Jarod Trice, a three-time NCAA All-American wrestler, has signed a multi-fight deal with Bellator MMA.
Trice, 27 years old, won a national title at 120kg and two Greco-Roman national titles. He joins a list of fighters that includes Aaron Pico, Ed Ruth and Tyrell Fortune on the Bellator roster.
“Following in the footsteps of guys like Ruth and Fortune to Bellator MMA was a no brainer for me,” Trice said. “Scott Coker is a promoter that treats the fighters with so much respect, and dealing with him and his team through this signing process has been amazing. I’m really looking forward to fighting for Coker, the Bellator promotion, and for every wrestling and MMA fan out there before 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.”
Trice competed for Central Michigan University at both 120kg and 98kg, but light heavyweight will be his home for MMA. Along with wrestling training sessions at Iowa State University under former UFC fighter Kevin Jackson and at the U.S. Olympic Training Center, Trice has worked out alongside Bellator fighters Bubba Jenkins and Darrion Caldwell in Arizona.
“We’re excited to be adding yet another world-class wrestling talent to our ever-growing roster of fighters here at Bellator,” Coker said. “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.”
