It’s an amazing time to be a mixed martial arts fan as the first of 9 events in the next 4 weeks kicks off tonight with ”UFC Fight Night 21: Florian vs. Gomi“.

This event, which will serve as a lead in to the 11^th season of  The Ultimate Fighter, will be broadcast LIVE on SpikeTV 8p.m. ET .

“UFC Fight Night 21″ will be going down from the Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina and features a lightweight battle between Kenny Florian and  Japanese Superstar  Takanori Gomi as the headliner, also on the card, former The Ultimate Fighter 10 winner  Roy Nelson will fight Stefan Struve  in a matchup between extreme body types, and much more.

As always, please feel free to put up or shut up and join it by posting a quick set of your own picks in the comment section below.

MAIN CARD

Kenny Florian vs. Takanori Gomi

I waited and waited to make a final decision on this fight.  I think the biggest mistake I’m seeing people make is a focus on Gomi.   Yes he is the former Pride lightweight champion, Yes he is a Grand Prix winner, Yes he was a dominant Shooto champion.  For those of us who have been watching the sport for a long time Gomi has amazed us with his punching power.   Simply put, he is a legend mma’s recent past.

Gomi will have an uphill battle,  it will mark his first time fighting in a cage, and the first time he will contend with the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts which allow elbows to the head of a downed opponent.   Who better to welcome him then Kenny Florian, an ever improving fighter with some of the best elbows in the business.

The question I finally asked myself was this.  All things equal, who wins a fight between  a  prime  Gomi and today’s  Kenny Florian? Nostalgia aside, I still give the nod to Florian.  And unfortunately for Gomi, “prime”  isn’t a word that has been used  in conjuction with his talent for a very long time.

While it’s true Gomi has good wrestling which could afford him some time on the feet and the power to knock out anyone in the division, Florian is too much too soon.

Winner:  Kenny Florian TKO  Round 2

Roy Nelson vs. Stefan Struve

In the oddest looking fight this side of Japan, 6’11”  Stefan Struve will face his toughest test to date in  Roy Nelson.   I look for Nelson to do his best to eliminate what has to be a monster reach advantage by using his superior grappling abilities.   Make no mistake about it, Nelson is among the best grappling big men in the sport, and it will serve him up victories like Burger King does whoppers .   Much like Gomi,  Struve is not without a chance for victory in his match up.   If he can avoid the takedown, and manage to kickbox with Nelson,  it could become a very interesting night for the Skyscraper.

Winner:  Roy Nelson via arm triangle  Round 1

Nate Quarry vs. Jorge Rivera

This has got all the makings for a knock down drag out war.  Both fighters have knock out power and have no reservations about standing and trading with one another.  I think the difference here is going to be technical striking.  Quarry holds the advantage in this department.  Anything can happen and often does, but  Quarry should leave N.C. with the win.

Winner:  Nate Quarry via TKO Round 2

Ross Pearson vs. Dennis Siver

Coming off his recent impressive victory over Aaron Riley, Ross Pearson looks to continue his winning ways against Dennis Siver.   Pearson looked like a totally different fighter in his last bout showing noticeable growth in his young game.  Siver comes into the fight riding a 4 fight winning streak.  While this will be no easy match up for either, I give Pearson the nod based on continued growth.

Winner:  Ross Pearson via decsion

PRELIMINARY CARD  (Quick Picks)

Rafaello Oliveira vs. Andre Winner

Oliveira is the much more rounded fighter with more paths to victory.

Winner: Rafaello Oliveira via decsion

Ronys Torres vs. Jacob Volkmann

Call  Joe Silva the Grinch because he appears to have no love for Christmas.

Winner:  Ronys Torres  via TKO Round 3

Rob Emerson vs. Nik Lentz

Emerson having a 3 year career in the UFC is the big win, but tonight Lentz walks away with the W.

Winner:  Nik Lentz via decision

 

Gleison Tibau vs. Caol Uno

This fight is not as close as many believe.

Winner: Gleison Tibau via decsion

Lucio Linhares vs. Yushin Okami

Nice guy, great talent, interesting story, but Linhares gets another tough draw in the UFC.   Yushin Okami will out wrestle him for 3 rounds and the decision.

Winner:  Yushin Okami  via decsion

Gerald Harris vs. Mario Miranda

Team GDP member Gerald Harris will continue to grow, and will pull out the victory here.

