Olympic gold medalist says he wants to fight in the UFC

If a pro wrestler couldn’t get the job done as a UFC fighter, maybe an Olympic gold medalist will fare differently if given the opportunity.

Twenty-year-old Ohio State University junior Kyle Snyder became the youngest American in history to win a wrestling gold medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics. Now the highly decorated wrestler has his eye on competing in the UFC and took to Twitter to make his intentions public.

He would later speak to Fox Sports and expand on the tweet.

“I want to fight,” Snyder said. “Basically what that tweet means. I love wrestling, I really do. I would want to continue wrestling but I want to do both at the same time. I want to pursue my wrestling career, wrestle in World Championships and the Olympic games, but if the scheduling could work out and I can become an elite fighter, then I want to fight in the UFC as well.”

If Snyder made the leap, he would be the most accomplished wrestler on the UFC’s roster. During his first three years of college, Snyder amassed a record of 179-0 and only gave up a single takedown.

In a past interview with FloSports, Snyder mentioned competing in five Olympic games, which would take him all the way to 2032 and the age of 36. It’s not known whether or not those intentions are still intact.

Either way, with fighters who possess a collegiate wrestling background becoming more and more successful in the UFC, the prospect of Snyder joining the mixed martial arts promotion would be huge. Not to mention his youth gives him a lot of time to join a gym and learn the nuances of MMA.

Snyder went on to say that he hopes to make the jump to MMA soon, but won’t do so until he feels he is 100 percent ready.