This way in a competition I know no matter how tired I am I can get up a keep going,” he adds.

“Physically, I prepare myself by pushing my body to the limits. I train four to five times a day by lifting, judo, cross training, judo, running. I don’t take days off. I train twice on Saturday and Sunday. I make sure that no matter how tired I get, I never miss a workout. I force myself mentally to get up and go.”

And his training doesn’t end and begin with judo, as Stevens is also a brown belt under the legendary Renzo Gracie. The fact he’s a high-level judoka and clearly a very good jiu-jitsu player has created rumors of Stevens potentially coming into the world of MMA after the Olympics are over. And he reveals that the thought has passed through his mind.

Stevens says: “MMA has a lot to offer me, personally. I love a physical puzzle and MMA has so many different arts and so many different things you have to learn. I would love to learn and perfect them all. The UFC has some of the best athletes in the world and I would love to test myself against the likes of GSP. I want to compete against the best of the best. 

“I also need to make money while doing it. I don’t mind getting punched in the face, I love to wrestle, I love jiu-jitsu, I have done a little bit of boxing with Steve Maze (Joe Lauzon and Tom Lawlor’s boxing coach) so why not do MMA? I love to compete and I love doing all the things you need to be great at MMA.”

Kayla Harrison, 21, is the other member of the Team USA judo team who is being highly touted to make the move to the cage. According to 2008 bronze medalist Ronda Rousey, Kayla is “probably Team USA’s best hope for a medal,” which would make sense since she was Rousey’s training partner for her Olympic medal success story. 

When we spoke to Harrison, she was just coming off a gold medal performance in Brazil at the Pan Am Games, and was looking forward to her first Olympics as a competitor. Whilst other debuting Olympians might be feeling the pressure, she’s calm and collected having seen it all before when Rousey went prepared to compete in Beijing.

Harrison recalls: “Going to China was an amazing experience for me. Seeing someone I train with day in and day out take a medal at the highest stage in the world has been a huge inspiration for me. It made me feel like I was capable of achieving greatness.”

And achieving greatness in the world of judo is well within her reach, as she is hotly tipped to take gold in the 78kg weight category. Harrison has clearly achieved a lot at the tender age of 21, but when asked about a potential move into MMA, like most people her age, she simply doesn’t know yet. “I never say never, but right now MMA is not likely for me. If the women’s divisions became deeper, I would definitely consider it,” she says. 

“But I feel like if I did MMA now, I would just end up fighting Ronda, and we used to fight all the time (laughs). I have a few ideas for what my life might be like after London. I would like to go to school. And at some point plan my wedding. We’ll see, though. 2016 isn’t out of the cards and neither is MMA.”

Nick Delpopolo, another key member of Team USA, is also being mentored by former UFC light heavyweight champion Frank Shamrock, whilst the recent boom of MMA across Europe and Australia could cause the likes of Australian Ivo Dos Santos, or Greece’s 2008 gold medalist Ilias Iliadas, to take look into the world of MMA. What’s definitely clear is that the relationship between judo and mixed martial arts is continuing to blossom nicely.

BEN ASKREN ON FREESTYLE WRESTLING AT LONDON 2012

What do you think of the quality of wrestlers going into this tournament?

“The Olympics is the greatest event in the world and a lot of these wrestlers will have spent four years gearing up for the Olympics. A lot of wrestlers hang up their shoes afterwards, so this is going to be a big moment for everyone wrestling in the tournament.”

What do you think is the best chance for the US to medal in the wrestling?

“I think we can get multiple medals this year, but if I had to pick one it would definitely be Burroughs. He’s proven that he can win pretty much everything.”

Who do you think is going to give the US a problem?

“Russia have really been the best wrestling nation for the last six to eight years. All of the former Soviet Union nations will do pretty well.”

What was your own personal experience of being in the Olympics?

“There were certain parts of the experience that were awesome, but I went there to win and I didn’t so it’s a bit of a bitter memory for me.”

Frank Shamrock on USA Judo member Nick Delpopolo 

How did you get involved with Nick and when did you notice his potential as a judoka?

“Nick and his team are very focused and they contacted my publicist to see if I would be a mentor to Nick. After hearing his story and speaking to him about his plans and preparations I believed he could see this goal through.” 

What sort of advice do you give to him to help him prepare for such a big event?

“At the beginning of our relationship I was mainly a mentor and facilitator to his needs. Through friends and other team members I was able to analyze and advise Nick on mental preparation.” 

Have you spoken to Nick about potentially becoming a mixed martial artist himself? If so, how well do you think he would fare in the world of MMA?

“Nick and his adopted father Dominick use to watch me fight when Nick was a young boy. His dad used to say that he should compete with the kind of intensity that Frank Shamrock has. He plans on winning the gold medal and then winning a UFC championship. I believe he will do it and I am going to help.” 

Team USA Judo Coach Jimmy Pedro on MMA

Why do you believe that judo Olympians such as Rick Hawn and Ronda Rousey have been so successful in MMA since their transition from judo?

“First of all, both athletes are the first American judo athletes who were Olympians who decided to compete in MMA. Karo Parisyan had success in MMA; but, Rick and Ronda’s judo is at a much higher skill level than Karo’s. Ronda has had success because she is in the prime of her athletic life. She ‘retired’ from judo while she was in her prime in her early 20s. Plus, she trained with the best judoka in the United States – all of which were men so her skill level in judo and the physical training she received with training with these other Olympians is unmatched by any woman. Realistically, there is not a single woman that can match up with her physically and technically.

“Rick is a true professional in every sense of the word. He is someone that took his MMA training very seriously and who took the time to improve in all areas – especially striking and jiu-jitsu so he could be a well-rounded fighter. And, he truly developed as an MMA fighter by starting out locally and not jumping in with the big dogs right away. So, he truly learned how to fight MMA, and now he is reaping the rewards of that sacrifice and development.”  

Why do you think there has been a sudden burst of talented judokas coming to the MMA world?

“These athletes see a true opportunity to make a career out of MMA, and now the money is there for them. With the addition of weight classes, the notoriety of MMA, and the amount of money involved, it is now worth it to jump into MMA for judo athletes. However, do not expect a lot of foreign judokas to jump on board too quickly because their national federations prohibit them from competing in MMA while they compete in judo. These foreign athletes earn six-figure salaries from their federations (e.g. France, Japan, Brazil, etc.) and they are not allowed to compete in any other sport except for judo while they compete for their national judo teams.” 

And how would a strong judo base help an aspiring mixed martial artist?

”Judo is one of the most physical and most demanding martial arts out there. It is one of the only ones where you can train 100% against your opponent without holding back so it’s always practiced at a fast, relentless pace. In fact, both Ronda and Rick admit that MMA training is a lot easier than judo training on their bodies. Plus, if someone trains at the right judo place, they will develop not just a great throwing base; but, also develop a ground game comparable to many jiu-jitsu training academies.