Bellator MMA continues to scoop up NCAA wrestling talent, adding three time D1 All American Jarod Trice to their roster. Trice signed an exclusive, multi-fight contract with the promotion as revealed earlier this week by FloCombat.
Said Bellator President Scott Coker regarding their signee, “I’ve always taken great pride in our ability to identify and build stars in this business, and I have great confidence that we’ve found a gem in Jarod Trice.”
Trice joins Aaron Pico, Ed Ruth and Tyrell Fortune as prospects in the Bellator stable with wrestling pedigrees. Current Bellator fighters Darrion Caldwell (6-0), and Bubba Jenkins (8-2), are also NCAA D1 All Americans, with whom Trice will be training.
Trice notched an 8th, 6th and 4th place finish while grappling for the Central Michigan Chippewas before graduating in 2013. Though he wrestled up at the 285 lb weight class, and affectionately rocks the nickname Dough Boy, Trice possesses the agility rarely seen in fighters of his stature.
You can see Trice pull off the ‘Flying Squirrel’ in the short clip below (Trice is in the gold and maroon singlet). This is not a move often executed by humans of Trice’s considerable heft.
Trice also has extensive experience in Olympic wrestling styles, and has been competing on the senior level since making the 2010 World University Team in Greco-Roman. Alternating between Greco and Freestyle, Trice participated in over a dozen international tournaments with limited success.
Though he never made it to the top of the USA ladder in either style, Trice did execute this stunning five point back arch suplex against world team member Dom Bradley, found in the clip below at the 5:35 mark.
Previously competing in weight classes in the 250 pound-and-over range, Trice cut down to 98 kilograms, or 216.1 pounds, for a tournament in November 2015, so he may be eyeing the 205 pound division for his MMA career.
Trice will be heading to Arizona to train and is looking to compete in his first Bellator match by the end of the year. “If you aren’t familiar with my name yet, you will be as soon as I get in that cage,” said Trice.
Welcome to MMA, Jarod, and good luck fighting!