Winner: Gerald Harris via decsion

Charlie Brenneman vs. Jason High

Tough fight to call, I’m going to side with  Jason High in the nights opening bout.

Winner:  Jason High  TKO  Round 3

There has been a lot of uncertainty following former UFC light-heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz (15-7-1) and his health status.

Ortiz posted from his Twitter site that he’s been sick in the hospital and had to receive several bags of intravenous fluid.

Nice to be home. They put 6 bags of fluid in me. I’m better now. I lost 15lb. I though I had swine flu but I didn’t. Just a really bad flu.

An exclusive report from FiveOuncesOfPain.com say’s that Ortiz actually suffered “multiple herniation’s” in his neck forcing him off of “TUF” 11.

Sources close to the situation have recently indicated to FiveOuncesofPain.com that multiple herniations in the neck of Ortiz prompted his removal from both the taping of The Ultimate Fighter Season 11, and his anticipated clash with fellow coach Liddell at the conclusion of the most recent season.

Ortiz has a long documented history of back problems and had back surgery last year to improve the injury. He felt well enough to make his return to the Octagon after patching things up with the UFC president and fought Forrest Griffin last November at UFC 106, losing a split decision. Afterwards it came out that Ortiz’s back wasn’t 100% as he had been saying, so the current situation may not be far off the mark.

“The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” was busy filming the latest season of “The Ultimate Fighter” and is currently scheduled to meet opposing coach Chuck Liddell in Vancouver at UFC 115 this summer. A report came out saying that Ortiz was going to be replaced by Rich Franklin but UFC president Dana White refuted those claims saying it is Franklin vs. Randy Couture and that Tito was fine.

The news came down late last week that Tito Ortiz would not be facing off with Chuck Liddell at the conclusion of the eleventh season of The Ultimate Fighter as previously expected, and in it’s wake a whirlwind of speculation has been circulating through the mixed martial arts community as to what the truth really is behind the smoke and mirrors.

UFC President Dana White has recently confirmed that the UFC was targeting a bout between Randy Couture and Rich Franklin after it was reported at numerous sites that a fight between Franklin and Liddell had been brewing, but at this point the bottom line is that there’s no telling what fights are and aren’t being booked. However, the one thing that has become painfully apparent is the fact that something is definitely up with Tito.

The latest from the Ortiz Twitter feed is that a gnarly case of the flu is to blame for the recent turmoil apparently created in his absence from the completion of TUF 11. Check out the latest sequence of events below…

This is the worst ful I have every had. More IV’s please.
4:20 PM Mar 15th via UberTwitter

Sorry flu. This sucks!!
4:28 PM Mar 15th via UberTwitter

Nice to be home. They put 6 bags of fluid in me. I’m better now. I lost 15lb. I though I had swine flu but I didn’t. Just a really bad flu.
about 16 hours ago via UberTwitter

Of course it was recently, and randomly (during a RawVegas.tv interview with Frank Mir) reported that Ortiz had suffered a shoulder injury, but Tito makes no mention of it.

Could this be a big publicity stunt to drum up interest in The Ultimate Fighter Season 11? Hopefully not, but stranger things have happened.

One thing is for certain, and that is the fact that the unknown factor combined with the UF’s ability to keep the fire contained for as long as possible will absolutely serve to drum up interest on the upcoming television show with a debut date of March 31.

Perhaps the most revealing of all of Tito’s tweets is the one he typed up just two days before the devastating near swine flu incident.

This is all news to me!!! Look at Dana Whites twitter if you don’t believe me. The show will tell the tale. Have to watch it on the 31st.
10:02 PM Mar 13th via UberTwitter

It appears as though a “stop snitching” policy may have been handed down by the UFC, as everywhere we look, people that should know, either don’t know or they’re not talking. Stay tuned.

1.  WILDCATS REVENGE: After falling short in the team championships, it only seems fitting that Central Mountain win the team title in the PIAA Individual Wrestling Championships. The Wildcats were led by Andrew and Dylan Alton, who won titles at 145 and 152, but also had two other placers to break Central Dauphin’s streak of six straight team titles.

2.  CRAIG IS KING HOSS: When you look at Abington Heights’ Evan Craig, you see a big guy who looks like he doesn’t have much athletic ability. Ah, that is the first mistake. Craig has that and more, proving it by pinning every one of his opponents on the way to a second straight state title at 285.

