Athletes
Tommy Gantt | Big League Ready
Recent DWCS Grad Talks Daniel Cormier’s Influence, Wrestling Mentality Ahead Of Debut
Two years, one month, and 11 days after making his professional MMA debut on a regional show in Greenville, South Carolina, Tommy Gantt will step into the UFC Octagon for the first time, facing off with Artur Minev in a lightweight matchup on Saturday’s return to the Meta APEX in Las Vegas.
It’s been an expeditious rise for the recent Dana White’s Contender Series grad, but he’s used that time to the best of his abilities, logging a dozen appearances and amassing 11 victories along with one no-contest along the way.
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“For me, I kind of got into the sport late because I wrestled so long, so I had to close that experience and skill gap with the guys that I’m fighting,” said Gantt, who wrestled at North Carolina State University. “When you get to the big leagues, every fight’s a tough fight, all of these guys are good, and you’ve got to be well-rounded and polished when you get to this level, and I feel like I’m there now.
“I wrestled for a long time, and now it’s ‘You gotta get used to checking kicks, you gotta get used to throwing your hands, you gotta get used to sparring, putting it together.’ I feel like I’ve done a good job of that since I got going.”
One of the things that has helped the 33-year-old newcomer narrow that gap quickly and reach in less than two years is the relationship he’s forged with former two-division UFC champion Daniel Cormier, who forged a similar path.
Folks forget that Cormier was 30 when he made his pro debut after representing the United States at the Olympic Games in 2004 and 2008, and now, he’s passing along the experience and wisdom he accrued during his Hall of Fame career to Gantt and everyone else training out of The Academy in his hometown of Gilroy, California.
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“He does a lot for us,” Gantt said. “It’s coaching, lifestyle, mentorship; any kind of support that we need. It’s been tremendous having him in my corner, not to mention the coaching is top-tier and phenomenal.”
The coaching may be phenomenal, but if anyone thinks the gregarious and playful Cormier they see on television each week, cutting it up on The Weigh-In Show or his various podcast ventures is the guy leading the charge in the room, the debuting NC State alum wants to make it clear that the camaraderie, joking, and friendship goes on pause the second you walk into the facility and practice begins.
“Bro, I can’t tell you how annoying it is sometimes, mentally,” Gantt said with a laugh. “We get home, and he’s all TG this and that, shooting the crap, chillin’, loungin’, playing golf; this and that. But then when we get into practice, immediate switch flip. It’s work, work, work.
“I was talking to one of my buddies, and he said, ‘You have a lot of good coaches that tell you positive things all the time,’ and I was like, ‘Bro, you’re talking to the wrong guy.’ When I’m training, when I’m in camp, I don’t have a good day if I’m listening to what I’m hearing. I’ve probably had two good days in training camp, and that’s a good thing because when I fight, it shows. Training should always be harder than a fight, but he’s crazy all the time. He’s just like, ‘More! More! More!’ constantly, and I’m redlining.”
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Gantt laughed again before adding how much he appreciates the push from “DC” and the rest of the coaches.
“Obviously, all of your coaches want you to get to championship-caliber, so there is always something to be done, and I don’t take offense to it. It’s like, ‘Man, who are these dudes? We were cool earlier before practice started.’”
Just as he’s had Cormier to lean on for guidance as he makes the later-than-usual transition from wrestling to MMA, Gantt has a wealth of experience of his own to rely on as he’s been forced to navigate a late opponent change heading into his debut this weekend.
Originally matched with veteran Trey Ogden, the newcomer learned last weekend that the Marathon MMA leader was forced to withdraw due to an injury and only learned he would be sharing the Octagon with Minev a few days later, leaving him little time to prepare for what the undefeated Ukrainian brings to the table.
But that’s basically how every wrestling tournament unfolds.
“I remember wrestling when I was younger — I grew up in Illinois, and everybody’s good; once you get to the State series, every is good,” Gantt said. “I remember being 12 and looking at the bracket, and I would be like, ‘I’m gonna wrestle him here,’ but then those guys would lose, get upset, and you’re like, ‘Who is this?’ and you’re wrestling a new guy all the time.
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“I think that and then going through the grind of wrestling in college, international wrestling, you don’t know, and everybody’s good, so it really doesn’t matter,” he added. “You’ve got to focus on you is the approach I have taken the entire time, and now with the opponent change.
“It doesn’t really change anything for me, man —I like to fight, I’m a fighter, and that’s what’s gonna happen Saturday, regardless of who the opponent is.”
DWCS Full Fight | Tommy Gantt vs Adam Livingston
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DWCS Full Fight | Tommy Gantt vs Adam Livingston
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And when he gets in there, there is only one thing he’s looking to do.
“I get tired of hearing people say, ‘Finish! Finish! Finish!’ all of the time,” Gantt said. “I’m more into breaking a guy’s will.
“Whoever is standing across from me, I want to take their soul from them. I want to take their will and break him mentally; that’s the only way I’m satisfied as a competitor, so that’s my goal is to take his will to compete from him.”
If that happens, Gantt knows it’s going to feel amazing, but he also knows what will be waiting for him as soon as he gets back to the locker room.
“Once we’re done, it’s right back with the hard coaching,” he said, laughing. “‘We gotta work on this, this, and this,’ and I’ll be like, ‘Alright, I guess I’ll see you Monday then.’
“It’s right back to work.”
UFC Fight Night: Allen vs Costa took place live from Meta APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 16, 2026. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!
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