Jordan Burroughs ravaged the hopes of wrestling and MMA enthusiasts worldwide with less than 140 characters Saturday evening.
After the Bellator 106 main event between Eddie Alvarez and Michael Chandler, Burroughs took to Twitter to comment on his future involvement in the sport of mixed martial arts:
Well, that’s straightforward.
Burroughs, the 2012 Olympic gold medalist in freestyle wrestling at 74 kilograms (approximately 163 pounds), was widely considered one of the most promising MMA prospects in the world, but that notion is officially dead.
While his world-class wrestling base would undoubtedly serve him well inside the cage, I personally respect this decision. It takes a certain kind of person to recognize the dangers of MMA and to cast aside a career despite the potential for great success. Burroughs realizes that the sport is not for him, and he made a wise and informed decision to not pursue a career as a mixed martial artist.
The 2008 class of Olympic wrestlers-turned-MMA fighters—Steve Mocco, Daniel Cormier, Henry Cejudo and Ben Askren—is 34-0 in professional action, and there is little doubt that a young, explosive wrestler like Burroughs could find similar success inside the cage.
That said, a phenomenal wrestling base does not guarantee perfection.
Bellator lightweight Bubba Jenkins, a former Division I All-American wrestler, is 4-1 against questionable opposition.
While his wrestling has looked fantastic, he has shown an inability to round out his overall game, a fact that haunted him in his last bout against Larue Burley. After dominating the fight with his grappling, Burley cranked the intensity late in Round 3 with his strikes, and Jenkins could not handle the onslaught due to his novice stand-up skills.
Would Burroughs face a similar fate inside the cage, or would he become a world champion within a few years?
If we can take his word on Twitter, that question will remain unanswered.
Like MMA, heavy metal or life’s absurdities? Follow me on Twitter: @HunterAHomistek
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