The Panthers (2-1) easily shut out both VMI, 47-0, and Morgan State, 54-0, to start out, but would fall to Navy 21-12 in their final duel of the day. The 54-0 victory over Morgan State, who just restarted their program after a 25-year absence, is one of the largest in program history.

Pitt redshirt senior Colton Camacho (2-3) initially took the lead against Navy first-year Evan Tallmadge, 2-1, with a reversal in the third period. Tallmadge would respond with a takedown and then held Camacho off for last second takedown to win an 8-3 decision at 125 pounds.

Panthers No. 10 redshirt first-year Vinnie Santaniello (5-2) battled with No. 17 sophomore Brendan Ferretti of the Midshipmen at 133 pounds. Ferretti made a takedown in the third period, which Santaniello couldn’t battle back from, losing a close 3-2 decision.

Pitt wrestling veteran No. 7 redshirt senior Cole Matthews (2-1) used two escapes to counter Navy No. 23 junior Josh Koderhandt to tie it up at 2-2 at 141 pounds. Despite it looking like the match would go to sudden victory, Koderhandt made a takedown on Matthews with less than five seconds remaining to earn a 5-3 decision.

The Panthers got their first win of the duel, with NC State transfer and No. 24 redshirt sophomore Finn Solomon (8-1) defeating first-year Nicholas Vafiadis 4-1 in sudden victory on a takedown at 149 pounds.

Navy would return the favor in sudden victory, as first-year Jonathan Ley won on a takedown in sudden victory, 4-1 over Pitt redshirt first-year Jared Keslar (5-3) at 157 pounds.

Pitt No. 11 redshirt senior Holden Heller (3-0) used three takedowns en route to a convincing 10-4 decision over Navy first-year Charlie Evans at 165 pounds. No. 22 redshirt sophomore Luca Augustine (3-0) continued the wins for Pitt wrestling with a 9-7 decision, thanks to two takedowns and a reversal, over Navy  No. 30 first-year Danny Wask at 174 pounds.

The Panthers comeback in the duel ended when Midshipmen No. 18 senior David Key pinned No. 13 redshirt senior Reece Heller (7-1) at the 2:47 mark in the first period at 184 pounds, to take an 18-9 lead.

No. 16 redshirt first-year Mac Stout (8-0) continues his great season for Pitt after winning the Clarion Open last Sunday by defeating Navy junior Cael Crebs in a 4-1 decision off of a second period takedown at 197 pounds.

The Panthers finished the duel with No. 9 redshirt first-year Dayton Pitzer (2-1) losing on a late third period takedown to Midshipmen No. 13 senior Grady Greiss on 4-1 decision at 285 pounds.

Pitt wrestling will face in-state rival No. 20 Lehigh next Sunday on the road at 2 p.m. in their next duel.

No. 16 Pitt 47, VMI 0

125: Colton Camacho (Pitt) pins Tony Burke (VMI), 2:06 (Pitt leads, 6-0)
133: No. 10 Vinnie Santaniello (Pitt) maj. dec. Dyson Dunham (VMI), 11-2 (Pitt leads, 10-0)
141: No. 7 Cole Matthews (Pitt) maj. dec. Patrick Jordon (VMI), 14-3 (Pitt leads, 14-0)
149: No. 24 Finn Solomon (Pitt) maj. dec. Ryan Vigil (VMI), 12-3 (Pitt leads, 18-0)
157: Jared Keslar (Pitt) tech fall Josh Yost (VMI), 18-3 (7:00) (Pitt leads, 23-0)
165: No. 11 Holden Heller (Pitt) maj. dec. Luke Hart (VMI), 11-1 (Pitt leads, 27-0)
174: No. 22 Luca Augustine (Pitt) dec. Braxton Lewis (VMI), 4-2 (Pitt leads, 30-0)
184: No. 13 Reece Heller (Pitt) tech fall Toby Schoffstall (VMI), 19-1 (3:50) (Pitt leads, 35-0)
197: No. 16 Mac Stout (Pitt) pins Isaac Dolph (VMI), 1:19 (Pitt leads, 41-0)
285: No. 9 Dayton Pitzer (Pitt) injury default Tyler Mousaw (VMI), 1:30 (Pitt wins, 47-0)

No. 16 Pitt 54, Morgan State 0

125: Colton Camacho (Pitt) tech fall Julian Dawson (MSU), (Pitt leads, 5-0)
133: No. 10 Vinnie Santaniello (Pitt) pins Shawn Ryncarz (MSU), 2:20 (Pitt leads, 11-0)
141: No. 7 Cole Matthews (Pitt) tech fall Khalid Brinkley (MSU), 19-4 (Pitt leads, 16-0)
149: No. 24 Finn Solomon (Pitt) pins Aaron Turner (MSU), 5:15 (Pitt leads, 22-0)
157: Jared Keslar (Pitt) pins EJ Tecson (MSU), 1:40 (Pitt leads, 28-0)
165: No. 11 Holden Heller (Pitt) dec. Jacob Marsh (MSU), 14-8 (Pitt leads, 31-0)
174: No. 22 Luca Augustine (Pitt) pins Cortilius Vann (MSU), 4:16 (Pitt leads, 37-0)
184: No. 13 Reece Heller (Pitt) tech fall Kingsley Menifee (MSU), 17-1 (2:47) (Pitt leads, 42-0)
197: No. 16 Mac Stout (Pitt) pins Nathanic Kendricks (MSU), 1:37 (Pitt leads, 48-0)
285: No. 9 Dayton Pitzer (Pitt) wins by forfeit (Pitt wins, 54-0)

The post Pitt Wrestling Wins 2 out of 3 at Navy Duels appeared first on Pittsburgh Sports Now.

No. 14 Redshirt senior Reece Heller won his first Clarion Open at 184 pounds, while No. 16 redshirt first-year Mac Stout defended his title at 197 pounds.

Heller pinned Michigan State’s Misha Lomboy in the round of 32, defeated Edinburg’s Eli Makel 20-4 in a technical fall in the round of 16, won on medical forfeit against Clarions Patrick Cutchember in the quarterfinals. He would then pin Columbia’s Aaron Ayzerov at 1:12 in the semifinals and win his title with a 19-3 technical fall victory over Clarion’s Cam Pine.

Stout would pin Ohio State’s Mike Misita in the round of 32, and then defeat two Michigan State wrestlers, with an 8-2 decision in the round of 16 over Kael Wisler and an 11-2 major decision against Remy Cotton in the quarterfinals. Stout stayed strong defensively the rest of the way, earning a 5-2 decision over Columbia’s Jack Wehmeyer in the semifinals and a 3-0 decision over Michael Dellagatta in the final.

