Although a true mixed martial artists must draw from many disciplines, wrestling is arguably most important.
The pros to having a great wrestling pedigree are as numerous as there are fighters who stake the claim to being a great wrestler. For example, it allows a fighter to control where the fight goes and the manner in which their bouts are scored.
While some of the fighters on this list didn’t achieve greatness, all of them owe their individual level of success to their NCAA wrestling background.