If you are an avid wrestling fan, you must be watching the 2024-25 NCAA wrestling season. Indeed, the 2024-25 NCAA wrestling season has provided the expected action that everyone has been eagerly anticipating. And guess what? Remember David Taylor? Yes, the Olympic champion became the coach of the Oklahoma Cowboys, and there were a lot of expectations for him. And he proved the fans correct, as the anticipation for his team was definitely worth it!

Indeed, Taylor’s Cowboys are truly formidable on the current NCAA mat. They have a strict mindset of not only winning but also going beyond their limits to bring out the best every time they bout against their opponents. While Taylor is concentrating on the current season to further improve his Cowboys, he has also dedicated his time to training a UFC star who will be traveling to Mexico in a few months to face a local favorite, a collaboration that the community has embraced.

Getting the lessons from the best

For our wrestling fans, let me describe what’s actually going on. At the UFC, there will be a big matchup between Diego Lopes and Yair Rodriguez. And when will it be conducted? For now, both contenders have ample time to prepare. The event will take place on March 29, 2025, at Arena CDMX in Mexico City. Yes, it will be the home ground of Rodriguez, and obviously, the locals would love to see their country’s UFC star absolutely destroy the Brazilian. However, to overcome his Mexican rival, Lopes wanted to train with none other than David Taylor.

Taking to Instagram, the Brazilian UFC star posted a few pictures, alongside an intriguing caption, stating, “Thanks coach @magicmanosu and all the guys at @cowboywrestling for all the support. 🤠🤠” The first picture? Clearly, he was standing alongside Taylor with a friendly demeanor and a big smile on his face. And in the next frame? It was a group picture with the Cowboys! MMA manager Jason House and UFC fighter Caleb Moctezuma were also present alongside the two in the photographs, and a few frames also showed the Brazilian training with the Magicman himself!

Training alongside one of the best coaches of the NCAA would’ve been a fantastic experience, too. And Taylor isn’t just any random wrestling coach. He’s an Olympic champion and has NCAA titles to his name. Due to his established reputation in the scene, there were high expectations when he joined the Cowboys. He not only exceeded these expectations by propelling the Cowboys to the top of the league rankings, but he also left fans eagerly anticipating more. However, the UFC star’s OSU endeavor has captured the attention of the fans, who are delighted to see him train alongside the big guy from the Cowboys.

Fans are glad to see him with David Taylor

Wrestling a few bouts with David Taylor surely would’ve boosted the confidence of Diego Lopes, wouldn’t it? But what do the fans have to say about this unexpected collaboration? According to one comment, it’s just a great training move, as it read, “He got magic man training with him? Oh, that’s a huge buff to his great grappling.” Another fan wrote, “My brother! Excited to watch you continue to be an inspiration! 💪🏽” That’s an Olympic champion right there, and fans had nothing but appreciation, as one comment read, “With the goat 🐐”

But why did David Taylor stand out among all the coaches in the NCAA? Are you familiar with our magician’s coaching philosophy? Indeed, he consistently encourages his wrestlers to push themselves beyond their comfort zones, even when they are winning, to earn bonus points. However, his focus was never on the numbers; instead, he aimed for his wrestlers to learn more each time they took the mat, and this extra motivation would not only increase their performance but also attract the attention of the Cowboy’s wrestling fans.

While the Brazilian will have a tough time competing against his Mexican rival, his training sessions from Taylor will indeed give him a few benefits, as one fan wrote, “Damn bro couldn’t have a picked a better coach🙌🏻🔥🔥🙏🏻” A social media user already declared Lopes as the champion, stating, “Future champ right here🔥🧡” However, this fan fired a few warnings for the Mexican UFC star, stating, “Yair has no clue what’s about to hit him.”

There’s still a lot of time for the UFC bout between Lopez and Rodriguez. However, the Brazilian had a great time with Taylor and even his Cowboys, which will be a moment he will cherish whenever he looks back at it.