3.  BEST IN SHOW: If the Class AAA and Class AA finals were the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, the match between Central Dauphin’s Tyler Buckman and McDowell’s Steve Spearman was the top entry — by far. It had twists, turns, suspense and drama all wrapped into one, and the crowd showed appreciation with a postmatch ovation.

4.  NICE GUYS FINISH FIRST: Boiling Springs’ Joe Spisak is a friendly and respectful kid that keeps his nose clean and works hard. He is the poster child for what this sport is really about, and it was good to see him get rewarded for his four years of tireless work with a state title.

5.  LEGACY CEMENTED: It isn’t often that you catch a glimpse of someone so developed and so accomplished at their craft that they are in a class of their own. But Central Dauphin’s Marshall Peppelman getting his arm raised after a pin in the finals for a third straight state title seemed like an appropriate ending.

Six Wrestlers Make a Bid for All-America Status at 2007 NCAA Championships

No. 20 Buckeyes send most wrestlers to nationals since 2002-03

COLUMBUS, Ohio - In his inaugural season as head coach of the No. 20 Ohio State wrestling team, Tom Ryan will coach six Buckeyes at the 2007 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships Thursday-Saturday in the Palace of Auburn Hills in Auburn Hills, Mich.

Representing the Scarlet and Gray are T.J. Enright (133), J Jaggers (141), Lance Palmer (149), Chris Vondruska (165), Mike Pucillo (184) and J.D. Bergman (197).

2007 NCAA Championships Qualifiers

133 ? T.J. Enright (13-8: 4-4 Big Ten)

141 ? J Jaggers (16-8; 5-3 Big Ten)

149 ? Lance Palmer (30-13: 7-1 Big Ten)

165 ? Chris Vondruska (30-14; 4-4 Big Ten)

184 ? Mike Pucillo (21-2; 7-1 Big Ten)

197 ? J.D. Bergman (22-7; 5-3 Big Ten)

HOW TO GET THERE

Tickets to the 2007 NCAA championships are sold in three-day, six-session packages only. Prices are $150, $130 and $120. To order tickets, call the Palace of Auburn Hills box office at 248-377-0100.

Prices include on-site parking and unlimited readmittance.

EXPANDED COVERAGE

The NCAA and ESPN announced in October expanded live television coverage of the 2007 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships.

For the first time, in the 77-year history of the Division I Wrestling Championships, the Saturday morning medal round will be televised. Scheduled for 10 a.m. EST March 17 on ESPNU, the championships medal round determines the third through eighth-place finishers who are honored as All-Americans.

LIVE RESULTS

Live results will be available on ncaasports.com.

IT?S GOOD TO BE BACK

T.J. Enright and J.D. Bergman will return to the national championships after a one-year hiatus. Enright, who wrestled at 141 pounds last season, did not place at the Big Ten championships last year, while Bergman was forced to take a medical redshirt in 2005-06.

In 2005, Enright finished sixth in the conference championships at 133 pounds to qualify for the national event as a freshman. Bergman also was an NCAA qualifier at 197 pounds in 2005, a year removed from earning All-America status with a third-place finish at nationals in 2004.

FIRST TIMERS

A pair of freshmen in Lance Palmer and Mike Pucillo will get their first glimpse of the NCAA championships after placing in the Top 7 at the Big Ten championships. Palmer finished third at 149 pounds, while Pucillo was sixth at 184 pounds.

THIRTY-SOMETHINGS

So far, Lance Palmer and Chris Vondruska have registered 30 wins on the year. Palmer owns a 30-13 record and Vondruska is 30-14.

TWENTY-SOMETHINGS

J.D. Bergman and Mike Pucillo have tallied more than 20 wins this season. Bergman has 22 victories to his credit (seven losses) and Pucillo is 21-2.

DROP IT LIKE IT?S HOT

J Jaggers recorded the fastest fall time at the 2007 Big Ten Championships. Jaggers dropped Purdue?s Nick Bertucci in 25 seconds in the second round consolation.

SECOND TIME AROUND

After qualifying and missing the NCAA championships because of a knee injury last season, J Jaggers will seek his first All-America honor during the three-day event this year.

