Carter Starocci alludes to MMA future following Penn State wrestling season

Carter Starocci has the opportunity to stand alone in NCAA history with the fifth National Championship in 2025. But the Penn State wrestling star appears to be already making plans to transition to the UFC after his Nittany Lions career has ended.

Starocci has made it known multiple times that he plans to move to MMA once his wrestling career is over, but the timeline for such a switch has been undefined.

However, the four-time NCAA Champion may have just provided insight into this area on Thursday. Recapping his time from last week’s UFC 303, Starocci alluded that he will soon enter the octagon as a competitor.

“UFC 303, what a great show,” Starocci wrote on X. “Soon, I will be taking over that octagon and making it home!”

UFC 303, what a great show. Soon, I will be taking over that octagon and making it home! pic.twitter.com/jWMTs59VBE

— Carter Starocci (@carterstarocci) July 4, 2024

How quickly can the Penn State wrestling star transition to MMA?

Carter Starocci has been training with rising UFC superstar and former Penn State wrestling three-time National Champion Bo Nickal. Both have shared clips from their workouts as Nickal prepares for his next MMA fight, and Starocci presumably gets a head start for when his Nittany Lions career is over.

Starocci clearly has the bravado to sell fights in the octagon. He is one of the most outspoken wrestlers that Cael Sanderson has ever had in Happy Valley.

However, whether Starocci will have instant success in MMA remains to be seen. Many college wrestlers go on to have great careers, but sometimes, there is a bit of a learning curve in figuring out how to strike and protect the body in a new way.

Like Nickal and now Jason Nolf, who is off to a successful start to his MMA career, if Starocci can get an opponent to the ground, a submission is just about a certainty.

But first, there’s NCAA history to chase

Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-USA TODAY Sports

Before Carter Starocci moves to the octagon, he’ll first try to become the first collegiate wrestler to win five individual National Championships. Thanks to an extra COVID season of eligibility, he would most likely be the only wrestler to ever accomplish that feat.

Starocci enters the 2024-25 season with a 93-4 career record, with two of those losses coming in last year’s Big Ten Championships after a medical opt-out.

While Starocci is likely moving up to 197 pounds this season, he will be a heavy favorite to finish undefeated with another Big Ten and NCAA Championship. The Nittany Lions superstar will also be key in Penn State wrestling’s chase for a fourth consecutive National Championship and possible record-setting NCAA Championships in March.

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