RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 1 sourcesFew names are as revered on a wrestling mat as Jordan Burroughs. After a dominant return to action this past Saturday in Cleveland, the all-time great Olympic gold medalist already has some huge matchups in mind under the Real American Freestyle (RAF) banner.
Burroughs, 38, made his RAF debut with an 11-0 win over UFC welterweight contender Sean Brady at RAF 12 over the weekend. The match was Burroughs' first since 2024 and brought plenty of excitement to the event, considering his legendary credentials as one of the most successful and decorated American freestyle wrestlers ever.
Now that Burroughs is in the mix with RAF, he revealed on Monday's "The Ariel Helwani Show" that he has a whole list of dream matches he'd like to make a reality.
"No. 1, I would like to wrestle Islam [Makhachev]. I think that's the top of my list," Burroughs told Uncrowned. "A few years ago in an interview, he was like, 'Man, 'JB's' just got a double-leg, brother. Like, I'm from Russia. Russia is the premier wrestling program.' Well, let's see.
"No. 2 for me is Arman Tsarukyan, and I really want to wrestle Arman. I think he's got a great name, a great brand. He's a really good wrestler. He's someone I have tremendous respect for and someone who's really going to sell the event, so I'd love the opportunity to wrestle him.
"No. 3 is Colby [Covington] — I'd love to wrestle Colby Covington," Burroughs continued. "I think, again, another guy with charisma, spunk, but also championship pedigree, right? He's been the No. 1 contender for a number of years at the welterweight division in the UFC — someone I'd like to wrestle."
RAF has established a thriving working relationship with the UFC throughout its first year of existence, as evidenced by Burroughs' debut opponent, the top-ranked Brady.
Outside of the immediate list Burroughs shared, he included a few honorable mentions, including the UFC's Michael Chandler and Aaron Pico. Regarding RAF names, Giorgio Poullas also received a shoutout, with Burroughs highlighting Poullas' viral takedown challenge, in which Poullas puts money on the line for those who can take him down.
But there's one MMA name above all, perhaps more far-fetched than any of the others, that Burroughs would leap at the opportunity to face: UFC legend Georges St-Pierre.
For the first time since 2024, Jordan Burroughs is back on the wrestling mats. Elsa via Getty Images
"Georges, if you're out there, I would love to compete against you. I'd love to wrestle you," Burroughs said. "I honor you, I honor your legacy — and I don't want to embarrass you, I don't want to humiliate you. I just would love to share the stage with you. So he's No. 1, he's at the very top of my list, but he's a guy that I'm not really sure that we can get.
"That's my dream matchup. 'GSP,' Georges, if you're out there and you're watching this show, make it happen. Las Vegas, Oct. 3, let's do it — me and you, right away. You've got a month and a half, that gives you six weeks to really prepare your body, your mind. If not, if you don't feel ready by then, you let me know. I'll acquiesce to any request that you'd have for me. … Toronto, Montreal, any place. You can have Firas [Zahabi] in your corner, anything. I would love to share the stage with Georges. He is in my GOAT [conversation], one of the greatest combat sports athletes of all-time."
Having accomplished all that he has in his career, Burroughs acknowledged that he has no reason to continue competing as he nears age 40. But once he started to see what RAF was really about, he decided to give it a shot for himself.
"If you're going to get me up off my couch and out of the comfort of my home, and wake up to have breakfast with my five kids every day, it's gotta be worthwhile. It's gotta be a premier event against someone who is going to help me grow my brand, and it's gotta remain true to the authenticity of wrestling," Burroughs said.
"I didn't want it to be a gimmick. I didn't want it to be a publicity stunt. I wanted it to be real wrestling — and they were able to capture all of those elements and much more. So I finally said yes, and it did not disappoint."
Ultimately, Burroughs said, his big moment of realization came in April. Burroughs' wrestling academy — All I See Is Gold — took a trip to RAF 8 in Philadelphia, and came back having had the time of their lives.
"We had a large group of our wrestlers that went out to the event, and the very next practice that Monday evening, they came back and everyone had RAF singlets and RAF T-shirts," Burroughs said. "Even one of our kids got selected to walk Kyle Snyder out from the stage to the event, and the buzz was palpable. You could feel the energy that still lingered, the residue from the event. I'm like, 'Man, they're generating real greatness and really cultivating a heart of love for the sport at the grassroots.'
"Then, when they started to introduce the next-gen element of it, where you got an opportunity for kids to wrestle alongside the senior-level athletes, it was really special."
The youth element was massive for Burroughs. And his first experience in RAF this past weekend was made all the sweeter on a personal level, as he and his 12-year-old son got to wrestle the same week, with the latter do doing for his school.
Needless to say, it was a victorious week in the Burroughs household.
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