ALMOST PERFECT

Mike Pucillo owns the highest winning percentage on the team (.950). His mark stands at 21-2, with losses against the Nos. 1 and 2 wrestlers in the nation.

SAME OLD SONG

For Chris Vondruska, it does not matter where he wrestles because for the second-consecutive season he qualified for the NCAA championships. Last year, the Lakewood, Ohio, native won the 165-pound weight class in the Colonial Athletic Association championships and this season he finished fifth in the Big Ten championships.

AND THEN THERE WERE THREE

Lance Palmer is the first freshman to place in the Top 3 of the Big Ten championships for Ohio State since Ryan Hieber (174 pounds) and assistant Tommy Rowlands (HWT) finished second and third, respectively, in 2001.

HITTING HIS STRIDE

After finishing third in the Big Ten championships, Lance Palmer now has won 13 of his last 16 matches. Going into the conference championships, Palmer had won six-consecutive bouts and extended that streak to eight when he won his first two match-ups in East Lansing. Palmer?s lone loss at the Big Ten event was against the No. 2 seed and third-ranked Josh Churella of Michigan in a close 3-2 decision.

JUST SO YOU KNOW

J.D. Bergman defeated the No. 1 seed and Big Ten defending champion Philip Davis of Penn State, 6-4, in the semifinal of the conference championships. Philips also was a two-time NCAA finalist at 197 pounds.

THE MORE THE MERRIER

Ohio State?s six qualifiers to the NCAA championships are the most for the Buckeyes since the 2002-03 season. During that campaign, OSU sent seven wrestlers to the national event, including assistant coach Tommy Rowlands.

For the first and only time in program history, the Scarlet and Gray advanced all 10 weight classes to nationals in 2001.

CAN WE SAY 63?

With its six NCAA qualifiers, Ohio State will seek its 63rd All-America selection, while thirty-nine OSU wrestlers have earned the coveted honor. The Buckeyes have nine two-time All-Americans, three three-time All-Americans and Tommy Rowlands is the only four-time Buckeye All-American (2001-2004).

NCAA HISTORY

The Buckeyes had their best finish at the national championships in 2004 when they tied for third with 77.5 points.

During its run in 2004, Ohio State sent five Buckeyes to nationals and all five placed in the Top 8. Tommy Rowlands led the contingent, capturing his second national title at heavyweight. As a freshman, J.D. Bergman finished third at 197 pounds. After dropping his first bout, Bergman preceded to win seven-consecutive matches, including recording a pair of falls in the first and second round consolations. John Clark and Blake Kaplan earned fifth-place finishes at 165 and 184 pounds, respectively, and Jeff Ratliff was eighth at 149 pounds.

Ohio State has 11 national champions, most recently two-time NCAA champion Rowlands at heavyweight (2002 and 2004).

A STEP BACK IN TIME ? 2007 BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIPS

Ohio State qualified six wrestlers to nationals at the conclusion of the Big Ten championships March 3-4 at the Breslin Center in East Lansing, Mich. Leading the OSU contingent was 197-pounder J.D. Bergman, who finished second. In his debut at the league event, Lance Palmer executed a third-place showing as a freshman at 133 pounds. Competing at 165 pounds, Chris Vondruska was fifth in his first Big Ten championships. Vondruska wrestled at Hofstra from 2002-2006. T.J. Enright and Mike Pucillo finished sixth after both wrestlers were forced to take medical forfeits. J Jaggers qualified for his second-consecutive national championships after he finished seventh.

As a team, the Buckeyes finished ninth with 68.5 points.

ONLY THE BEST

Ohio State owned one of the toughest schedules in the Big Ten Conference, taking on nine teams that were ranked in the Top 25 of the USA Today/InterMat/NWCA poll. At the time of competition, five of the Buckeyes? opponents were in the Top 10 (Missouri-No. 3, Illinois- No. 7, Cornell-No. 9, Iowa-No. 10 and Northwestern-No. 10).

NOT TO BE OVERLOOKED

Ohio State defeated its third-consecutive ranked opponent after beating then-No. 10 Northwestern, 18-16, Feb. 4 and its fourth overall. Prior to the upset over the Wildcats, the Buckeyes bettered No. 19 Michigan State, 19-14, (Feb. 2), No. 16 Indiana, 19-14, (Jan. 28) and No. 9 Cornell, 18-17, (Nov. 26).