No. 32 redshirt first-year Vinnie Santaniello earned a second place finish for his efforts at 133 pounds. He won a 6-2 decision over Kent State’s Pablo Castro in the round of 16, a 3-1 decision over Tyler Ferrara in the quarterfinals and then upset No. 8 Nic Bouzakis of Ohio State in an 11-4 decision in the semifinals. He would lose to one of the best high school wrestlers in the country in Bo Bassett in a close 13-10 decision in the final.

NC State transfer and Franklin Regional Alum Finn Solomon also had a great day for Pitt wrestling, finishing in second place at 149 pounds.

He pinned Columbia’s Matt Arciuolo in the round of 64, and earned decisions of 6-3 over Brown’s Ethan Mojena in the round of 32, 6-5 against Ty Wilson in the round of 16 and 7-4 vs. Buffalo’s Kaleb Burgess in the quarterfinals. 

Solomon won a close 6-5 decision over No. 26 Dylan Chappell of Bucknell, wrestling unattached, in the semifinals, but lost in a major decision, 12-4, to No. 5 Dylan D’Emilio of Ohio State in the final.

Redshirt first-year Briar Priest and Anthony Santaniello, brother of Vinnie Santaniello, both finished in third and fourth place, respectively, at 141 pounds.

Priest earned a 12-6 decision over Edinboro’s Anthony Ferraro in the round of 64, won an 18-1 technical fall over Clarion’s Jack Martinec in the round of 32 and then two decisions, 6-5 against Columbia’s Mason Clarke in the round of 16 and 2-0 over Purdue’s Michael Leveille in the quarterfinals. He did lose in a 14-3 major decision to Ohio State’s Brandon Cannon in the semifinals.

Anthony Santaniello dominated his first three matches, winning in a 16-1 technical fall against Navy’s Chase Caprella in the Round of 32, a 19-7 major decision against Gardner-Webb’s Dominic Dutillio and then another technical fall, 15-0, over Buffalo’s Andy Lucinski. He would suffer a technical fall loss, 20-5, to No. 5 Jesse Mendez of Ohio State in the semifinal, before medically forfeiting the third place match to Priest.

No. 30 redshirt first-year Jared Keslar had a solid day himself, earning a fourth place finish at 157 pounds.

He won a technical fall, 20-4, against Pitt-Johnstown’s Gavyn Beck, wrestling unattached, in the round of 32, won a 16-7  major decision over Tyler Brignola in the round of 16 and then a 4-2 decision over Purdue’s Joey Blaze in the quarterfinals. He lost a 2-0 decision to Seneca Valley alum and Clarion’s Alejandro Herrara-Rondon in the semifinal and then a 4-1 sudden victory defeat in the third place match to Bucknell’s Cade Wirnsberger.

Redshirt first-year Jack Pletcher was the other Panther to earn a placement, finishing in sixth place at 149 pounds.

He majored Pitt-Johnstown’s Chad Jesko, wrestling unattached, 22-9 in the round of 32, but suffered a pin against Gardner-Webb’s Zach Price in the round of 16.

He then moved through the consolations, winning three straight decisions, 8-3 against Purdue’s Jaden Reynolds, 10-5 Michigan State’s Clayton Jones and 2-1 over Burgess. He won a no contest against Navy’s Kaemen Smith, before falling to another Navy wrestler in Nick Vafiadis in a 4-1 sudden victory decision in the fifth place match.

Pitt wrestling will compete in dual action for the first time in the 2023-24 season next Sunday, where they” compete in the Navy Duels, taking on Navy, Morgan State and VMI all day.

Full list of Pitt wrestlers that competed at the Clarion Open. 

The post Pitt Wrestling Sees Two First Place Finishes at Clarion Open appeared first on Pittsburgh Sports Now.

So excited to announce my commitment to the University of Pittsburgh. Thank you to God, my parents, and all of my coaches who have helped me to get to where I am today. Can't wait for the future.
Hail to Pitt! pic.twitter.com/XWXXdKR2Co

— Jack Tongel (@jack_tongel) October 21, 2023

The post Pitt Wrestling Adds Plum Recruit to Class of 2024 appeared first on Pittsburgh Sports Now.

The Panthers landed two new commitments in the Class of 2025 in the past two days. This includes WPIAL recruit in Thomas Jefferson High School Bode Marlow and Carson Walsh of Pope John XXIII Regional in Sparta Township, N.J.

Barlow committed to Pitt wrestling last Friday on Instagram and is the first member of the Class of 2025 from the WPIAL.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Bode Marlow (@bode_marlow_12)

Marlow finished 38-9 as a sophomore in 2022-23, with 25 pins to his name, at 152 pounds. He managed to make it to the states at the PIAA 3A Championships for the first-time last season and will look to build on his performance the next two seasons. He also wrestled at 132 pounds as a freshman the season prior, finishing 35-11 and earning 17 pins.

He joins Joseph Simon of Waynesburg, who wrestles at 141 pounds, as two WPIAL wrestlers who are coming to Pitt in the coming years. Marlow also took a visit to Pitt wrestling in September prior to committing. 

The Panthers have a tradition of recruiting locally, with 16 wrestlers on this season’s roster from around the area. This includes Colton Camacho and Finn Solomon (Franklin Regional), Mac Stout (Mt. Lebanon), Dayton Pitzer (Mt. Pleasant), Luca Augustine (Waynesburg) and more.

Walsh committed to Pitt last Thursday, the day before Marlow, announcing it on his Instagram.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by @carson_walsh06

Walsh had a great 2022-23 season as a sophomore, going 37-4 at 126 pounds. He came into the NJSIAA State Championships No. 1 in his weight class and made it to the Semifinals. He also wrestled at 113 pounds as a freshman, making it to the semifinals, before finishing in sixth place.

With Pitt getting their first National Champion under Gavin in Nino Bonaccorsi at 197 pounds last season, expect more recruits across the country to take notice in the program and want to bring their talents there as well.

The post Pitt Wrestling Adds Two Commitments in Class of 2025 appeared first on Pittsburgh Sports Now.

The Panthers finished 10-4 overall in 2022-23, along with a 4-1 ACC record to earn a share of the conference regular season title for the first time under head coach Keith Gavin. Nino Bonaccorsi also finished undefeated at 197 pounds, winning the National Title in Tulsa, Okla., the first Panther to do so since Gavin in 2008.

Pitt wrestling will host their annual Blue-Gold scrimmage duel on Monday, Oct. 30 at the Fitzgerald Field House. They will compete in the Clarion Open for the third straight season in Clarion, Pa. on Sunday, Nov. 5 for their first competitive duals of the season.

