“There’s this lesser-known sport called wrestling. It’s a really great base for professional MMA,” joked UFC middleweight Bo Nickal. The former three-time NCAA wrestling champion then announced that he would be dipping his toes back into wrestling with the Real American Freestyle event in August. The decision came after Reinier De Ridder ended the rising MMA star’s undefeated streak.
While Bo Nickal has every plan to return to MMA, for now, he wants to reconnect with his roots. The man who owes his breakout start in combat sports to all those years in wrestling wanted to help draw more eyes to the sport. Now, just weeks after his early July confession, a fellow NCAA wrestling icon-turned MMA pro has said something similar, albeit with very different goals.
Oliver, who signed with Bellator MMA back in 2023, explained that while he’s possibly one fight away from the UFC, watching Final X reawakened that wrestling itch. “Wrestling has creeped back into where, even next year, and I haven’t told anybody, this is the first time I’ll come out and say it – I am going to go back out for the USA team,” Jordan Oliver told Athletor on YouTube. So unlike Bo Nickal, his is a long-term goal.
Madison Square Garden NEW YORK CITY, NY -NOVEMBER 16:Bo Nickal and Paul Craig met in the octagon for a 3-round bout for UFC309 – Jones vs Miocic at Madison Square Garden on November 16, 2024 in New York City, NY Photo by Louis Grasse/PxImages Louis Grasse / SPP PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxBRAxMEX Copyright: xLouisxGrassex/xSPPx spp-en-LoGr-lrg2411164260559_UFCVegas309
Although it’s too late for him to make the U.S. Team for the World Championships, the three-time national championship finalist will get to wrestle no matter where his MAA career is at. It sounds like a huge risk considering he might not make the team again. However, this time it’s not just about world championship glory for Bo Nickal’s MMA contemporary.
The former NCAA icon’s noble goals
This isn’t the first time Jordan Oliver has talked about making the world team. In fact, the 35-year-old already gave his world championship dreams a shot back in 2024. Jordan entered the 2024 US World Team Trials but lost to James Green of Nebraska. The heartbreaking 6-3 defeat forced him to recalibrate, but the defeat didn’t really deter him from wrestling completely.
Shortly after failing to secure his spot on the 2024 U.S. Team for Worlds, Oliver announced his intention to wrestle again. So, at a time when Bo Nickal was solely focused on progressing in the UFC middleweight division, Jordan Oliver announced plans to wrestle in the 2024 Bill Farrell Memorial International tournament held in November. Yet, even losing at next year’s team trials won’t hurt him that much.
The former national champion explained that while he’ll give it his all, it’ll be worth it even if he loses. That’s because the 35-year-old father believes it’ll be a great lesson for his son. “Even if I don’t win, showing him that you never give up on something, that’s so important, you know?” said the former OSU Cowboy Wrestling icon. But wait, there’s more.
While the former Big 12 Conference champion wants to inspire his son, the MMA star also spoke about giving back to the sport that made him. Just like Bo Nickal hopes to make a difference in elevating the sport’s popularity through RAF1, Jordan Olvier hopes to do the same through a wrestling club. While that goal also lies beyond his push to become a world champion, it’s another reason for his pivot toward wrestling. Oliver believes it would be “something special” if he could change the lives of even a handful of kids through wrestling.
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