5 Things You Might Not Know About Darrion Caldwell

Darrion Caldwell, 30, boasts an impressive 12-1 professional mixed martial arts record. Currently riding a four-fight winning streak, the reigning Bellator MMA bantamweight champion’s next outing will see him square off against Kyoji Horiguchi on New Year’s Eve at Rizin FF 14 at the Saitama Super Arena near Tokyo.

Here five things that you might not know about “The Wolf”:

He is a talented sportsman.

At Rahway High School, Caldwell excelled at baseball and football. But it was on the wrestling mat that he really shined. He was a three-time state champion, boasting a 146-4 record. In his final three years of high school, he lost only one wrestling match. Later, at North Carolina State University, Caldwell earned All-American status. In the 2008-2009 season, he compiled a stellar 38-1 record, and in doing so became the NCAA 149-pound national champion. His collegiate record was a remarkable 109-13.

He is a fan of the suplex.

Caldwell utilises numerous techniques from his amateur wrestling career in the cage. However, one stands out in particular -- the suplex. This signature move has come to epitomise Caldwell. His most notable employment of the technique in an MMA fight was early in his Bellator 177 bantamweight title winning clash against Eduardo Dantas. “The Wolf” even managed to pull off the technique on former Greco Roman star Joe Warren in their Bellator clash. Evidence of Caldwell’s infatuation with the technique is an instructional video he posted on Twitter, in which he breaks down the move in intricate detail.

He is no stranger to injury.

Caldwell has had multiple injuries, particularly of the shoulder variety. He missed much of the 2009-2010 collegiate wrestling season after shoulder surgery. In 2011, he picked up another shoulder injury in the second-round of the NCAA championships, which scuppered his chances for a second national title and ended his collegiate career. Injuries also derailed his attempts to qualify for the 2012 U.S. Olympic team. Although he competed in the trials, he was suffering from the after effects of surgery and was eliminated in Round Three.

He should probably avoid backflips.

For someone so obsessed with the suplex, it should come as no surprise that Darrion Caldwell is an avid back flipper and has been pulling off the impressive stunt since his youth. A self-proclaimed adrenaline junky, he confessed in an interview to performing one when roller skating in his teens. However, Caldwell’s backflipping antics have not always gone to plan. Back in 2009, his NCAA wrestling match versus Brent Metcalf was nearing its end, when Caldwell, confident of victory, commenced an early celebration consisting of a handspring followed by his customary backflip. The whistle had just sounded when his opponent pushed him in mid-air, causing Caldwell to fall heavily on his back. Fortunately, Caldwell was unscathed, and having leapt to his feet continued his victory parade. Fast forward six years to 2015’s Bellator 143. Following a submission win over Shawn Bunch, Caldwell performed a backflip off the top of the cage. He landed on a camerawoman, knocking her to the ground. Luckily, she was not hurt. Caldwell was extremely apologetic.

He never had an amateur fight.

Caldwell’s intention was to compete at the 2012 Olympics, but he was still recovering from a freak roller-skating injury and did not make it. Despite the setback, Caldwell still had a burning desire to compete, hence his decision to enter the world of MMA. Having opted against an amateur career, he made his successful professional bow in September 2012 at Legacy Fighting Alliance 14. There was a fair bit of hype surrounding his MMA debut, due to his amateur wrestling pedigree.