JuCo National Champion Looks To Win A D-1 Title Next | UFC Fight Pass

There are few wrestlers who can call themselves JuCo National champions and then make that transition to the D-1 level, but you can add the name Garrett Ricks to that exclusive list.

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The Wyoming Cowboy is looking to take the same route as former collegiate wrestling stars Daniel Cormier, Cain Velasquez and Rashad Evans who made their name on the junior college wrestling circuit before transferring successfully to the D-1 level.

In the 2022-2023 season, Ricks made the transition from JuCo to D-1 and got off to a, “little bit rough” of a start before closing out the season full of confidence and back in stride. While the format of JuCo wrestling to D-1 is virtually the same, one major difference is the level of competition that you’ll share the mat with day in and day out.

“Some weeks we could go to some tournaments and you might have one or two tough guys in your bracket, and then you might have 15 guys who are just good wrestlers, but not great,” Ricks said. “At the D-1 level, every single guy is like those three guys that you have in your JuCo bracket who are just studs.”

A majority of the battle in transitioning from JuCo to D-1, to no surprise, takes place on the mat, but a portion of the battle comes from within, battling the perceptions of “only” being a JuCo wrestler. Most are able to use it as a motivating chip on their shoulders, while others let it eat at them.

There are those who respect Ricks’ wrestling resume, but there are just as many that overlook him. What they’ll soon find out is that Ricks is not a wrestler you can underestimate on the mat. With victories such as a major decision over Kobe Nelms in a 11-1 landslide, as well as other strong performances, Ricks played a vital role in the Cowboys collecting 15 wins last season.

“I wrestled Brandon Courtney and had a close match with him,” Ricks said. “I’ve wrestled Brandon Kaylor and had a close match with him. I’ve had close matches with those guys, so I know I can compete with anyone.”

In his second year wrestling at the D-1 level, Ricks’ goals haven’t changed. He’s looking to build off his placement at the Big 12 tournament in order to complete the rare feat of nabbing a JuCo individual title as well as one at the D-1 level. (We’re looking at you, Brock Lesnar.)

Wrestling fans and fight fans alike may overlook JuCo wrestling altogether, but nobody in an MMA training camp ever scoffed at the wrestling acumen of Cormier, Velasquez or Evans heading into a training session.



The next step on the journey for dual titles comes at Wyoming’s Battle in the Barn dual against Campbell University, ONLY on UFC FIGHT PASS!



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