Top 5 MMA Fighters from Arizona State

Arizona State University has been a wrestling powerhouse producing numerous Top 10 teams, 1 Team National Championship (1985) and 8 Individual National Champions. However, elite wrestlers from around the world have had limited options in terms of careers based on their skills in the ring. Some found success in the Olympics such as Rulon Gardner, Matt Lindland and Kurt Angle. However, there are only so many spots in the Olympics and many elite athletes never qualified. The lone other option for many, many years has been professional wrestling. Brock Lesnar, Kurt Angle and Bobby Lashley all found success in the WWE (formerly the WWF) and in Japan. The biggest draw back from pro wrestling is that it is fake (sorry if I burst your bubble). Don’t get me wrong, pro wrestlers are fantastic athletes and train and perform at a very high level, but many of these wrestlers found out that story lines and choreography didn’t offer the competition they were looking for. The recent explosion in MMA, mainly driven by the UFC and The Ultimate Fighter reality show, has finally given collegiate, Freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestlers an outlet to compete and perform

Since the inception of the UFC in 1993, former collegiate and amateur wrestlers have shared the spotlight with kick boxers, brawlers and Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioners. Mark Coleman, Randy Couture, Matt Hughes and Chuck Liddell are just a few of the legendary MMA fighters that have entered “The Octagon” after finishing their amateur wrestling career. With that in mind, here are my Top 5 MMA Fighters from the Arizona State Wrestling Program.

5.) Aaron Simpson  – Middleweightweight – 185lbs

Despite his recent loss to Chris Leben (which I thought was stopped too early by the referee), Simpson has an impressive 7-1 record (6 KOs) with wins over Ed Herman and Tom Lawlor. The former ASU wrestling coach has fought 4 times in the UFC and once in the WEC. A 3 year veteran, Simpson is still fairly new to the sport and very exciting to watch. Despite being 36 years old, watch for the A-Train to turn some heads as his career unfolds.

4.) Ryan Bader – Light-Heavyweight – 205lbs

 “Darth” Bader won 3 PAC-10 Titles and was twice named an All-American at ASU. The winner of Season 8 of The Ultimate Fighter, he sports a perfect 11-0 record with wins over Eric Schafer and Keith Jardine.  Like many former wrestlers in MMA, Ryan thrives in the striking game, rarely needing to rely on takedowns to earn a victory. No opponent or date has been set for his next fight, but he seems an obvious contender for the Light-Heavyweight Title. Look for him to fight a big name before the end of the year such as Rampage Jackson or Forrest Griffin.

3.) Cain Velasquez – Heavyweight – 265lbs

Fighting out of American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose, California, Cain sports a perfect 8-0 record with 7 KOs. The only opponent he didn’t KO was Cheick Kongo, winning by Unanimous Decision. He has knockout wins over Ben Rothwell, Jake O’Brien and MMA Legend Minotauro Nogueria. The 2-time All-American and 2-time PAC-10 Champion, Velasquez is a top contender in waiting, as he has been promised a shot at the Heavyweight Title against the winner of the Brock Lesnar vs Shane Carwin fight. At only 27 years old, and just 8 career fights, look for this slugger to be a dominant force in the UFC for many years to come.

 

 

2.) Dan Henderson – Middleweight/Light-Heavyweight – 185lbs/205lbs

Though he split his time between ASU and Cal State Fullerton, the 2 time Olympian (1992 & 1996) is also the only person in MMA history to hold titles in 2 weight classes at the same time (PRIDE Middleweight & Light Heavyweight). His 25-8 record contains a laundry list of wins over MMA superstars like Carlos Newton, Minotauro Nogueria, Vitor Belfort, Ninja Rua, Wanderlei Silva, Rich Franklin and Renzo Gracie. He has had multiple stints in the UFC and is now fighting for Strikeforce. Despite some tough losses in title matches over the last few years to Rampage Jackson, Anderson Silva and Jake Shields, “Hendo” is still considered one of the best fighters in the world in both weight classes. There is no indication who his next opponent will be under the Strikeforce brand.

1.) Dan Severn – Heavyweight – 265lbs

One of the original MMA trailblazers, Severn was a 4 time All-American at Arizona State. He has been enshrined in the ASU Sports Hall of Fame as well as the UFC Hall of Fame. “The Beast” holds an amazing 93-16 record with 7 draws. He  won 2 UFC Tournaments (while the promotion was in its infancy) and was twice a runner-up. The list of people he has beat includes: Ken Shamrock, Forrest Griffin and Tank Abbott. Perhaps more amazing is the list of fighters to beat him: Royce Gracie, Pedro Rizzo, Mark Coleman and Josh Barnett. Though he had a short-lived (and probably ill-advised) career as a professional wrestler, Severn has dedicated himself to teaching MMA (he mentored Rashad Evans, among others) and continues to fight, mainly in his own promotions and on a much smaller scale than the UFC.

Honorable Mention (in no particular order)

CB Dollaway – Middleweight – 185lbs

The Ultimate Fighter Season 7 Finalist is yet another All-American during his time at ASU. At 10-2, “The Doberman” is on a 2 fight win streak after experiencing mixed results at the start of his UFC career. He is still the only person to finish a fight with the “Peruvian Necktie” submission (over Jesse Taylor). Dollaway is still a young fighter and should prove to be a very good MMA fighter.

Townsend Saunders

This 2 time All-American at ASU and Olympic silver medalist only had 2 fights in the UFC (UFC 16 & 18), both losses by unanimous decision.

Eric Larkin – Featherweight – 145lbs

You might not have heard of Larkin, but you will. He was a 4 time All-American, 4 time PAC-10 Champion and won a National Championship as a senior in 2003 for Arizona State. Eric was also an assistant at ASU, coaching Bader, Dollaway and Velasquez. He has only recently begun his MMA career, but he is 2-0, finishing both opponents in about a minute each. He could be the next MMA star from ASU.