Olympic Fall: The IOC Takedown of Olympic Wrestling Could Stifle MMA’s Progression

By Raphael Garcia

Mixed martial artists are athletes that find a way to blend multiple fight styles together to create hybrid offensive and defensive techniques. In recent years, wrestling has been one of the most popular bases upon which to build a mixed martial arts career, but the oldest sport known to man has suffered a serious blow.

It was announced on Tuesday that the executive board of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has decided to remove wrestling from the 2020 Summer Olympic Games. This decision will affect hundreds of athletes; in the 2012 London Games, for instance, 344 athletes competed for the right to earn 11 medals.

What was perhaps most scathing aspect of the announcement was the section in the press release which explained why wrestling was removed from the Summer Olympics. Starting off with, “In an effort to ensure the Olympic Games remain relevant to sports fans of all generations, the Olympic Program Commission systematically reviews every sport following each edition of the Games,” the IOC’s statement makes it clear that it has concluded wrestling is no longer relevant to the sports world.
Reactions across the mixed martial arts world has been mixed. Some individuals have taken solace in the idea that this development will benefit mixed martial arts, because it will prompt more high-level collegiate wrestlers to step into the realm of fighting when their college careers are over. Yet that may not be entirely true.

Dedicating your life to a career in wrestling is tough for anyone. Many of the high-level wrestlers that we see compete in the NCAA ranks have been practicing wrestling longer than they have been able to properly form a sentence or ride a bike. When their wrestling careers are over, many would rather spend their time coaching the next generation of competitors, rather than step into a steel cage for combat. The Olympics gave them one last competition goal to chase after in their chosen sport. But now that the Olympics are gone, it is rash to say that high level wrestlers will naturally flock to mixed martial arts.
In fact, removing wrestling from the Olympics could potentially hurt MMA in the long term. Preparing for this competition gave athletes another dose of the kind of experience that would be valuable if and when they decided to move into the world of fighting. Athletes such as Ben Askren and Dan Henderson chased after gold medals, and that opportunity to perform on the world stage is valuable experience when moving into MMA. The lack of wrestlers with that experience could affect the level of athletes that make the transition from the amateur college ranks to professional MMA careers.

Compare this situation to that of the National Basketball Association before it instituted its minimum age policy. Though the policy was widely criticized, one of the reasons for it was the idea that the quality of professional basketball was being adversely affected by too many players without the experience and fundamentals that college basketball develops. Removing the Olympics could have a similar affect on mixed martial arts.

The professional fighting world responded quickly by instituting the #SaveOlympicWrestling hash tag throughout social media, but their efforts may fall on deaf ears. One open slot does remain for the 2020 Games, but the IOC rarely reinstitutes sports that were recently removed.

At a time when wrestling struggles to keep a position at the collegiate level, the blow of the IOC removing the sport from the Olympic Games has left a multitude of people stunned. Only in time will we know the full long-term ramifications for mixed martial arts, but it is a reach to say this is a good development.