Jordan Burroughs warming up to MMA crossover: 'I want one MMA fight before I retire'

Jordan Burroughs has altered his stance on competing in MMA.

Burroughs, who is one of the greatest amateur wrestlers of all time with an Olympic gold medal and two NCAA Division 1 championships on his resume, has never been particularly warm to the idea of putting on MMA gloves to step into the cage.

As recently as January, in fact, Burroughs said he was unlikely to even make the switch, citing the fight he simply has no desire to get “punched in the face.”

Something has seemingly forced a change in tone, though. On Wednesday, Burroughs took to social media and said he’s fighting the urge to give MMA a try – but just one time (via Twitter):

I want one MMA fight before I retire. Just one.

— Jordan Burroughs (@alliseeisgold) October 27, 2021

I want one MMA fight before I retire. Just one.

Burroughs sharing that he wants to give MMA a shot is very different than actually following through with it, though. The 33-year-old American has maintained a very active schedule in the wrestling world over the years, promoting the sport and competing on nearly every platform the sport has to offer.

Although he’s never been tempted to do it himself – at least until now – Burroughs explained earlier this year that he’s a hardcore supporter of the fight game.

“I’m a big fan of MMA,” Burroughs said in the past. “But at the end of the day, I love wrestling, No. 1, and No. 2, I just don’t want to get punched in the face.

“It’s such a different sport. In wrestling, if you lose, you get taken down, you might have gotten put on your back and pinned. But if you get beat in a fight, you get choked out, tapped out, someone’s broken something. Wrestling match, if you lose, you go have dinner with your family. MMA, you lose, you go to the hospital.”