It seems like Jordan Oliver wants to get back to where he belongs. The wrestler has had a decently successful pro wrestling career after showing huge promise during college. During his time at Oklahoma State, he won two NCAA Division 1 championships and became All-American four times. His biggest achievement in his pro wrestling career was a gold medal at the 2019 US National Championship. However, a two-year ban from the sport due to illicit substance use led him to shift his focus to MMA.

There, he would win two fights, giving him a promising start. Now that his ban is lifted, he wants to return to familiar territories and the sport in which he grew up competing. He is all set to take part in the World Championship trials in September. To do this, he has also returned to his former coach. What does his journey look like from this point on?

How Jordan Oliver’s return to former coach maximizes chances of successful World Team trials

Despite his heavily successful MMA outing, Oklahoma State veteran Jordan Oliver has decided that he wants to get back onto the mat. Yesterday, he confirmed through a post on X that he is returning to amateur wrestling. He will be participating in the next world team trials with his eyes set on Team USA at the 2024 World Championships. In the post, he wrote, “Just getting everything situated for WTT. Can’t wait to rassle again… SEE Y’ALL SOON!”

Within an hour of this post, he put out another post saying that he was returning to his former wrestling coach to train for his upcoming matches. “When it’s time… IT’S TIME. Headed back with the Puma to work.” He then tagged the person he was referring to as Puma, Kenny Monday. Monday is a coach at Morgan State University. He coached Oliver before his tryst with MMA.

An experienced trainer, he represented Team USA during the hay days of his career, where he won two Olympic medals. He won a gold medal at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul and followed it up with a silver four years later in Barcelona. Like Oliver, he also represented Oklahoma State University and thus shares a kinship with him. This is the reason they’ve found so much success together. Thus, it was obvious that Jordan Oliver would return to him as he looked to firm his ground back on the wrestling mat after the doping debacle.

Oliver’s long-awaited return to wrestling after controversial debacle

In March 2023, Jordan Oliver was banned from wrestling for 2 years by the USADA. This was because of a second substance abuse violation since 2018. THC was found in his body in 2022 during the World Team trials. Previously, he had been banned in 2018 where he had tested positive for amphetamine. For this, he was suspended for a year.

However, his second ban had terrible consequences, as he was unable to take part in the Olympic trials as the ban lasted until July 2024. This meant his Paris dream was shattered. That’s when he decided to take up MMA, aspiring to be a champion.

He would defeat Andrew Triolo in his first fight in Bellator MMA in June 2023. Fans had to wait for a year before he appeared in the octagon again, this time in the PFL against Brayden Akron. He also emerged victorious through a unanimous decision there. Such a promising start made many think that he would stick to MMA.

However, now that his wrestling ban has been lifted, he has decided to return to the sport, which will always have a special place in his heart. It is yet to be seen whether it’s a good decision or not. Oliver would have to prove a lot of doubters wrong when he steps up in September for the trials. But nobody can deny the spirit he has shown through all this and kept moving no matter the circumstances.