The Navy Duals occur the following weekend, where Pitt will take on wrestlers from Navy, Morgan State and VMI in Annapolis, Md. on Sunday, Nov. 12.

Road trips to in-state Lehigh in Bethlehem on Sunday, Nov. 19 and then Maryland on Monday, Nov. 20 should be great duel matches to take in. Last season, Pitt defeated Lehigh, but lost to Maryland in the home opener.

Big Ten opponent Illinois on Friday, Dec. 8 serves as the home opener for Pitt, who they defeated 30-6 last season in Urbana-Champaign, Ill. They will also travel to take on Ohio State in Columbus on Sunday, Dec. 10, the first matchup between the two programs since 2021, which Pitt lost 30-7.

Pitt will then compete in the prestigious National Collegiate Duals in Nashville, Tenn. from Dec. 18-19. They have guaranteed matchups against Little Rock, Iowa State and Cornell, with Ohio State, NC State, Lock Haven and Northern Iowa in the other group, also looking to win the duals as well.

The Franklin & Marshall Open on Friday, Jan. 5 in Lancaster, Pa. will serve as the first competition back after the Christmas break for Pitt.

They will face two Big 12 opponents the next weekend in Oklahoma State at home on Friday, Jan. 12 and then a trip to Iowa State on Sunday, Jan. 14. Pitt lost to Iowa State at home last season on criteria and lost their last dual against Oklahoma State in 2020.

Pitt will take on Arizona State in an exciting matchup  on Sunday, Jan. 21 and will face Rider for their last non-conference dual of the season on Thursday, Feb. 22, both at home.

The ACC will provide great duals for Pitt once again, as they look to win the conference outright. NC State comes to town on Friday, Jan. 26 before Pitt travels to take on Duke on Friday, Feb. 2 and North Carolina on Friday, Feb. 9. Pitt will finish their conference duals at home with Virginia Tech on Friday, Feb. 16 and Virginia on Friday, Feb. 23.

Pitt wrestling features a great squad this season as well, with nine wrestlers placed in the preseason Intermat rankings and two in the top 10. 

The post Pitt Wrestling Releases Exciting 2023-24 Schedule appeared first on Pittsburgh Sports Now.

The Panthers finished with an overall record of 10-4, and 4-1 in the ACC, earring a share of the conference title last season. Six wrestlers made it to the NCAA Championships, where Nino Bonaccorsi finished with a perfect season, winning the National Title at 197 pounds. Head coach Keith Gavin heads into his seventh season at the helm, with the promise of more National Champions in the future.

Redshirt senior Colton Camacho comes in at No. 32 in the first Intermat rankings at 125 pounds. Camacho finished 18-9 overall, 3-2 in ACC duels and third at the ACC Championships. With only two automatic qualifiers at his weight class, Camacho did not make it to the NCAA Championships, but he’ll have a great chance this season to do so.

No. 4 Eddie Ventresca of Virginia Tech and No. 12 Jakob Camacho, no relation, of NC State, rank higher than Camacho at 125 pounds. ‘

Redshirt first-year Vinnie Santaniello comes into his first season wrestling for Pitt at 133 pounds and Intermat thought highly enough of him to place him at No. 33. Santaniello also has a brother on the team, Anthony Santaniello, who decommitted from Oklahoma and joined Pitt in the spring.

Santaniello didn’t wrestle at all last season and has some great competition in the conference with No. 4 Sam Latona of Virginia Tech and reigning ACC Champion No. 5 Kai Orine of NC State, who he’ll take on this season.

Redshirt senior Cole Matthews starts his final season as a Panther at No. 8 at 141 pounds. Matthews only had one loss in the regular season last year, but had a disappointing NCAA Championships, going 2-2 and failing to place. He is one of the best wrestlers in the country, particularly when it comes to his defense, but if he wants to finish out on top, he’ll need to become a better attacker.

No. 4 Lachlan McNeil of North Carolina, who Matthews defeated in a 3-2 decision, No. 10 Ryan Jack of NC State, who Matthews defeated twice in the regular season and the ACC Title match, as well as No. 23 Jack Gioffre of Virginia round out the 141 pound weight class for the conference.

Redshirt first-year Jared Keslar comes into his first full season at 157 pounds at No. 28. Keslar finished with an 11-4 overall record and 1-2 record for Pitt in 2022-23, wrestling twice in big time duel matches against then No. 1 Austin O’Connor of UNC, who finished undefeated and won the National Title, and then No. 27 Jacob Kraiser of Iowa State in back-to-back days.

He’ll have some great competition in his weight class, with No. 5 Ed Scott of NC State and No. 6 Bryce Andonian of Virginia Tech to take on in ACC play.

Redshirt senior Holden Heller comes in at No. 13 at 165 pounds after a solid first season at Pitt in 2022-23, finishing 16-8 overall, 5-0 in the ACC duels and an appearance at the NCAA Championships. This season will serve as his sixth collegiately and one last chance to have a great finish. He is the highest ranked ACC wrestler in his class, with No. 18 Connor Brady of Virginia Tech, who Holden Heller defeated in a 2-0 decision, and No. 25 Nick Hamilton of Virginia joining him.

Redshirt sophomore Luca Augustine made his first appearance at the NCAA Championships in his first full season competing with the program in 2022-23. He finished 15-11 and third at the ACC Championships and has established himself in the starting lineup for the next three seasons, coming in at No. 24 at 174 pounds.

He’ll have some of the best wrestlers in the country to compete against in his weight class in the ACC. This includes No. 3 Mekhi Lewis of Virginia Tech, No. 9 Justin McCoy of Virginia and No. 22 Alex Faison of NC State.

Redshirt senior Reece Heller, brother of Holden Heller, received a No. 12 ranking from Intermat in the 184-pound weight class. He made it to the NCAA Championships for the first time last season and finished with a 19-10 record. Reece Heller will face No. 8 Gavin Kane of UNC, who he lost to last season, along with No. 23 Sam Fisher of Virginia Tech, No. 28 Dylan Fishback of Virginia Tech and No. 29 Hadyn Danals of Virginia in ACC duels.

Redshirt first-year Mac Stout starts the 2023-24 season as the No. 18 wrestler at 197 pounds. He’ll have a big task taking over Bonaccorsi’s weight class and also living up to his brother, Kellen Stout, who had great success at Pitt from 2017-20. Stout finished with a 8-4 overall record and 4-2 for Pitt last season.

