Fresh off a summer during which it teetered on the brink of extinction, ASU wrestling has an announcement.
Yet another one of its athletes is making a successful transition to the Ultimate Fighting Championship, an extremely physical sport with a rapidly growing fan base.
Ryan Bader, the former two-time All-American for the Sun Devils in 2004 and 2006 is a participant in “The Ultimate Fighter 8,” a reality television show, which airs weekly on Spike TV Wednesday nights. Bader said he must remain mum on the results of the show in progress.
Bader’s emergence in the sport is not unprecedented. His former teammate C.B. Dollaway was a participant on the show last season, finishing as the runner-up before being called up by UFC talent evaluator Joe Silva.
“It was kind of crazy,” Dollaway said. “Kind of having a big let down [after finishing second], I got that call.”
He fought July 19 at the Palms hotel in Las Vegas against Jesse Taylor, winning in the first round. Dollaway forced his opponent into submission, using a move known as the Peruvian Necktie.
Two fights later, another former teammate of Bader, Cain Velasquez, entered the octagon against Jake O’Brien.
He exited with victory too. It earned Velasquez a 2-0 record and led many to call him “the next big thing” in the heavyweight division.
Not only did all three competitors wrestle at ASU, but they did so together, training and competing in the same events throughout their collegiate careers.
“Basically, we were just like a big family,” Bader said about his fellow teammates and their coach, Thom Ortiz. “I learned so much, not just about wrestling but [also] the mentality it took to compete.”
The transition into the UFC wasn’t easy and it certainly wasn’t immediate. Competing in Mixed Martial Arts takes supreme physical mastery combined with an acute understanding of various skills and moves.
Bader got tired of his standard 9-to-5 office job and began an exclusive workout regiment to prepare for the transition.
“I went through the process of getting on [the show], interviewing and all,” Bader said. “I was already in shape and ready to go. I had that wrestling experience from ASU. [But] you can’t just go in with [only] wrestling. If your skills aren’t up to par, then you have no business being in it.”
Bader, known to his UFC comrades as “Darth,” readily compares his new fighting discipline with that of his college days.
“The biggest difference is getting punched in the face,” Bader said. “My wrestling style was already in your face and I just transitioned. A lot of it’s mental. You have to be willing to do what it takes.”
Another example of contrast simply pertains to weight.
At ASU, Bader competed in the 197-pound weight class, while in MMA competition, he competes in the 205-pound weight class.
“Those eight pounds are big,” he said. “I walk around about 225, 230 pounds normally and go down from there.”
Wrestlers lose a great deal of their weight by shedding excess water. Eight extra pounds means Bader can focus on staying lean while staying hydrated.
The success of these three speaks volumes about Sun Devil wrestling. All three graduated in 2006, all held All-American honors, and all were coached by Ortiz.
“I believe it [ASU wrestling] gave me all the tools,” Velasquez said.
That, in part, explains why so many are thankful that wrestling was saved by private funding shortly after ASU decided to discontinue the sport in May. With the program staying afloat, the open track to transitioning into ultimate fighting remains open for others.
Bader and his teammates got their degrees too. They just decided to apply it in a different field than most.
Reach the reporter at joshua.spivack@asu.edu.
