Wrestling’s global reach is rapidly growing, and one of the most influential sports figures is directing things from the background. The Oklahoma State Cowboys head coach and former wrestling icon, David Taylor, is about to have his enthusiasm for wrestling displayed to the world arena. Taylor recently opened up about his work with the UFC’s streaming platform, Fight Pass, and the significant influence it might have on wrestling’s growth.

Taylor’s role isn’t just as a coach anymore; he’s become a key player in connecting wrestling with a whole new audience. He’s not just focused on winning duals at OSU—he’s looking to elevate the entire sport. The UFC’s massive platform is the perfect stage for that, especially as UFC Fight Pass dives deeper into broadcasting wrestling. Taylor’s message was loud and clear: it’s all about exposure, collaboration, and taking wrestling to places it’s never been before.

“I’d worked with UFC Fight Pass previously and I did some commentating with them, you know? So, I think when it got announced that we were there, they were pretty excited and it’s just as many eyeballs that we can get on the sport of wrestling, it’s great. You know, as many eyeballs we get on our program and on their program, you know it’s good. I think every time you go in there, it’s a mutually beneficial opportunity and we’re just trying to grow the sport of wrestling and I think, you know, it’s good to wrestle on Fight Pass. They do a great job with their production, and um, you know, we just as a team, we got to do our part to put on a good product and score some points,” Taylor said during his media appearance.

Back in 2023, UFC Fight Pass announced a broadcast partnership with Cage Fury Fighting Championship (CFFC) to launch CFFC Match Day. This was a new, live event series that will feature a full slate of NCAA Division 1 Wrestling meets in the 2023-24 season. And from there the journey to subsequent season began.

UFC Fight Pass gives these teams and their fighters the opportunity to compete on a global scale. We’re mentioning high-quality production, expert commentary (shoutout to Shane Sparks and Taylor himself), and programs that have the potential to elevate the way people perceive wrestling.

In the interview, David Taylor stressed how important it is for wrestling to get the kind of visibility UFC offers. It’s not just about promoting OSU, but the sport of wrestling as a whole. With UFC Fight Pass streaming NCAA matches, it’s a win-win: more eyes on wrestling, and UFC gets to expand its brand too. David Taylor knows the power of collaboration, and he’s all about leveraging UFC’s resources to boost wrestling’s visibility.

And wrestling is finally getting the attention it deserves. Like this season in Gallagher-Iba Arena with 10,740 fans attended the Oklahoma State vs. Missouri match, marking the most attended non-football college sporting event in Oklahoma this year. Seeing the same, the head coach said, “Sweet. You know, it’s pretty dang awesome. Although it’s 10,700 today, it’s pretty dang close to a sellout here. Historically, that’s just, you know, it’s not something you see here all the time. You don’t see that in many places.”

But this isn’t just limited to home soil. This extends to their on-road matches as well. In the McLeod Center, they recorded their highest attendance at a whopping 6,030 as OSU fought against UNI. Looks like the 34-year-old is really the lucky charm OSU needed!

David Taylor defined as the best

David Taylor is showing that wrestling and MMA are more intertwined than ever before. UFC featherweight star Diego Lopes trained with Taylor’s team at OSU, which was a huge deal for the Cowboys. Despite a weather delay that disrupted their scheduled dual against NC State, Lopes’ training sessions with Taylor kept spirits high in the gym. Lopes, who’s on a five-fight win streak, shared the experience on social media, thanking Taylor and the OSU team for welcoming him into their camp.

“Thanks coach @magicmanosu and all the guys at @cowboywrestling for all the support,” the 30-year-old wrote on Instagram. Though this was the Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist’s latest post, his first post about training at OSU came days ago. “We started camp. See you soon,” wrote Lopes.

Lopes’ presence was a unique opportunity for the OSU wrestlers, and it didn’t go unnoticed by UFC legend and former Olympian Daniel Cormier, another OSU alum. Cormier has always been a supporter of David Taylor and he was quick to praise Lopes for training with a wrestling expert. He even called it “very smart” and meant that Lopes was “learning from the best.” 

It’s clearly visible that David Taylor is impacting more than just OSU wrestling’s future. By ensuring that wrestling gains the deserving fame on a bigger scale, Taylor is actively influencing the direction of the sport, and that’s grand!