Iowa Hawkeyes
Oklahoma State Cowboys
The Oklahoma State Cowboys and Cowgirls are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Oklahoma State University, located in Stillwater. The program's mascot is a cowboy named Pistol Pete. Oklahoma State participates at the National Col ...
Steve Mocco (born December 28, 1981) is an American former
amateur wrestler,
judoka and
mixed martial artist
Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorpo ...
. As a
collegiate wrestler, he was a two-time
NCAA national champion, four-time finalist, and was awarded the
Dan Hodge Trophy
The Dan Hodge Trophy is awarded each year to the United States of America’s best college wrestler. The trophy is presented at the end of the season by W.I.N. Magazine (''Wrestling Insider Newsmagazine'') and Culture House. It is the collegiate w ...
. In
freestyle, he represented the
US at the
Olympics and was a three-time
Pan American Champion. As an
MMA
Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on strike (attack), striking, grappling and ground f ...
fighter, he most notably competed at the
WSOF. He is currently a coach at both
combat sports
A combat sport, or fighting sport, is a competitive contact sport that usually involves one-on-one combat. In many combat sports, a contestant wins by scoring more points than the opponent, submitting the opponent with a hold, disabling the opp ...
, being one of the main coaches at MMA powerhouse
American Top Team
American Top Team (ATT) is one of the primary teams in mixed martial arts. The gym was founded by Dan Lambert, who brought in former members of Brazilian Top Team Marcus "Conan" Silveira, Marcelo Silveira and Ricardo Liborio, but there is no fo ...
and an assistant wrestling coach at
Lehigh University
Lehigh University (LU) is a private research university in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania. The university was established in 1865 by businessman Asa Packer and was originally affiliated with the Epi ...
.
Wrestling
High school
As a
high schooler, Mocco was one of the most dominant heavyweights in recent history. In
folkstyle
Collegiate wrestling (also known as folkstyle wrestling) is the form of wrestling practiced at the college and university level in the United States. This style of wrestling, with some slight modifications, is also practiced at high school and mi ...
, he won four
NJSIAA titles and four national titles, two at wrestling powerhouse
Blair Academy
Blair Academy is a coeducational, boarding and day school for students in high school. The school serves students from ninth through twelfth grades as well as a small post-graduate class. The school's campus is located on a campus in Blair ...
. In
freestyle, he was a three-time Junior and one-time Cadet national champion. He also won a Junior national title in
judo
is an unarmed modern Japanese martial art, Olympic sport (since 1964), and the most prominent form of jacket wrestling competed internationally.『日本大百科全書』電子版【柔道】(CD-ROM version of Encyclopedia Nipponica, "Judo"). ...
.
He received multiple awards, including 2001
ASICS Tiger High School Wrestler of the Year, the 2001 Junior
Dan Hodge Trophy
The Dan Hodge Trophy is awarded each year to the United States of America’s best college wrestler. The trophy is presented at the end of the season by W.I.N. Magazine (''Wrestling Insider Newsmagazine'') and Culture House. It is the collegiate w ...
winner, NHSCA National High School Wrestler of the Year, and Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award. He was one of the most sought-after recruits in history and committed to wrestle at
Iowa
Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to th ...
for coach
Jim Zalesky.
College
Iowa
Mocco arrived to
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa (UI, U of I, UIowa, or simply Iowa) is a public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is organized into 12 col ...
as a
true freshman
Redshirt, in United States college athletics, is a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen their period of eligibility. Typically, a student's athletic eligibility in a given sport is four seasons, aligning with the ...
in the 2001–2002 season. In his first year of competition, he earned
runner-up honors at the 2002 NCAA's and Big Ten's and in his
sophomore year he became the undefeated champion at the 2003 NCAA's and Big Ten's.
Oklahoma State
The next season (2003-2004), he took an
Olympic redshirt to focus on training for the
2004 Summer Olympics (see section below).
After the
Olympic redshirt and successful seasons at Iowa, he decided to transfer to their bitter rivals,
Oklahoma State University
Oklahoma (; Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a state in the South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the north, Missouri on the northeast, Arkansas on the east, New ...
.
