American Wrestlers Shun MMA as $200,000 Coaching Jobs Offer Safer Path
Updated
Updated · MMA Fighting · Jun 23
American Wrestlers Shun MMA as $200,000 Coaching Jobs Offer Safer Path
3 articles · Updated · MMA Fighting · Jun 23
Summary
Top American wrestlers are moving into MMA less often, with Daniel Cormier saying the talent pipeline that once fed the UFC has slowed sharply.
Cormier tied the drop mainly to money: regional training centers and college programs can pay about $200,000 a year, giving wrestlers a stable career without taking punches.
Alternative income has widened beyond coaching, with Real American Freestyle and other wrestling opportunities reducing the financial pressure that once pushed athletes toward cage fighting.
Only 1 of the 16 U.S. wrestlers who competed at the 2024 Paris Olympics — silver medalist Kennedy Blades — has shown serious interest in MMA, though Gable Steveson is set for a UFC debut in July.