Bellator on Wednesday puts wrestling center-stage
In September, the International Olympic Committee will decide if wrestling should remain one of the sports that are a part of the 2020 Olympics. The sport was left off a list of core sports in February, and is competing against squash and softball/baseball for the final spot. Considering wrestling's importance to MMA, the two sports' leaders have teamed up to save the sport's Olympic spot.
It started with the UFC teaming up with the Committee to Preserve Wrestling. Now, Bellator is airing this PSA during Wednesday night's card which is filled with wrestlers.
Two-time NCAA Division I champion Ben Askren wrestled for the U.S. for the 2008 Olympics, and will fight Andrey Koreshkov. Mo Lawal was on the U.S. world team in 2005 and was a Division I All-American. He has a fight with Jacob Noe in the Bellator light heavyweight tournament. The card is headlined by Michael Chandler's championship fight with David Rickels. Chandler was an All-American at Missouri.
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