In his first season competing as a
Cowboy, he won the
Big 12 Conference
The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference headquartered in Irving, Texas, USA. It consists of ten full-member universities. It is a member of Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) for all sports. Its ...
championship, the
NCAA
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...
championship, and the
Dan Hodge Trophy
The Dan Hodge Trophy is awarded each year to the United States of America’s best college wrestler. The trophy is presented at the end of the season by W.I.N. Magazine (''Wrestling Insider Newsmagazine'') and Culture House. It is the collegiate w ...
as the best collegiate wrestler in the country.
In his last season (2005-2006), he again won the
Big 12 Conference
The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference headquartered in Irving, Texas, USA. It consists of ten full-member universities. It is a member of Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) for all sports. Its ...
championship but lost in the finals of the
NCAA championships
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges and ...
. He graduated with a 137–6 record.
In August 2006, with one year of college eligibility left, Mocco joined the
Oklahoma State football team. As a senior defensive lineman, he played in five games for the Cowboys and was credited with two total
tackles
Tackle may refer to:
* In football:
** Tackle (football move), a play in various forms of football
** Tackle (gridiron football position), a position in American football and Canadian football
** Dump tackle, a forceful move in rugby of picking u ...
, one solo, according to the
university's athletic web site.
In 2019, Mocco was inducted into the
National Wrestling Hall of Fame
The National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum and hall of fame for amateur wrestling, headquartered in Stillwater, Oklahoma. In 2010, it began operating the Dan Gable Museum in Waterloo, Iowa.
History
The museum was awarded to Stillw ...
.
Freestyle
Mocco is also an accomplished
freestyle wrestler
Freestyle wrestling is a style of wrestling originated from Great Britain and the United States. Along with Greco-Roman, it is one of the two styles of wrestling contested in the Olympic Games. American high school and men's college wrestling i ...
, he medaled at the US Senior Nationals from 2004 to 2009, competed at numerous US Team Trials, and won three
Pan American Championships (2006, 2009, 2011). He is also a three-time Dave Schultz Memorial champion and four-time finalist.
In 2008, Mocco competed at the
Summer Olympics, where he advanced to the quarterfinals and eventually placed seventh.
In 2009, he won championships at major world-wide tournaments, the Ivan Yarygin Memorial Golden Grand Prix and the Alexander Medved Invitational. He later won another gold medal at the
Pan American Championships.
In 2011, he won another
Pan American title and his third and final Dave Schultz Memorial championship.
After being unable to find further international success, he retired from the sport.
Mixed martial arts
Steve Mocco was brought into
American Top Team
American Top Team (ATT) is one of the primary teams in mixed martial arts. The gym was founded by Dan Lambert, who brought in former members of Brazilian Top Team Marcus "Conan" Silveira, Marcelo Silveira and Ricardo Liborio, but there is no fo ...
to help
Antônio Silva prepare for his fight with
Cain Velasquez
Caín Ramirez Velasquez (born July 28, 1982) is an American professional wrestler and retired mixed martial artist, currently appearing for Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA). He is widely known for his time in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, ...
at
UFC 146
''UFC 146: dos Santos vs. Mir'' was a mixed martial arts (MMA) pay-per-view event (PPV) promoted by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on May 26, 2012 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The main card featured five MMA bouts ...
. He had a nice experience in training and was welcomed by American Top Team. After being unable to get past the national wrestling trials to enter the 2012 Olympics in London, Steve Mocco stayed at
American Top Team
American Top Team (ATT) is one of the primary teams in mixed martial arts. The gym was founded by Dan Lambert, who brought in former members of Brazilian Top Team Marcus "Conan" Silveira, Marcelo Silveira and Ricardo Liborio, but there is no fo ...
and transitioned into
mixed martial arts
Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, inc ...
.
World Series of Fighting (PFL)
On January 17, 2014, it was announced that Mocco had signed a four-fight contract with
World Series of Fighting
The Professional Fighters League (PFL) is an American mixed martial arts league founded by venture capitalist Donn Davis in 2017 and launched in 2018, following the acquisition and restructuring of the former World Series of Fighting (WSOF) promot ...
.
Mocco faced Smealinho Rama at
WSOF Canada 1 on February 21, 2014. He lost by unanimous decision. Mocco returned to the promotion following his first loss to face Juliano Coutinho on April 10, 2015 at
WSOF 20
World Series of Fighting 20: Branch vs. McElligott was a mixed martial arts event held in Mashantucket, Connecticut, United States. This event aired on NBCSN in the U.S and on TSN2 in Canada.