MAKE IT 110

Tom Ryan earned his 110th career victory with the Buckeyes? 18-17 win over Cornell Nov. 26. Ryan gathered his first win as the head coach of the Scarlet and Gray, while his other 109 wins came at Hofstra, where he was the head coach for 11 seasons. Ryan?s career record is 117-90-1.

BUCKEYES IN THE STANDINGS

In the latest edition of the USA Today/InterMat/NWCA Coaches? Poll (Feb. 20), four Buckeyes are ranked in the Top 20. At 149 pounds, Lance Palmer is 16th and at 165 pounds, Chris Vondruska is 17th. Mike Pucillo continues to hold down the No. 3 spot at 184 pounds, while classmate J.D. Bergman No. 10 at 197 pounds.

CONFERENCE LAURELS

Mike Pucillo and T.J. Enright earned Big Ten Wrestler of the Week honors during the regular season. Pucillo was the first OSU honoree (Dec. 4), capturing the award after finishing first in the 184-pound division at the 25th annual Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational Dec. 1-2. A redshirt freshman who transferred from Hofstra, Pucillo defeated Top 4 opponents Raymond Jordan of Missouri (No. 4) and Tyrel Todd of Michigan (No. 3) in the semifinal and championship bouts en route to the title.

Enright garnered the laurel Feb. 5 after producing one of the more memorable wins of his collegiate career. Enright (133) began the weekend with a 4-2 sudden victory over No. 1 Nick Simmons of Michigan State in Columbus, Ohio, to help propel the Buckeyes to a 19-14 upset over the No. 10 Spartans. He again was at the center of a dramatic win for OSU, as he defeated Eric Metzler of Northwestern, 7-2, to pull the Scarlet and Gray within one point (16-15) with one match left at 141 pounds. Classmate J Jaggers won a 7-5 decision and the Buckeyes rallied for the 18-16 win over the No. 10 Wildcats in Lakewood, Ohio.

LAS VEGAS INVITATIONAL CHAMPION

Redshirt-freshman Mike Pucillo won the 184-weight class at the 25th annual Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational Dec. 1-2 in Primm, Nev. Pucillo recorded two major decisions and a fall en route to the semifinal where he defeated No. 4 Raymond Jordan of Missouri, 3-1. In the championship bout against Michigan?s and No. 3 Tyrel Todd, Pucillo notched a 12-6 victory for the title.

Pucillo became the first Buckeye to win a title at the event since assistant coach Tommy Rowlands won in 2003 at heavyweight.

BERGMAN FINISHES SECOND AT SCUFFLE

J.D. Bergman captured a second-place finish at the 2006 Southern Scuffle in Greensboro, N.C., Dec. 29-30, 2006. Bergman, who wrestled at 197 pounds, had an impressive outing on day one of the event, recording two falls and a major decision en route to the quarterfinals. The following day, Bergman notched a decision to advance to the semifinals where he was slated to meet No. 2 seed and nationally No. 2-ranked Jerry Rinaldi of Cornell. However, Rinaldi was forced to take a medical forfeit and that set up a rematch between Bergman and No. 1 seed and top ranked Max Askren of Missouri. After leading 2-1 going into the third period, Askren pinned Bergman in 5:48.

UPSET CITY, BABY!

T.J. Enright was no stranger to upsetting top-ranked wrestlers when he beat No. 1 Nick Simmons of Michigan State, 4-2, in sudden victory Feb. 2. During his freshman campaign in 2004-05, Enright defeated then-No. 4 Sam Hiatt of Northern Illinois in the Michigan State Open (Nov. 21, 2004) and in Big Ten Conference dual action in 2005, he upset then-No. 3 Mack Reiter of Minnesota (Feb. 13, 2005).

Junior J.D. Bergman continued the upset trend during the weekend against Northwestern when he beat second-ranked Mike Tamillow at 197 pounds, 4-2.

Lance Palmer followed those two acts with an impressive win of his own over No. 2 Josh Churella (6-4 2TB) of Michigan Feb. 11.

