Oklahoma State University wrestler, Daniel Cormier protege Nick Piccininni closing in on pro MMA debut
From Don Frye to Randy Couture to Daniel Cormier, Oklahoma State University wrestlers have a long and storied history of MMA transition and success.
Enter Nick Piccininni, who hopes to follow in the footsteps of the Cowboys before him. The 24-year-old wrestled for OSU from 2016-2020. He’s a three-time NCAA Division I All-American and a four-time Big 12 Conference champion.
On June 18, at XFN 371 in Tulsa, Okla., Piccininni (0-0) will make his professional MMA debut. While he’s been in the gym hitting pads and working on submissions more frequently since his wrestling career concluded, MMA has long been his path.
“It’s pretty much always been part of the plan,” Piccininni recently told MMA Junkie. “I would say about like maybe my junior year or sophomore year of high school, that’s when I really thought that I would be able to do it. I could definitely see it in my future.
“You know, as as a high-schooler, I was never a big freestyle wrestler or international-style wrestler. I thought, ‘Why not make the switch and try to make some big money and try to do something this that’s the next step?’ You know, I just thought it was it was an opportunity that I was given, and not many people get this chance to train at the places I get to train and train with the people who I get to train with.”
Like former UFC heavyweight and light heavyweight champion and aforementioned Cowboy Daniel Cormier, Piccininni trains at AKA in San Jose, Calif. Inspired by “DC,” Piccininni frequently works with the likes of current Bellator fighter Kyle Crutchmer, former Bellator fighter Shawn Bunch, and others at the world-renowned gym.
“Kyle Crutchmer brought me out here,” Piccininni said. “We have my other teammate, Jacoby Smith, and we all went to Oklahoma State, so it’s kind of been like a little pipeline. I was interested, and we kind of all just sat down, got to talk and converse, and one thing led to another – and we thought that it’d be great if we all just sort of ended up in the same place, and having ‘DC’ and Kyle out here, it’s been nothing but awesome. They lead me in the right direction, and they paved the path.”
When Piccininni makes his first walk to the cage on UFC Fight Pass, he predicts the environment will be wild. While he doesn’t currently have an opponent for the fight, he’ll compete at 125 pounds – the same weight division in which he wrestled.
“I’m expecting everything,” Piccininni said. “I’m expecting the lights and the crowd. I’m expecting the roars – everything. You know, as they said, prepare for the worst, pray for the best, and that’s what I’m going to do. But I’m going to go out there, I’m going to show out. I’m a show for my crowd. I’m a show-off for my people and everyone who supports me, so it’s going to be a good show.”
Focused on what he needs to do June 18, Piccininni doesn’t like to look too far ahead. However, he’d be lying if he said UFC title gold isn’t on his mind for the long-term. He wants that title – the UFC one.
“I’m a very day-to-day type of guy,” Piccininni said. “Right now I’m just taking my time in the sport and really enjoying it, but I’d be lying if I didn’t want to say I want to be a UFC champion at the end of the day, you know, and hit that mark. So that’s a long-term goal. That’s the dream that I have set in my head. Those are the dreams that I’m going to chase after and I believe I’ll get.”
To hear the full video with Piccininni, check out the video below.