He’ll have to face off against No. 5 Trent Hidlay of NC State, No. 16 Andy Smith of Virginia Tech and No. 19 Max Shaw of North Carolina in conference competition.

Fan favorite in redshirt first-year Dayton Pitzer is the No. 9 ranked Intermat wrestler in the heavyweight class. Pitzer had a great run at the Midlands Championships last season, finishing as runner-up, while seeing action in some ACC matchups before Gavin redshirted him.

Pitzer has a chance to be a National Title contender every season his entire career, especially with a year of experience and a 7-3 record. He’ll take on No. 8 Owen Trephan of NC State, who Pitzer lost to 3-1 in sudden victory, and No. 16 Hunter Catka of Virginia Tech, who Pitzer defeated in a 5-3 decision, in the ACC duels this season.

No schedule is out for Pitt wrestling yet, but they are set to face NC State, Virginia Tech and Virginia at home and North Carolina and Duke on the road for ACC duels. They also will compete in the Collegiate Duels in Nashville, Tenn. from Dec. 18-19 that features some great opponents.

The post Intermat Ranks Nine Pitt Wrestlers Ahead of 2023-24 Season appeared first on Pittsburgh Sports Now.

A Pitt Great Always in Our Corner

HIRED » Jake Wentzel » Assistant Coach

» 2021 NCAA Finalist
» Two-Time All-American
» Three-Time ACC Champion
» ACC Scholar Athlete of the Year

But now… just call him Coach #H2P » #PINZBURGH pic.twitter.com/4nCAkO0Z4V

— Pitt Wrestling (@Pitt_WRES) August 8, 2023

The NCAA changed a rule allowing for volunteer assistant coaches to become full-time coaches, something that head coach Keith Gavin took full advantage of as he makes Wentzel his third assistant coach. Wentzel joins other assistant coaches Drew Headlee and Luke Pletcher on the Pitt wrestling coaching staff.

Wentzel wrestled for Pitt from 2016-22 and finished with a storied career. He won the ACC and qualified for the NCAA Championships from 2020-22 at 165 pounds. His best season came at the 2021 NCAA Championships, where he made it to the final match, but lost to No. 8 Shane Griffith of Stanford in a 6-2 decision.

He also excelled in the classroom, finishing on the All-ACC Academic Team four times and earned ACC Wrestling Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors in 2021. Wentzel also received NWCA Scholar All-American honors from 2020-22 and NWCA All-American honors in 2020.

With this new position, Wentzel will have the opportunity to recruit, expand his role within the program and improve as a coach going forward.

“I’m very thankful for this opportunity,” Wentzel said in a press release. “I’ve enjoyed training with the guys and being in their corner, and now I get to recruit, which will make my job a lot more fun. I know what it’s like to be a top local wrestler deciding where to go to college, so I can share my experience with guys in that position now and explain to them why Pitt is a place where you can be successful and win big.”

The post Pitt Wrestling Promotes Alum Jake Wentzel to Assistant Coach appeared first on Pittsburgh Sports Now.

Magin faced off against undefeated Ohio fighter Nick Nash in the Advanced Amateur Light Heavyweight Title, featuring three rounds that were three minutes long.

He came out with intention early in the first round, picking Nash up, slamming him on to the ground and staying on top of him. Nash would respond, trying to drive Magin into the cage and preventing him from delivering any shots. The two delivered a few shots towards the end of the round to make things a little more interesting.

Magin and Nash thew punches at each other to start off the second round. Nash looked like he’d delivered a few good shots, but Magin stood strong and drove him to the ground. Nash would get up and hold Magin against the cage, but didn’t get many good shots in on Magin. The two again delivered some punches at the end of the round before the bell rang.

Nash once again held Magin up against the cage for a good portion of the initial part of the third round. Magin continued to defend shots, but found himself underneath Nash and in need of a good move to salvage the match.

With Nash’s arm around his neck, Magin got out of it and then on top of Nash. Magin then held Nash’s head in a chokehold and prevented Nash from landing any shots to finish off the match.

The first and third judges scored the match 29-28 in favor of Magin and the second judge scored it 29-28 in favor of Nash, giving Magin the Advanced Amateur Light Heavyweight Title.

Pitt wrestler Geoff Magin wins a split decision to take home the @247Fighting Advanced Amateur Light Heavyweight Title over Nick Nash pic.twitter.com/Q4jGvYCpem

— Dominic Campbell (@DOMISMONEY) July 16, 2023

“It was a good fight, he was a lot tougher than I expected,” Magin said post fight.”I was definitely more skilled than him, but he had a toughness that brought the best out of me. I was really impressed by how he kept pushing forward even though he was getting hit a lot. I took him down early in the first round, he kept pushing forward. I was really impressed with that, but overall, skill wise, I was leaps and bounds ahead of him.”

Magin said that he felt most comfortable throughout the fight when it came to striking. He said that Nash “couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn” and that he didn’t suffer many blows throughout the bout. Magin spent a good amount of time with Nash holding him against the cage, but he said that he didn’t suffer much damage.

Nash didn’t present himself as a great wrestler, which worked well for Magin in the fight. Magin has not only been training MMA, but also working throughout the summer with Pitt wrestling to improve his game and defeat opponents who might not be as strong in that area.

“Defense wins fights,” Magin said. “I was working on my counters a lot off of open space or in the pocket, whatever. I wanted to be more technically sound in those areas. I felt like for everything that he had, I had an answer for, especially on the feet. I felt I couldn’t get hit and I hit him at will. My jab was pumping. I was hitting a lot of blitzes on him and he was just eating them.”

Magin is now 3-1 in his amateur MMA career and 2-0 this calendar year. He will wrestle for one more season and then go pro next spring. He said post match that he’ll try to compete in Legacy Fighting Alliance (LFA) or Cagebound Fighting Championship (CFC) and then eventually, end up in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).

“I don’t care at all about the belts,” Magin said. “Especially at amateur it doesn’t mean anything. Next steps moving forward are turning pro in the spring after this wrestling season and I’m really looking forward to competing and being able to support myself with the sport I love.”

Lledo had somewhat of a less eventful fight than Magin. He easily took down his opponent, Manuel Bell, winning his fight in just 29 seconds on arm triangle.

James Lledo wins his fight in an Anaconda arm triangle just 30 seconds into the first round of his fight against Manuel Bell. Stays undefeated and is 3-0 in his career pic.twitter.com/JZdvfwEHCG

— Dominic Campbell (@DOMISMONEY) July 16, 2023

“I definitely wanted to stand up more and get some more strikes, but that takedown was there and I had to get it,” Lledo said. “We drill that arm triangle a lot. It just came naturally. Nothing to be upset about. I’m really happy.”