GOING DOWN TO THE WIRE

For the second time in his OSU career, T.J. Enright produced the winning points for Ohio State in the final bout. With the Buckeyes down, 17-15, against No. 9 Cornell going into the concluding match at 133 pounds, Enright tallied a 5-3 decision over Nick Bridge to give Ohio State the 18-17 victory. It was nearly the same scenario for Enright and the Buckeyes during the 2004-05 season. Enright recorded a 7-2 win over Bloomsburg?s Joe Hassenman to lift the Scarlet and Gray over the Huskies by the same 18-17 margin at the Buckeye Duals in St. John Arena.

Classmate J Jaggers? 7-5 win over Northwestern?s James Kohlberg in the deciding match at 141 pounds completed Ohio State?s rally for the 18-16 victory over the 10th-ranked Wildcats.

WE?RE GOING STREAKING

Chris Vondruska tallied a nine-match win streak from Dec. 17, 2006-Feb. 2, 2007. In that period, Vondruska knocked off 14th-ranked Max Dean of Indiana, 2-1, in overtime.

J Jaggers owned a six-match win streak from Jan. 14-28, defeating three conference and nonconference rivals. During that span, Jaggers recorded two major decisions and a fall en route to a 12-3 overall record.

Lance Palmer completed the regular season on a six-match win streak, finishing with a 26-11 overall record.

JUST A NUMBER

Redshirt freshman Mike Pucillo (184) has faced eight ranked opponents in 2006-07 and has compiled a 7-1 record against his Top 20 rivals. Pucillo began the season with a 16-0 record before losing his first match to No. 1 Jake Herbert of Northwestern Feb. 4.

In dual action, seven of J.D. Bergman?s 15 opponents were ranked in the Top 20. He went up against five ranked wrestlers in January and February and overall finished with a 9-3 record in those two months.

CLEVELAND?S CELEBRATED CELEBRITY

Freshman Lance Palmer was a finalist for the 2005-06 Cleveland Outstanding High School Athlete Award, which was presented at the fifth annual Greater Cleveland Sports Awards, created by The Greater Cleveland Sports Commission (GCSC), Jan. 29 at the Renaissance Cleveland Hotel, Grand Ballroom.

Palmer, who compiled a regular-season record of 26-12 during his freshman campaign, was a four-time Ohio high school national champion from 2003-2006. During his senior year, Palmer helped lead St. Edward High School to its 10th-consecutive team title at the Ohio High School Athletic Association wrestling tournament at Value City Arena in Columbus, Ohio. A two-time Most Valuable Wrestler for the Eagles, Palmer compiled a high school career record of 150-6 and was considered the No. 1 recruit nationally by several wrestling media publications.

ROSSELLI TO COACH U.S. FREESTYLE WORLD TEAM

Assistant coach Lou Rosselli was selected as a U.S. Freestyle World Team Coach for the 2007 World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 17-23. Rosselli will join USA Wrestling National Freestyle Coach Kevin Jackson of Colorado, Springs, Colo., and Kerry McCoy, who is the head coach at Stanford in Palo Alto, Calif.

?It is always exciting to get the opportunity to work with the best athletes and coaches in the nation,? Rosselli said. ?Hopefully we can improve on last year when we won four medals and were close to winning as a team. We will work together to again put ourselves in the position to win. As our weight classes become deeper, it will help our effort. If it is difficult to make the U.S. team, then the No. 1 athletes go up to a higher level. We have the guys to get the job done. We have the talent to do what we need to do. Our athletes train hard and I am excited to work with them once again.?

As a world team coach in 2006, Rosselli helped guide the freestyle squad to a third-place finish, while coaching four individual medalists, including world champion Bill Zadick. Rosselli also was the assistant coach of the 2005 U.S. World Team at the World University Games, which placed third in the team standings and had three individual gold medalists, including fellow Buckeye assistant Tommy Rowlands.

ASSISTANT COACHES TAKE GOLD

Ohio State wrestling assistant coaches Joe Heskett and Tommy Rowlands claimed titles at the Henri Deglane Challenge in Nice, France, and the American Airlines/New York AC Holiday International in New York, respectively, at the end of November.

In his first season as the volunteer assistant coach for the Buckeyes, Heskett defeated 2000 Olympic silver medalist and 2006 Russian National Champion Arsen Gitinov in the championship match to win the gold medal at 74kg/163 pounds in the freestyle competition at the Nov. 24-25 tournament. For his efforts, Heskett was named TheMat.com Athlete of the Week for the week of Nov. 21.