Background
The main event was originally scheduled ...
. He won the fight via TKO in the first round.
Even though he never formally retired, Mocco has not competed since.
Coaching
MMA
Mocco is the
wrestling
Wrestling is a series of combat sports involving grappling-type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. Wrestling techniques have been incorporated into martial arts, combat ...
coach
Coach may refer to:
Guidance/instruction
* Coach (sport), a director of athletes' training and activities
* Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process
** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers
Transportation
* Co ...
at the training center of multiple high-level fighters,
American Top Team
American Top Team (ATT) is one of the primary teams in mixed martial arts. The gym was founded by Dan Lambert, who brought in former members of Brazilian Top Team Marcus "Conan" Silveira, Marcelo Silveira and Ricardo Liborio, but there is no fo ...
. There, he trains
MMA fighters such as
Junior dos Santos
Junior dos Santos (; born 30 January 1984) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist and professional wrestler who competes in the Heavyweight division of Eagle FC. As a mixed martial artist, he is a former UFC Heavyweight Champion; as a profession ...
.
Wrestling
Mocco is the
head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches. In some sports, the head coach is instead called the "manager", as in assoc ...
and founder of the Mocco Wrestling Academy, where he teaches
youth
Youth is the time of life when one is young. The word, youth, can also mean the time between childhood and adulthood ( maturity), but it can also refer to one's peak, in terms of health or the period of life known as being a young adult. Yo ...
and
collegiate wrestlers at the
American Top Team
American Top Team (ATT) is one of the primary teams in mixed martial arts. The gym was founded by Dan Lambert, who brought in former members of Brazilian Top Team Marcus "Conan" Silveira, Marcelo Silveira and Ricardo Liborio, but there is no fo ...
facility. He is also an assistant coach of the
wrestling team at
Lehigh University
Lehigh University (LU) is a private research university in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania. The university was established in 1865 by businessman Asa Packer and was originally affiliated with the Epi ...
.
Championships and accomplishments
Freestyle wrestling
*
United World Wrestling
United World Wrestling (UWW) is the international governing body for the sport of amateur wrestling; its duties include overseeing wrestling at the Olympics. It presides over international competitions for various forms of wrestling, including ...
** 2011 Pan American Championship Gold Medalist
**2011 Dave Schultz Memorial International Gold Medalist
**2009 Pan American Championship Gold Medalist
**2009 Ivan Yarygin Golden Grand Prix Gold Medalist
**2009 Alexander Medved International Gold Medalist
**2008 Dave Schultz Memorial International Gold Medalist
**2007 Dave Schultz Memorial International Silver Medalist
**2006 Pan American Championship Gold Medalist
**2004 Dave Schultz Memorial International Gold Medalist
**2003 FILA Absolute Championship Silver Medalist
**2003 Sunkist Kids International Open Gold Medalist
*
USA Wrestling
USA Wrestling (formerly known as the United States Wrestling Federation and as the United States Wrestling Association) is the organization that currently governs freestyle wrestling and Greco-Roman wrestling in the United States. USA Wrestling is ...
** 2012 US Olympic Team Trials Bronze Medalist
**2011 US World Team Trials Silver Medalist
**2009 US World Team Trials Silver Medalist
** 2009 US National Championships Gold Medalist
**2008 US Olympic Team Trials Gold Medalist
**2008 US National Championships Silver Medalist
**2007 US World Team Trials Silver Medalist
**2007 US National Championships Bronze Medalist
**2006 US National Championships Silver Medalist
**2005 US National Championships Silver Medalist
**2004 US National Championships Silver Medalist
Folkstyle wrestling
*
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges ...
**
NCAA
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...
Division I All-American out of University of Iowa
The University of Iowa (UI, U of I, UIowa, or simply Iowa) is a public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is organized into 12 col ...
(2002, 2003)
**
NCAA
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...
Division I All-American out of Oklahoma State University
Oklahoma (; Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a state in the South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the north, Missouri on the northeast, Arkansas on the east, New ...
(2005, 2006)
**
NCAA
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...
Division I 285 lb National Runner-up
out of University of Iowa
The University of Iowa (UI, U of I, UIowa, or simply Iowa) is a public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is organized into 12 col ...