Lledo, now 3-0, has completed his novice fights and is moving on to the advanced stage. The novice fights include three rounds lasting two minutes and have restrictions on ground-and-pound fighting. Moving on to the next level of fighting, Lledo is ready to take on more challenging fighters and take his game to the next level.

“It’s a great feeling, but I’m ready to move on and take these shinguards off and beat someone’s face in on the ground,” Lledo said.

Both fighters will try to schedule one more fight before the Pitt wrestling season gets underway, which starts in the fall.

The post Pitt Wrestling Duo, Geoff Magin and James Lledo, Victorious at Brawl in the Burgh 17 appeared first on Pittsburgh Sports Now.

MMA stands for mixed martial arts and includes different modes of fighting, but the basics include grappling, striking and ground fighting. The sport takes different techniques from a variety of combat sports from across the globe, including boxing, wrestling, kickboxing, ji-jitsu, karate, judo and more. The most popular MMA fights take place in the UFC, where the fighters compete against each other in the “cage” or also known as the “octagon.”

Magin is from Sewickley, Pa. a suburb of Pittsburgh, 12 miles northwest of the city. He wrestled at nearby Quaker Valley High School, finishing with a record of 88-29 over three seasons and also played lacrosse.

He then wrestled at Franklin & Marshall, normally a Division III school for most of their athletics programs, but Division I in wrestling. After one season there in 2019-20, COVID-19 disrupted the 2020-21 season, making it harder for Magin to train and forcing classes online only.

Faced with the prospect of a lack of a serious school environment and less time to train, Magin chose to leave Franklin & Marshall and focus on training for MMA, giving him the chance to compete in something.

Magin fought in three fights, which occurred from November 2020 to May 2021. He won his first two fights, but lost his last one in a unanimous decision to CJ LaFragola.

LaFragola outwreslted Magin in that fight, which forced Magin to realize that he needed to work on his wrestling.

Wrestling under Stout PGH, he spoke to Mike Wilkins, his MMA instructor at the gym, about getting back into the sport. Wilkins got him in touch with Pitt assistant coach Drew Headlee. Eventually, Magin found his way back into a Division I wrestling room and has spent the last two seasons working on his craft.

Magin faced a long period of two years between his most recent fight and the one prior. He didn’t fight in 2022 because he tore his ACL, forcing him to miss competition for an extended period of time.

Despite not having the chance to fight, he didn’t waste any time trying to get back into shape. He lifted upper body twice a day to improve his strength, never missed a single session of rehab and did two to three sessions per day of it last summer.

He spent the last wrestling season with some great wrestlers in the upper weights. Nino Bonaccorsi finished with a National Title and an undefeated season at 197 pounds, the first for the program since head coach Keith Gavin did it at 174 pounds in 2008. Mac Stout and Dayton Pitzer are also set to start for the Panthers at 197 pounds and 285 pounds, respectively. Stout finished as a freestyle All-American at the USA U-20 level and Stout had a ranking as high as No. 5 in the country as a heavyweight last season.

“I mean they’re awesome,” Magin said. “They’re all really, really talented…They’re all really, really solid and they push me every day…you can’t help but get better when you’re with guys like that all the time…nothing really compares to a Division I wrestling room. You can’t replicate that intensity anywhere. So, just having that as preparation has been a huge help. “

Magin finally made his way back to the octagon in May this year. He faced off against Chase Stafford at New Line Cagefighting 16 in Bridgeport, W.V. on May 13. He easily took down his opponent, using great wrestling technique to get on top of Stafford. He delivered blows to Stafford’s head and won the fight in the First Round, as the referee chose to stop it.

While Magin had fun getting back to competing, it took him a while just to get a fight. After recovering from his ACL, he tried to get an agreement with another fighter, but 14 potential opponents said no or backed out of the fight.

“I think it’s, especially at the amateur level, not everyone has a good wrestling background and they come into the sport late,” Magin said. “I think they wanted a matchup that was going to be winnable, honestly.”

Throughout the summer, Magin has been practicing around the clock to stay in shape and ready for his next challenge. He has two practices a day with Pitt wrestling and then goes to the Stout PGH gym in the Strip District at night to train MMA.

He also competed at the USA Wrestling National U-23 trials in June, competing against the best wrestlers in the country. He wrestled in six matches and finished in fifth place.

“I really enjoyed competing, so it was good to have another competition to look forward to immediately after that first fight,” Magin said. 

Magin is also close with fellow Pitt wrestler and Stout PGH fighter James Lledo. The redshirt sophomore is also fighting this Saturday, taking on Manuel Bell in his third amateur MMA fight. 

“James is one of my best friends, outside of that stuff,” Magin said. “He’s a super talented wrestler. Really good upper body. He can pin anybody. He’s had a lot of great wins in wrestling and beat a lot of tough ranked guys. He brings a certain feel that a lot of guys don’t have, even at the Division I level. So, working with him has been great because he brings it every time, he trains all the time, never wants to miss a session and he really pushes me.”

The rest of the Pitt wrestling coaching staff have been incredibly supportive of Magin and Lledo as they compete as amateur MMA fights. Magin is especially fond of Gavin, who has imbued great words of wisdom when it comes to wrestling and competition in general. He also spends time working on jiu-jitsu with volunteer assistant coach Jake Wentzel, who wrestled at Pitt himself.

“They really let us go with this MMA stuff,” Magin said. “They love it. I think they enjoy that we’re trying to compete at something and do well in the offseason. They’ve been great about letting us fight.”

Heading into this fight on Saturday, Magin said that his strength is in his striking ability. He combines his striking ability with his wrestling to be as lethal of a fighter that he can be. He is excited about the prospect of fighting a great opponent in Nash and is confident he can come out with the victory.

“I’m not underestimating my opponent at all,” Magin said. “I’m ready to bring a 100% of what I have into this fight. I haven’t been training anything specifically for him because I think I’m better than him in every area. I’m just focusing on being best that I can be and then going for the finish and wherever it goes.”

The post Pitt Wrestler Geoff Magin Takes on Top Ohio Amateur MMA Prospect Nick Nash appeared first on Pittsburgh Sports Now.

MMA stands for mixed martial arts and includes different modes of fighting, but the basics include grappling, striking and ground fighting. The sport takes different techniques from a variety of combat sports from across the globe, including boxing, wrestling, kickboxing, ji-jitsu, karate, judo and more. The most popular MMA fights take place in the UFC, where the fighters compete against each other in the “cage” or also known as the “octagon.”

Lledo will take on Manuel Bell in a middleweight bout at Brawl in the Burgh 17 this Saturday, July 15 at Monroeville Convention Center.

