Does anyone have a list of fighters that have wrestled? At my school we have a bunch of kids that are thinking of not wrestling this year to practice MMA. We are trying to show them that wrestling is the best thing you can do to help your MMA.

Thanks in advance.

Here is what I have so far, but I know there are tons more.

MMA Fighters that wrestled:
Jon Fitch- Fort Wayne Carroll(state placer) and Purdue University
Brock Lesnar- University of Minnesota(NCAA Champ)
Randy Couture- Oklahoma State University
Josh Koscheck- Edinboro University(NCAA Champ)
CB Dollaway- Arizona State University(All-American)
Frank Edgar- Clarion University
Mark Coleman- Ohio State University(NCAA Champ)

Rashad Evans- Michigan State University
Matt Hamill- Purdue University and Rochester Institute of Technology(DIII Champ)
Matt Hughes- Eastern Illinois University(All-American)
Jake O’Brien- Perry Meridian(State champion) and Purdue University

Dan Henderson, Georges St. Pierre, Urijah Faber, Chael Sonnen, Clay Guida, Roger Huerta, Matt Hamill, Chuck Liddell (this is just stream of consciousness.) I wrote a post on Chicks Heart Fights sometime last year about how wrestling is the best thing to do to prepare for MMA. I'll dig it up and send it to you.

Here it is:

http://chicksheartfights.today.com/2...-be-a-fighter/

You can also mention all the up-and-coming guys who have been signed to contracts pretty quickly and that mostly has to do with their wrestling backgrounds, like Johny Hendricks, Jake ROsholt, Mark Munoz, C.B. Dollaway, Mo Lawal, Gerald Harris, etc. Also, appeal to their parents. MMA training generally costs a gym membership. Wrestling for your school is much cheaper.

Thanks, I have found some other articles and such that have mentioned who wrestled. I think that someone is pushing the kids to not wrestle, most likely their MMA coach. What I don't understand is that every UFC fight I have watched has quite a few guys in it that were wrestlers and the announcers aren't shy about promoting that they were wrestlers.

Jon Fitch- Fort Wayne Carroll(state placer) and Purdue University
Brock Lesnar- University of Minnesota(NCAA Champ)
Randy Couture- Oklahoma State University
Josh Koscheck- Edinboro University(NCAA Champ)
CB Dollaway- Arizona State University(All-American)
Frank Edgar- Clarion University
Mark Coleman- Ohio State University(NCAA Champ)
Rashad Evans- Michigan State University
Matt Hamill- Purdue University and Rochester Institute of Technology(DIII Champ)
Matt Hughes- Eastern Illinois University(All-American)
Jake O’Brien- Perry Meridian(State champion) and Purdue University
Urijah Faber
Gray Maynard- Michigan State University(All-American)
Tito Ortiz
Matt Lindland
Sean Salmon
Dan Henderson
Georges St. Pierre
Chael Sonnen
Clay Guida
Roger Huerta
Chuck Liddell
Quinton Jackson
Diego Sanchez
Keith Jardine
Brandon Vera
Corey Hill
Johnny Hendricks
Mark Kerr
Jake Rosholt
Kenny Monday
Mark Munoz
Mark Shultz
Mike Van Arsdale

Missing a few NCAA champions (some no longer fighting): Kerr, Randleman, Holman, Alger. Kevin Jackson has a gold medal and Vlad Matushenko was on the Belarus national team and has wins over 2 Americans with Olympic golds. I think Sobral represented Brazil in freestyle also (and may have even placed in the Pan Ams)

Maggie, I don't think GSP started wrestling until after getting into MMA

Trigg, Jeff Monson and Gan McGee all wrestled in the D1 nationals.

Originally Posted by clmetal

Trigg, Jeff Monson and Gan McGee all wrestled in the D1 nationals.

Trigg even coached at OU for a short time.

The list is getting pretty damn long!

Jon Fitch- Fort Wayne Carroll(state placer) and Purdue University
Brock Lesnar- University of Minnesota(NCAA Champ)
Randy Couture- Oklahoma State University
Josh Koscheck- Edinboro University(NCAA Champ)
CB Dollaway- Arizona State University(All-American)
Frank Edgar- Clarion University
Mark Coleman- Ohio State University(NCAA Champ)
Rashad Evans- Michigan State University
Matt Hamill- Purdue University and Rochester Institute of Technology(DIII Champ)
Matt Hughes- Eastern Illinois University(All-American)
Jake O’Brien- Perry Meridian(State champion) and Purdue University
Urijah Faber- Cal Davis
Gray Maynard- Michigan State University(All-American)
Tito Ortiz- Cal State Bakersfield
Matt Lindland- Nebraska(All-American), Olympian
Sean Salmon- Ohio State
Dan Henderson- Arizona State, 2X Olympian
Georges St. Pierre- Trained with Canadian Olympic team
Chael Sonnen- Oregon University
Clay Guida- Harper Junior College
Roger Huerta- Augsburg College
Chuck Liddell- Cal Poly
Quinton Jackson- Tennessee State Placer
Diego Sanchez- New Mexico State Champion
Keith Jardine
Brandon Vera- Air Force
Corey Hill- Colby Community College(JUCO Champion)
Johnny Hendricks- Oklahoma State University(National Champion)
Mark Kerr- Syracuse University(National Champion)
Jake Rosholt- Oklahoma State University(National Champion)
Kenny Monday- Oklahoma State(All American), Olympic Gold Medallist
Mark Munoz- Oklahoma State University(National Champion)
Mark Shultz- Oklahoma(National Champion), Olympic Gold Medallist
Mike Van Arsdale- Iowa State University(National Champion)
Gerald Harris- Eastern Michigan University
Paul Bradley- Penn State University(All American)
Mo Lawal- Oklahoma State(All American), Central Oklahoma(DII Champion)
Frank Trigg- Oklahoma University
Jeff Monson- Oregon State University(PAC 10 Champion)
Gan McGee- Iowa University
Rex Holman- Ohio State University(National Champion)
Royce Alger- Iowa University(National Champion)
Kevin Jackson- Iowa State(All American), Olympic Gold Medallist
Vlad Matushenko- Belarus National Team