Former NCAA wrestling standout Jordan Oliver credits UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier for "inspiring" him to transition to MMA

Jordan Oliver recently opened up about his upcoming MMA debut at Bellator 298 and credited UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier for being one of the wrestlers-turned-MMA fighters that inspired him.

While speaking to Vibe 105.5FM Toronto, the former two-time NCAA Div I National wrestling champion noted that he witnessed a number of decorated wrestlers' find success after making the transition to MMA. Jordan Oliver mentioned that Cormier, who is also a fellow Oklahoma State University alum, was one of the wrestlers who inspired him:

"Wrestling for Oklahoma State [OSU], getting to watch a guy named Daniel Cormier go through process when he was chasing Olympic titles at Oklahoma State and then made a transfer into MMA...You could say that was a big inspiration of mine." [0:48 - 1:06]

Elite college wresting champions have done very well in MMA, as it is regarded as one of the strongest bases to have in the sport. Jordan Oliver mentioned that he considered make the move to MMA in 2016, but still had Olympic aspirations and believes it was best that he waited, saying:

"It was something that I had interest in and was looking to make the transfer in 2016 but me knowing myself and the competitor I am, I invested so much into wrestling. One of my goals was to make an Olympic team...I couldn't leave the sport of wrestling until I completed some of my goals I wanted to be done in wrestling." [2:20 - 2:49]

It will be interesting to see how Jordan Oliver performs in his MMA debut at Bellator 298 as there will be plenty of interest, especially from the wrestling community.

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Did Jordan Oliver ever consider transitioning to pro wrestling?

Despite the impressive track record of former NCAA Div I National wrestling champions and Olympians having success in pro wrestling, Jordan Oliver didn't consider going in that direction.

During the affromentioned interview, the former collegiate wrestling standout noted that he was a WWE fan growing up and has interacted with stars like Kurt Angle and Brock Lesnar in the past. He mentioned his size was a factor in his decision to not pursue a career in pro wrestling, saying:

"After growing up and getting into wrestling and then seeing my future, my size. Now if I had a bigger frame, WWE would be no question, I would love to do stuff. But with my frame, I had to work with what's best for me and that followed me into wrestling and now into MMA." [14:00 - 14:24]