He is currently undefeated in his short career with just two fights so far. He won a catchweight bout against Derrick Brown III by armbar in the second round in his first match in July 2022 at Brawl in the Burgh 12. He then won a unanimous decision Ken Burrs in his last match on April 15 at Brawl in the Burgh 16.

With the summer in full swing, Lledo has spent every day preparing for his fight this weekend. This occurs at Stout PGH, the gym he fights under, with its training facility located in the Strip District neighborhood in Pittsburgh. At Stout, he works with Will Morrill, who coaches him on kickboxing and Mike Wilkins who coaches him on different forms of MMA.

Much of the work that he has undertaken is focusing on how to improve from his last fight. While he had a dominant performance that led him to the victory, the he also took some shots from Burrs that easily could’ve knocked him out.

“I gotta move my head,” Lledo said on how he’s improving from his last fight. “Well, I definitely saw what I was made of. I think I trust in that, but more from a technical standpoint, I got to be more safe and not leave myself so open and be sharper.”

Lledo has worked with fellow Pitt wrestling rising redshirt junior Geoff Magin throughout their time at Stout PGH. The two will fight on the same day for the first time this Saturday, as Magin (3-1) takes on undefeated Nick Nash (5-0) in a light heavyweight bout.

“Well, it’s huge,” Lledo said on him and Magin fighting at the same competition. “We’ve both been wanting this since we started training together. It’s a really cool milestone for us to fight on the same night.”

Brawl in the Burgh 17 will also serve as the first time that he has fought at a different location than his first two fights, which took place at Hollywood Casino at the Meadows in Washington, Pa. Lledo doesn’t mind where the fight is as he’s excited for his upcoming match, although he does prefer fighting at a casino.

Bell, his opponent, arrives to this fight with an 0-1 record and hasn’t fought since June 2012, where he lost to Jay Redick in a unanimous decision at XFE 16 in Chester, Pa.

“Not really,” Lledo said about his knowledge of Bell. “I don’t know much. It doesn’t really matter. I just know if I’m at my best, then I’ll be fine.”

Lledo plans to bring a big support group with him to the fight on Saturday, consisting of his family, friends and fellow Pitt wrestlers. He hopes to try and fight once more before the wrestling season gets underway, but for now, he’s just focused on the fight at hand.

“It feels great,” Lledo said. “I’m just excited for another opportunity to compete and get out there because this is what I love to do and I’m going to show how much I love it.”

The post Pitt Wrestler James Lledo Prepares for Third Amateur MMA Fight at Brawl in the Burgh 17 appeared first on Pittsburgh Sports Now.

SOLOMON SIGNS @Finn_Solomon

Franklin Regional's finest is home!

» 2021 PA state champion
» 3x PIAA finalist
» 142 wins for the FR Panthers
» 16-3 redshirt season#H2P » #PINZBURGH pic.twitter.com/3YapAkcbhK

— Pitt Wrestling (@Pitt_WRES) June 7, 2023

Solomon starred at Franklin Regional, accruing 142 wins to just 20 losses. He won the PIAA AAA Title at 138 pounds as a junior in 2021, finished as runner-up at 145 pounds as a senior in 2022 and at 113 pounds as a freshman in 2019 and sectional champ as as a sophomore in 2020.

He wrestled at NC State last season, going 16-3 in his sole season with the program, sustaining a redshirt. He announced his commitment to the Pitt last Wednesday, May 31, and now has signed with the program, making his transfer official.

Solomon will arrive at Pitt with four years left of eligibility. He wrestled at 141 pounds and 149 pounds with the Wolfpack last season and could slide into either weight class in the future.

Redshirt senior Cole Matthews is in his final season of eligibility for Pitt next season at 141 pounds and redshirt junior Tyler Badgett finished with 16-12 record at 149 pounds last season. There is also the potential for him to wrestle at 157 pounds, as starter Dazjon Casto graduated, leaving the starting spot open to compete for heading into next season.

Solomon has four years of eligibility remaining and will immediately be available to wrestle for Pitt. He is the second wrestler to join the program this offseason from another school, with Oklahoma decommit Anthony Santaniello joining Pitt in late May. 

The post Pitt Brings Home NC State Transfer and Franklin Regional Alum Finn Solomon appeared first on Pittsburgh Sports Now.

This is the fifth Hall of Fame Class, which Pitt started in 2018 and has done every year, excluding 2020 during COVID-19. The Class features four football players in wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, defensive lineman Chris Doleman, quarterback Matt Cavanaugh and offensive lineman Ruben Brown. It also features Clive Vaughn of men’s basketball, Keith Gavin of wrestling, Maureen McCandless of women’s track and field/cross country, Allison Williams-Murphy of women’s track and field, swimming and diving head coach Richard Bradshaw, Suzanne Pulley-Klacik of women’s swimming, baseball head coach Bobby Lewis, and men’s soccer student-athlete and head coach Joe Luxbacher.

Pitt will induct the 2023 Hall of Fame Class at the Petersen Events Center on Friday, Sept. 22 at a reception and dinner, with individual tickets at $150 and a table at $1,250. Pitt will then honor the inductees at Acrisure Stadium when Pitt football takes on North Carolina on Saturday, Sept. 23.

Fitzgerald is one of the best wide receivers in Pitt history and had a stellar career. He starred in 20o3, where he made 92 receptions, third most in school history for a single season, had 1,672 receiving yards and 22 receiving yards, both most in Pitt history for a single season and best in the country. He won the Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s best wide receiver, the Walter Camp Award, earned unanimous All-American honors and, surprisingly, finished runner-up in the Heisman Trophy voting. He holds the record for most receiving touchdowns in a Pitt career with 34 and is also No. 5 and No. 6 in Pitt history with 161 career receptions and 2,677 career receiving yards.

Fitzgerald played all 17 years in the NFL with the Arizona Cardinals, making 1,432 receptions and accruing 17,432 receiving yards, both second most in NFL history, and grabbing 121 receiving touchdowns, sixth most in NFL history.

Doleman started all four seasons at Pitt from 1981-84 and is No. 8 in program history with 25.0 career sacks. He played 15 seasons in the NFL, nine with the Minnesota Vikings, three with the San Francisco 49ers and two with the Atlanta Falcons. He made 150.5 career sacks, which is No. 5 all-time in NFL history, while also earning First-Team All-Pro three times, Second-Team All-Pro twice and making eight Pro Bowls. He made it into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2012. Doleman died after a battle with brain cancer in January 2020 at 58 years old.

