Jordan Burroughs is one of the most accomplished and greatest wrestlers of all time.
He’s an Olympic gold medalist in freestyle wrestling, a four-time world champion in freestyle wrestling as well as a two-time NCAA Division I champion.
Not to mention, he did this to Ben Askren just in 2019.
He's a GOAT for a reason.
Jordan Burroughs leaves no doubt over Ben Askren. pic.twitter.com/OK7Bif5rip
— FloWrestling (@FloWrestling) May 7, 2019
Surely a transition to MMA would be a matter of time, especially with UFC president Dana White showing an interest in the American?
It’s quite the opposite, actually.
Burroughs: I Think About Head Trauma All The Time
While Burroughs has thought about making the move to MMA, his wife Lauren talking him out of it in addition to seeing the damage some fighters have absorbed has changed his mind.
“I really thought about it,” Burroughs said in a recent appearance on Joe Rogan’s podcast. “Okay, I’ll wrestle in the Olympics in London 2012, win the gold, and then I’m going to make the transition to MMA. I’ll be 25 years old, I’ll have plenty of time and then I met Lauren.
“She’s like, ‘Listen, you’re doing well in the sport. Stay here, you’re comfortable.’ It’s just a different sport. MMA compared to wrestling but it’s a good thing.”
Rogan would then add that there’s a lot of head trauma involved in MMA which is something Burroughs revealed he thought about a lot as well.
“100 percent. That’s what I think about all the time. I think about going into MMA until I see a guy like Platinum Mike Perry get his whole thing split, nose crooked,” Burroughs added. “I’m like, eh, I’m good. In wrestling, you lose, you get taken down, pushed out, you get pinned. In fighting, you lose, you get something broken, choked out, tapped, unconscious.
“It’s a very different sport. In wrestling, you score as many points as possible doing the least damage possible. In MMA, I feel it’s different.”
Burroughs certainly makes a good point and if he’s doing well enough for himself with wrestling, there is no need for him to make the move to MMA.
It doesn’t mean it’s still not a missed opportunity, however.