(2002)
**
NCAA
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...
Division I 285 lb National Championship
out of University of Iowa
The University of Iowa (UI, U of I, UIowa, or simply Iowa) is a public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is organized into 12 col ...
(2003)
**
NCAA
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...
Division I 285 lb National Championship
out of Oklahoma State University
Oklahoma (; Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a state in the South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the north, Missouri on the northeast, Arkansas on the east, New ...
(2005)
**
NCAA
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...
Division I 285 lb National Runner-up
out of Oklahoma State University
Oklahoma (; Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a state in the South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the north, Missouri on the northeast, Arkansas on the east, New ...
(2006)
*
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference) is the oldest Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representati ...
**
Big Ten
The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference) is the oldest Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representati ...
285 lb National Runner-up
out of University of Iowa
The University of Iowa (UI, U of I, UIowa, or simply Iowa) is a public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is organized into 12 col ...
(2002)
**
Big Ten
The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference) is the oldest Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representati ...
285 lb National Championship
out of University of Iowa
The University of Iowa (UI, U of I, UIowa, or simply Iowa) is a public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is organized into 12 col ...
(2003)
*
Big 12 Conference
The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference headquartered in Irving, Texas, USA. It consists of ten full-member universities. It is a member of Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) for all sports. Its ...
**
Big 12
The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference headquartered in Irving, Texas, USA. It consists of ten full-member universities. It is a member of Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) for all sports. Its f ...
285 lb National Championship
out of Oklahoma State University
Oklahoma (; Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a state in the South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the north, Missouri on the northeast, Arkansas on the east, New ...
(2005)
**
Big 12
The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference headquartered in Irving, Texas, USA. It consists of ten full-member universities. It is a member of Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) for all sports. Its f ...
285 lb National Championship
out of Oklahoma State University
Oklahoma (; Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a state in the South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the north, Missouri on the northeast, Arkansas on the east, New ...
(2006)
Mixed martial arts record
, -
, Win
, align=center, 5–1
, Juilano Coutinho
, TKO (punches)
,
WSOF 20
World Series of Fighting 20: Branch vs. McElligott was a mixed martial arts event held in Mashantucket, Connecticut, United States. This event aired on NBCSN in the U.S and on TSN2 in Canada.
Background
The main event was originally scheduled ...
,
, align=center, 1
, align=center, 4:02
,
Mashantucket, Connecticut
Mashantucket is a census-designated place (CDP) in the northeast part of the town of Ledyard, New London County, Connecticut, United States. It consists of land held by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe. The Foxwoods Resort Casino
Foxwoods Resort ...
, United States
,
, -
, Loss
, align=center, 4-1
, Smealinho Rama
, Decision (unanimous)
,
WSOF Canada 1
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 5:00
,
Edmonton
Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city ancho ...
, Alberta, Canada
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 4-0
, Alonzo Roane
, Submission (arm-triangle choke)
, Fight Time 17 - Undisputed
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 0:47
,
Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 3-0
, Lew Polley
, Decision (unanimous)
, RFA 9 - Munhoz vs. Curran
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 5:00
,
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 2-0
, Rashad Brooks
, Submission (north-south choke)
, Extreme Challenge
,
, align=center, 1
, align=center, 1:03
,
Bettendorf, Iowa
Bettendorf is a city in Scott County, Iowa, United States. It is the 15th largest city of Iowa and the third-largest city in the "Quad Cities". It is part of the Davenport– Moline– Rock Island, IA- IL Metropolitan Statistical Area. The popul ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 1–0
, Tyler Perry
, Submission (kimura)
, RFA 4 - Griffin vs Escudero
,
, align=center, 2
, align=center, 1:34
,
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vega ...
, United States
,
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mocco, Steve
Wrestlers at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Olympic wrestlers for the United States
American male sport wrestlers
American male judoka
Blair Academy alumni
People from North Bergen, New Jersey
Sportspeople from Hudson County, New Jersey
American male mixed martial artists
Mixed martial artists from New Jersey
Heavyweight mixed martial artists
Mixed martial artists utilizing collegiate wrestling
Mixed martial artists utilizing freestyle wrestling
Mixed martial artists utilizing judo
1981 births
Living people
Iowa Hawkeyes wrestlers
Oklahoma State Cowboys wrestlers
People from Coconut Creek, Florida