Cavanaugh served as signal caller for the Panthers from 1974-77, leading them to a Sugar Bowl win over Georgia in 1976 to win the National Title. He played for 13 seasons in the NFL, winning two Super Bowl rings as a member of the 49ers in 1984-85 and the New York Giants in 1990-91. Cavanaugh also served as a coach around the NFL for 21 seasons and also six seasons at Pitt, where he served as tight ends coach in the 1992-93 seasons under Johnny Majors and offensive coordinator from 2005-08 under Dave Wannstedt.

Brown started as an offensive tackle for Pitt from 1991-94, earning All-Big East honors three times. He played guard in the NFL, with the Buffalo Bills from 1995-2003 and the Chicago Bears from 2004-07. He earned Second-Team All-Pro honors four times and made nine Pro Bowls over his career.

Vaughn is one of the best players in Pitt history and played a large role in bringing the program into the lauded Big East conference. He led Pitt to their first two tournament titles in program history with the 1981 and 1982 Eastern 8 Tournament Champions. Vaughn increased his scoring output when Pitt joined the Big East in 1983, averaging 21 points per game in his final two seasons. He is Pitt’s second all-time scorer with 2,033 points and only 12 points off the legendary Charles Smith at 2,045. Standing at 6-foot-5, Vaughn not only led Pitt in points his final three seasons, but rebounds as well.

Gavin finished with a 130-27 career record as a Panther, with a 55-4 record his final two seasons. He finished the 2007-08 season undefeated, winning all 33 matches en route to a National Title at 174 pounds. He earned All-American honors twice, won the Eastern Wrestling League title at 174 pounds twice, and earned EWL Wrestler of the Year honors twice as well. Gavin wrestled for the U.S. National Team for six years, winning the National Championship in 2013 and 2014 and placing third at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials. He is currently head coach of Pitt and coached Nino Bonaccorsi to an undefeated record and a National Title at 197 pounds last season.

McCandless is one of the best distance runners in Pitt history. She led Pitt to three Big East titles, 2005 indoor and outdoor and 2006 outdoor, while also winning two individual Big East championships in the indoor 3,000 and 5,000 meters events. McCandless also won the 2004 NCAA Mid-Atlantic Region cross country championship and earned  NCAA Division I Cross Country Mid-Atlantic Region Athlete of the Year honors.

Williams-Murphy had a great career as a hurdler for the Panthers from 1989-94. She won seven Big East titles, with four indoor 55-meter titles, outdoor 100-meters twice and also as a member of the 1,600 meter relay team. Williams-Murphy also earned All-American honors three times, twice in the 100-meter hurdles and once as a member of the 1,600 meter relay team. Her performances helped the Panthers win three Big East outdoor team championships.

Bradshaw joined Pitt as an assistant coach in 1969 and would serve as head coach for different periods for both the men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams. He coached the men’s team from 1971-78 and 1987-90 and the women’s team from, 1975-81. Bradshaw accrued a record of 76-24 with the men’s team and 46-8 with the women’s team. He won the Big East title with the men’s team the three seasons from 1987-90 and helped to develop 13 All-Americans and five Olympians.

Pulley-Klacik earned All-American honors six times as a Panther, three times in the 400 relay, and then once in the 800 free relay, 2oo medley relay and the 200 free relay. She also won the Eastern Championship in the 100 relay in 1979 and earned All-East honors from 1979-81.

Lewis served as Pitt baseball head coach for 36 seasons from 1955-90, compiling a record of 438-389. He also played centerfield for Pitt in the late 1940s and early 1950s, captaining the team in 1951. He is a posthumous inductee, as he died from cancer in 1995.

Luxbacher played from 1970-73 and served as the Pitt men’s soccer head coach for 32 seasons from 1984-2015. He holds the Pitt record for most goals scored in a game with seven against Edinboro in 1971, points in a game with 15, career goals with 37 and is tied for most career points with 84. He has a program-record 224 wins as head coach and earned Big East Coach of the Year honors twice.

The post Pitt Unveils 2023 Hall of Fame Class appeared first on Pittsburgh Sports Now.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Anthony Santaniello (@anthony18santa)

Santaniello wrestled for Brick Memorial High school in Brick Township, N.J. where he saw great success. He accrued an overall record of 138-3 in his career, including a 40-0 record last season.

He finished  state-runner up at 106 pounds in 2020 and 132 pounds in 2022, while winning New Jersey State (NJSIAA) titles at 120 pounds in 2021, and 132 pounds in 2023.

Santaniello originally committed and signed his National Letter of Intent to wrestle for Oklahoma. Former Oklahoma head coach Lou Rosselli resigned from his position on April 5 and Santaniello asked for his release from the program.

The school eventually signed a new head coach in Roger Kish, but it took time for them to grant Santaniello his release. Once they did, he soon committed to Pitt.

Santaniello joins his brother Vincent, who redshirted last season, at Pitt, making them the second brother duo on the team. Holden and Reece Heller both started for Pitt at 165 pounds and 184 pounds, respectively, and made the NCAA Championships in March.

The post Pitt Signs Former Oklahoma Recruit Anthony Santaniello appeared first on Pittsburgh Sports Now.

Lledo came into this fight having competed in just one prior, which he won against Derrick Brown II last July on an armbar decision 28 seconds into the second round. He took on Ken Burrs in a middleweight fight on Saturday, with both fighters coming in at around 185 pounds.

Both fighters had their undefeated status on the line and fought throughout the three periods with that in mind. Lledo quickly used his strengths as a wrestler to pick Burrs up and put him down early in the first round. He got some punches in before Burrs rose up to his feet and kneed him a few times.

Lledo countered with a great takedown, throwing Burrs from the side and holding him down for the rest of the round, while also landing some punches on top.

Burrs punched Lledo right in the face to start the second round, sending him to the back to the floor. Lledo managed to rise up and again countered the punches, by using his wrestling skills to keep Burrs at bay.

He chose to switch up his plans and landed some punches directly in Burrs’ face, before once again taking a punch to the face himself that sent him down to one knee. Lledo kept fighting and dragged Burrs to the floor. He stayed on top of Burrs the rest of the round.

Lledo said after the fight that he had to stay on his feet throughout the second round, despite taking punches right in the face, because the ref told him that he would stop the fight.

Both fighters launched punches at each other to begin the third round, with few making great contact. Burrs, a former wrestler at Waynesburg, tried to get Lledo on the ground and initially succeeded before Lledo got back up. Lledo then grabbed Burrs’ left leg and put him on his back for the remainder of the period.

Lledo won the fight against Burrs as all three judges ruled in his favor for a unanimous decision. Lledo screamed when they announced his victory and joined in celebration with his family, friends and Pitt wrestlers who came to support him.

