For Ohioan Tim Ruberg (8-0), wrestling was already in his blood when he began a lifelong commitment to the sport in high school. His father Mark, two cousins Jason and Jeff, and even his sister Shelly all experienced the “grind” on the mats. Tim took it a step further.
After a successful collegiate wrestling career at Johnson & Wales University, the 2005 NCAA Division III All-American made the transition to mixed martial arts, cruising through the amateur ranks with five wins in nine months.
When he “turned” pro last July, it wasn’t his first time at the rodeo. His first foray into the sport was back in June of ’04 at an event in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, giving him the itch for the sport before he exited college. Six years later, Ruberg stepped back into the cage as a pro, racking up seven straight wins in a little over ten months
There’s no secret to Ruberg’s style. Relentless pressure and endless conditioning supplement his established wrestling game, keeping opponents occupied on their backs while he maneuvers for position. Stiffer competition hasn’t fared well either, normally fading by the second round and suffering the same fate as lesser adversaries.
Ruberg’s stand-up game is his greatest weakness, and it’s the biggest reason he sits at #10 on this year’s countdown. He’ll need to hone those skills to round out his game, or else he’ll falter against the better wrestlers that await him in major promotions. Right now, Ruberg has proven he has the skills to succeed, and I’m optimistic that those skills will earn him a berth in a Bellator tournament.
Check out video footage of Tim Ruberg after the jump…
| Flyweight | Bantamweight | Featherweight | Lightweight |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 – #2 – #3 – #4 – #5 – #6 – #7 – #8 – #9 – #10 – |
#1 – Rony Mariano #2 – Aljamain Sterling #3 – Chris Holdsworth #4 – Josh Hill #5 – Fabiano Fernandes #6 – Claudio Ledesma #7 – Sirwan Kakai #8 – Kyoji Horiguchi #9 – Leandro Hygo #10 – Pedro Munhoz |
#1 – Hacran Dias #2 – Joey Gambino #3 – Brandon Bender #4 – Lance Palmer #5 – Jim Alers #6 – Anthony Gutierrez #7 – Max Holloway #8 – John Teixeira #9 – Cody Bollinger #10 – Bubba Jenkins |
#1 – Fabricio Guerreiro #2 – Alessandro Ferreira #3 – Adriano Martins #4 – Justin Salas #5 – Neilson Gomes #6 – Eduard Folayang #7 – Zorobabel Moreira #8 – Anton Kuivanen #9 – Jordan Rinaldi #10 – J.P. Vainikainen |
| Welterweight | Middleweight | Light Heavyweight | Heavyweight |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 – Andrey Koreshkov #2 – Dhiego Lima #3 – Brandon Thatch #4 – Nordine Taleb #5 – Hernani Perpetuo #6 – Brock Jardine #7 – Alan Jouban #8 – Mohsen Bahari #9 – Andre Santos #10 – Stephen Thompson |
#1 – #2 – #3 – #4 – #5 – #6 – #7 – #8 – #9 – #10 – Tim Ruberg |
#1 – #2 – #3 – #4 – #5 – #6 – #7 – #8 – #9 – #10 – |
#1 – #2 – #3 – #4 – #5 – #6 – #7 – #8 – #9 – #10 – |
Tim Ruberg interview
Tim Ruberg vs Marvin Aboeli
About the author
