Wyatt Hendrickson recently pulled off one of the most unexpected wins in NCAA history with his come-from-behind takedown victory over Gable Steveson. Riding high off this win, Hendrickson believes he might give MMA a try.
“That was the best thing ever,” Hendrickson said Wednesday on Uncrowned’s The Ariel Helwani Show. “There was no better commentary than that right there. I’ve been telling people what he said—that whole moment and that video—I will never forget that. [Cormier] is just losing his mind. It is amazing. I rewatch it—every single time, I’m not kidding, I still get goosebumps. I’ve seen that probably hundreds and hundreds of times, but it just brings back that emotion and feeling of what it was like in the moment of that match.
“I’m definitely going to have that feeling with me for the rest of my life, and of course, hearing [Cormier’s] voice just screaming.”
The 24-year-old fighter impressed many at the NCAA championship, including former President Donald Trump, who was in attendance. His victory went viral on social media, making him an overnight sensation in the wrestling world.
His newfound fame has led to appearances on various shows and podcasts, including The Ariel Helwani Show. On the show, Hendrickson spoke about his rise to fame as well as his win over Steveson. He was asked if he would ever consider transitioning to MMA, as many wrestlers before him have done–inclduing his opponent Gable Steveson who plans on moving to MMA. The fighter revealed that although he is a fan of the sport, he’s not sure he’s in love with the idea of getting hit in the face. For now, he plans to join the Air Force, but he might reconsider trainsitioning to MMA if he finds a way to keep himself safe in the cage.
“I think there’s a lot of exciting stuff that could possibly happen,” Hendrickson said when asked about moving to the UFC or WWE. “As a member of the United States Air Force, I will actually be able to go back. I plan on serving another five years after my wrestling career… [But] I love MMA. I love everything about it. But one thing—I love punching people in the face. But obviously, getting punched in the face sucks. Getting hit in the head isn’t great. I do have a little bit of history with some concussions, so there could be some caution there.”
Hendrickson’s coach, David Taylor, believes the fighter is better suited for WWE. However, Hendrickson prefers the idea of an MMA career over professional wrestling.
He continued, “But I really think I need to get some gloves on and see how it feels. Obviously, it’s no joke. MMA is no joke. Getting punched by someone who knows how to punch, getting knocked out—that’s not super fun. As long as I can do what I want to do safely, I’m going to do what I can. I’ve done a little bit [of MMA training]… but my main goal right now is wrestling. I’m putting all my effort and time into that. I’ve messed around a little bit, but haven’t taken it too seriously.”