Pitt wrestler James Lledo uses a strong third period and wins his fight against Ken Burrs to improve to 2-0 in his amateur MMA career, just 10 days after his mother passed away pic.twitter.com/GZ9PC90WIq

— Dominic Campbell (@DOMISMONEY) April 16, 2023

“It was just a war,” Lledo said on his fight. “I told myself to win every position and I told myself I knew I was going tired. That’s how every competition goes. You’re going to be tired, but you still have to be willing to win every position.”

The past few weeks for Lledo proved incredibly difficult outside of fighting. He had to return home to Lower Merion, Pa., a suburb outside of Philadelphia and to be with his family the past two and half weeks prior to the fight.

The reason he went home was to be with his mother before she died just 10 days before his fight. While no one would’ve said anything to Lledo for backing out of the fight, he never once thought about doing so.

“That’s one of the worst things that can happen to someone, and I lost my best friend,” Lledo said about his mother. “I could use it as an excuse or motivation and regardless of my feelings, she wouldn’t have wanted me to stop chasing my dreams. So, I’m going to keep doing that because I know that’s what she would’ve wanted.”

Tapology has increased Lledo’s ranking as a fighter on Tuesday, as he is now the No. 19 amateur middleweight in Pennsylvania and the No. 43 amateur middleweight in the US Northeast.

Lledo said that he’ll keep fighting this summer and will work to improve on his all-around skills. He also said that despite feeling tired, he loved the fight and is ready for more.

“I definitely needed to get that one out of my system,” Lledo said. “Just cause it’s been such a hard time leading up. I’m back and I’m gonna keep going. Just try and get at least three [fights] in before September. I’m going to keep improving and keep getting better and keep doing what’s been working for me.”

The post Pitt Wrestler James Lledo Wins Second Amateur MMA Fight To Stay Undefeated appeared first on Pittsburgh Sports Now.

He now readies himself to get back into fighting and is preparing for an amateur MMA match this Saturday night, April 15, at the Brawl in the Burgh 16 at Hollywood Casino at The Meadows in Washington, Pa.

MMA stands for mixed martial arts and includes different modes of fighting, but the basics include grappling, striking and ground fighting. The sport takes different techniques from a variety of combat sports from across the globe, including boxing, wrestling, kickboxing, ji-jitsu, karate, judo and more. The most popular MMA fights take place in the UFC, where the fighters compete against each other in the “cage” or also known as the “octagon.”

Lledo competed in his first MMA fight back in July 2022 at the Brawl in the Burgh 12. He dominated Derrick Brown II throughout the match and won by submission (armbar) in just Round 2.

“The feeling of winning a fight it’s a lot different than winning a wrestling match,” Lledo said. “It’s like winning a wrestling match on steroids.”

There is nine months separating the first time Lledo won that MMA fight to him fighting again on Saturday. Lledo spent the time between wrestling for Pitt, training with some of the best wrestlers in the country. This includes National Champion Nino Bonaccorsi at 197 pounds, and redshirt seniors in Micky Phillippi at 133 pounds and Cole Matthews at 141 pounds.

“It’s such a high level of competition in that room that you’re always thrown into the sharks,” Lledo said on Pitt wrestling. “Everyone’s so good and everyone in there’s a killer. You’re going to get better at wrestling if you just stick with it, because everyone’s so competitive in there. They’re all great teammates. Everyone wants to see each other get better and it’s nice to have that environment.”

Lledo worked with fellow redshirt sophomore Geoff Magin for his mixed martial arts training. He and Magin both fight under Stout PGH, with its training facility located in the Strip District neighborhood in Pittsburgh. At Stout, Lledo works with Will Morrill, who coaches him on kickboxing and Mike Wilkins who coaches him on different forms of MMA.

The two wrestlers worked on their various fighting skills, tactics and techniques two to three times a week and then would spar on Saturdays.

“Whenever we’re not wrestling, we’re looking something up that we can drill the next day,” Lledo said on his partnership with Magin. “Whether it’s jiu-jitsu or striking. He’s been huge. He’s been a great partner and a great teammate to me.”

Lledo continues to work on his wrestling, his strength, almost every day regardless of whether he’s in season or not.

While continuing to work on his fighting, Lledo received news that required him to go home about two and half weeks ago to be with his family. He went to Algeo MMA Kickboxing in King of Prussia, Pa., near his family, to train daily to stay in shape ahead of his fight. Much of his work during this time focused on striking, which is using different forms of attack to take down your opponent, like Muay Thai, boxing and kick boxing.

Wrestling serves as an important base or starting point for Lledo, but it isn’t enough for him to become successful as an MMA fighter. He has improved greatly on his jiu-jitsu transitions and standups when he’s on the ground, as well as his submission and finishing skills.

Lledo did not start last year at 184 pounds for Pitt, as Hofstra transfer redshirt junior Reece Heller assumed that starting role. He finished with a 13-5 record and earned ACC Wrestler of the week in late November for winning the Mat Town Open Trophy with a perfect 4-0 record.

“It was still good, and I got a lot better,” Lledo said on his 2022-23 season. “Not getting the results I wanted, it lit a fire under me to keep working and not give up. I told my coaches at the end of the season, “I know I’m a junior, but I’m not throwing in the towel yet and I’m still going to keep working hard.” Just keep improving. So, nothing’s changed. I just didn’t get the results I wanted.”

Bonaccorsi finished his Pitt career with the National Championship and now there is an opening at 197 pounds. Lledo has wrestled at 197 pounds before but isn’t interested in that spot next season. He said that first-year Mac Stout will become the starter for the 2023-24 season.

“In all seriousness, Mac Stout would beat the shit out of me,” Lledo said. “He’s next in line.”

Lledo comes up against Ken Burrs, who also has a 1-0 record, is 5-foot-9 and is 28 years old. Burrs won a unanimous decision against Jayson Mulnix at Brawl in the Burgh 14 in October 2022.

Burrs previously wrestled at Waynesburg and will provide a great challenge for Lledo. Much of Lledo’s family and friends will be in to watch his fight on Saturday, providing crucial support for him in his fight. He is extremely excited to fight Burrs and is ready for the challenge.

“I know that he’s a strong wrestler, but I think my wrestling is pretty good” Lledo said. “Neutralize his [attack] and get mine going. I said this last fight, do whatever I want to do. When I’m in there, you’ll see.”

The post Pitt Wrestler James Lledo Readies for Second Amateur MMA Fight at the Brawl in the Burgh Saturday Night appeared first on Pittsburgh Sports Now.