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

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

as the best collegiate wrestler in the country. In his last season (2005-2006), he again won the

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

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, ...

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

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,

. 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

facility. He is also an assistant coach of the wrestling team at

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 ...

Division I All-American out of

(2002, 2003) **

Division I All-American out of

(2005, 2006) **

Division I 285 lb National Runner-up out of

(2002) **

Division I 285 lb National Championship out of

(2003) **

Division I 285 lb National Championship out of

(2005) **

Division I 285 lb National Runner-up out of

(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

(2002) **

285 lb National Championship out of

(2003) *

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

(2005) **

285 lb National Championship out of

(2006)

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Win , align=center, 5–1 , Juilano Coutinho , TKO (punches) ,

, , 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