Dan Gable: MMA and wrestling should work together more

Luke Thomas caught with Dan Gable recently at the 'Grapple in the Big Apple' wrestling exhibition in Times Square to talk about the Olympics, but also wrestling's ever-changing relationship with mixed martial arts.

Gable about whether MMA gives back to wrestling as much as it takes, his thoughts on Olympian Steve Mocco entering MMA, the prospects for gold at the 2012 Olympics for the U.S. men's freestyle team and much more.

Link for the Video & article below

http://www.mixedmartialarts.com/news...together-more/

I think MMA has/will give back to wrestling in this way: At least in California, high school wrestling has been dominated by kids in the central valley (bakersfield + fresno areas) where kids can go to off-season camps from an early age. Kids in the big cities have traditionally been years behind their peers by the time they compete in high school. I think the popularity of MMA has/will steer kids in metropolitan areas to grappling arts like judo + BJJ at an earlier age. Once those kids get to high school and see that they can use a lot of the skills that they've already learned from judo or bjj to wrestle for their schools, they'll be able to make easier transitions and increase the talent pool of the sport (I mean, could u imagine basketball w/out inner city youths in the talent pool?). We adults in BJJ schools see this in reverse all the time when a guy who wrestled in HS or college shows up and picks up the game wayyyyyy faster than guys w/ no grappling experience at all.

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Originally Posted by RayLie

I think MMA has/will give back to wrestling in this way: At least in California, high school wrestling has been dominated by kids in the central valley (bakersfield + fresno areas) where kids can go to off-season camps from an early age. Kids in the big cities have traditionally been years behind their peers by the time they compete in high school. I think the popularity of MMA has/will steer kids in metropolitan areas to grappling arts like judo + BJJ at an earlier age. Once those kids get to high school and see that they can use a lot of the skills that they've already learned from judo or bjj to wrestle for their schools, they'll be able to make easier transitions and increase the talent pool of the sport (I mean, could u imagine basketball w/out inner city youths in the talent pool?). We adults in BJJ schools see this in reverse all the time when a guy who wrestled in HS or college shows up and picks up the game wayyyyyy faster than guys w/ no grappling experience at all.

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Completely agree.

What a fascinating person

MMA has lead to an increase in wrestling at the grass roots level, but that hasn't helped the wrestling college programs under threat or wrestlers staying on for Olympic cycles in Freestyle. There's a fear wrestlers will drop out of the Olympic cycle because of MMA. It'd be like black belts dropping out of the Mundials or ADCC, as well as various other tournaments, and head straight to MMA.

Guys like Daniel Cormier and Mo Lawal were at the end of their wrestling careers which had included international competition.

Wrestling as a response to MMA has had to introduce the Living The Dream medal fund, which promises $250k to Olympic Gold medalists, and other cash prizes for other medals at the Olympic and World level.

So yes, MMA and especially the UFC could do with giving a bit more back to wrestling.

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Originally Posted by KJ Gould

MMA has lead to an increase in wrestling at the grass roots level, but that hasn't helped the wrestling college programs under threat or wrestlers staying on for Olympic cycles in Freestyle. There's a fear wrestlers will drop out of the Olympic cycle because of MMA. It'd be like black belts dropping out of the Mundials or ADCC, as well as various other tournaments, and head straight to MMA.

Guys like Daniel Cormier and Mo Lawal were at the end of their wrestling careers which had included international competition.

Wrestling as a response to MMA has had to introduce the Living The Dream medal fund, which promises $250k to Olympic Gold medalists, and other cash prizes for other medals at the Olympic and World level.

So yes, MMA and especially the UFC could do with giving a bit more back to wrestling.

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Wow I didnt know that. 250K is a pretty good incentive to shoot for that gold medal. Obviously easier said than done but to make 250K in MMA you would have to fight a whole lot

I would say that MMA has/will help wrestlers/wrestling IMO. Guys like me for example that wrestled and now have a job teaching wrestling/JJ/MMA. I don't think it is not as black and white but it is definitely helped and will continue to help the athletes and community. The problem is wrestling will probably never be a main stream as football, soccer, baseball etc. It take a certain type of individual to be able to stick it out in wrestling or MMA for that matter. But the bi-product is more people wrestling since there can be a future after wrestling. Since the spots on the Oly teams are so limited I think more high level guys venture over to MMA since there is another ave. to make a living or after the Oly dreams fade away. I have two active big ten college wrestlers in the gym for the summer that both have plans to fight at some point after their wrestling careers are over. So I think it is giving back just not as black and white as a fat check to the booster association.