Is MMA good for wrestling? Is vegetarianism good for MMA athletes?

There's no denying there's a strong connection between college wrestling and MMA (mixed martial arts). Proof: Just in the past couple days, there have been articles addressing that bond:

Is MMA good for wrestling?  It's a subject that Dave Skretta, sports writer for Associated Press, addressed in a recent article printed in various newspapers, including USA Today.  His answer? Yes. Here's just one paragraph from his story:

As school wrestling programs are put on chopping blocks across the country, either to reach Title IX compliance or save a few bucks in a down economy, mixed martial arts is providing the centuries-old sport some salvation. Kids interested in professional fighting without access to trainers or gyms are giving it a lift — simply by walking into wrestling rooms again.

Skretta makes a strong case, quoting former-college-wrestlers-turned-MMA-stars Randy Couture and Joe Warren... as well as Mike Moyer of NWCA (National Wrestling Coaches Association)... and Jeff Jordan, coach of national high school powerhouse St. Paris Graham in Ohio.

Is vegetarianism good for MMA athletes? You may have thought that combat athletes in college wrestling and MMA were mega-meat eaters. Some undoubtedly consume Porterhouses by the pound... but, as Dave Metzler of Yahoo! Sports points out, a number of top MMA stars are vegetarians. Among them are former college wrestlers Jon Fitch (who was wrestling captain at Purdue University) and Jake Shields, a two-time NCAA All-American at Cuesta College in California. The article shares the evolution of the diet of some MMA competitors'... and even provides a link to a separate story on what Fitch and Shields eat.

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