USAW Kids Nationals wraps up with 13 wrestlers earning Triple Crown; Jacobe Smith stays unbeaten after second UFC win

Catching you up on the day's wrestling news from around the world with Mat Talk Online's Daily Wrestling Newsletter sponsored by @Resilite.

Jun 30, 2025

Brackets

Thirteen win USA Wrestling Triple Crown award, freestyle concludes at Kids Nationals in Cedar Rapids, Iowa - TheMat.com
Action concluded at the 2025 Kids Freestyle & Greco-Roman Nationals at Alliant Energy PowerHouse in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on Sunday. Thirteen athletes across four age-divisions won the coveted USA Wrestling Triple Crown award, claiming titles in folkstyle, freestyle and Greco-Roman in the same year.

Huffman wins 8U Triple Crown award; fourteen eligible across three age divisions to win Triple Crown at Kids Nationals in Cedar Rapids, Iowa - TheMat.com
Fourteen athletes are still in the hunt for the coveted USA Wrestling Triple Crown following the start of freestyle action at the 2025 Kids Freestyle & Greco-Roman Nationals in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. One athlete in the 8U division secured the first USA Wrestling Triple Crown award of the year for boys.

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Summer Hours

The newsletter will be using what I call “summer hours” until we start the season again. It’ll mostly be in the usual 6 a.m. Central release point, but travel and family obligations will sometimes push the daily release time later in the morning.

Wrestling-related MMA News

Jacobe Smith Remains Unbeaten with Submission Victory at UFC 317 | Pistols Firing
Jacobe Smith won via submission for the first time in his career. Smith sunk in a rear-naked choke on Niko Price on the UFC 317 prelims to advance to 11-0 in his blossoming MMA career.

Former NEO A&M and OSU Alumni Jacobe Smith Remains Undrafted After UFC 317 Second Round Victory - KSN16
On Saturday, June 28th, Former NEO A&M Norsemen and Oklahoma State Wrestler Jacobe Smith (11-0) defeated Niko Price (16-9) via a second round submission in his first bout on a proper UFC pay-per-view in UFC 317.

College News

VOTE FOR WYATT HENDRICKSON: ESPY FOR BEST MALE COLLEGE ATHLETE

AJ Ferrari gives latest on summer training with Nebraska wrestling, where he stands in weight - On3
AJ Ferrari is ready to rock and roll for Nebraska this season and he gave an update on where he stands in the offseason. Ferrari, a two-time All-American and 2021 NCAA champion, transferred from Cal State Bakersfield this offseason.

High School News

Anthony Petrillo, Legendary New Jersey coach, passes away at 96 - NWHOF
Anthony Petrillo, a member of the New Jersey Chapter of the Wrestling Hall of Fame, passed away June 8. He was 96.

Recruiting & Commitment News

Recent Commitment Listings
Transfer Portal (Flo) | InterMat | 2025 Men (Flo) | 2025 Women (Flo) | 2026 Men (Flo)

International News

Former Penn State Wrestler Aaron Brooks Faces Potential Suspension - Sports Illustrated
Brooks, a 2024 Olympic bronze medalist, could be suspended from freestyle competition for an anti-doping violation.

Felicity Taylor goes from ‘the only girl in the room’ to leading a wrestling room full of girls - KCRG
Felicity Taylor starred at Iowa, winning a national championship in 2024, and gaining plenty of fans in her home state.

UWW launches coaches’ mentorship program - United World Wrestling
United World Wrestling has signed an agreement with the Hungarian Wrestling Federation for a mentorship program for coaches in collaboration with the University of Hungary.

Eight wrestlers punch tickets to Worlds at Non-Olympic Team trials; Greco-Roman winners top podium - Wrestling Canada Lutte
The 2025 Canadian U23 Wrestling Championships and Sr., Jr. Greco-Roman, & Non-Olympic Weight Class Trials concluded on June 28th from Canada Games Park in Thorold, Ontario.

Ravi Kumar Dahiya switches wrestling weight class with eye on LA 2028 Olympics - Olympics.com
An Olympic silver medallist in the 57kg, Ravi Dahiya is expected to aim for qualification in the 65kg category.

Namibia to host SADC wrestling showdown at Windhoek Showgrounds - News - The Namibian
Windhoek will become the epicentre of southern African wrestling from 30 June to 5 July, when the Namibian Wrestling Federation (NWF) hosts the Namib Storm Regional Education and Development Training Camps alongside the SADC Open Championships Tournament at the Windhoek Showgrounds.

Podcasts and Video Shows

Is there a wrestling podcast out there that you haven’t seen featured in the newsletter that you think should? I try to find any and all shows, but there’s a lot out there, so if you’ve got one, comment on this post or e-mail me at jason@bryantwrestling.com with the name and a link and I’ll see what I can do. If it passes the smell test, I’ll throw it in there.

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