Ready to show his skills are not limited to the wrestling mat, Tyrell Fortune enters the cage for the first time at Bellator 163.

A gold medalist at the 2014 World University Championships, NCAA Division II Champion at 175 Kg in 2013, and second runner-up at the United States Olympic trials, Tyrell Fortune knows his way around the mat. Tonight at Bellator 163, he competes in an MMA fight for the first time.

“I’m getting more excited and more pumped up for it every day that it gets closer and closer,” Tyrrell said in an interview with Cage Pages, “The main thing for me right now is just to go out and show all the disciplines that I have been learning.”

Given the wrestling pedigree Fortune carries, his profile is pretty clear cut: Powerful grappler with zero experience in the other facets of combat, this fact is not forgotten by the wrestler out of Portland, Oregon. As a result, displaying a different product than was last seen at the US Team trials has been a focal point in his preparation.

“If I get into a wrestling position, I’ll utilize it but honestly I would like to shy away from wrestling as much as I can in the fight. I want to show everything else because if you put my name into Youtube, the only thing you are going to find is wrestling matches.”

Therefore, much of Fortune’s preparation at Arizona Combat Sports has focused on being precisely the opposite of what Cody Miskell will expect in the fight.

“It has been a great transition there, the coaches and my teammates have helped me a lot of my boxing and jiu-jitsu to make sure I’m well rounded. I’m really focused on everything but my wrestling. I wanted to focus on boxing, kickboxing and things like that. If I get put in a position to wrestle I’m sure it will be second nature.”

Fortune’s placement on the card follows the theme of the night for this Bellator card. Headlined by former NCAA Division I champion Phil Davis challenging for the light heavyweight crown, and three-time NCAA Division I champion Ed Ruth directly following Fortune’s debut.

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“It’s great I’m making my debut with one of my best friends and you know I know Phil. So being by their side, knowing that you have guys coming from the same background as you going into the same sport is huge. Then to see Phil, somebody like him who was a great wrestler and has had a lot of success in this sport is a great motivation to say, ‘hey i can be like him, I can do the same things he’s doing’ it’s a great feeling to have people around you that’s a familiar face.”

The first of the three wrestlers to kick off the night, Fortune looks to set the tone for what can be a showcase night for figures from the collegiate wrestling background.

How will he do so?

“First round knockout, I’m going to go out there and try to get a knockout as soon as possible.”

Fortune gets the opportunity to accomplish that, and a strong start for what he hopes to be a long and successful mixed martial arts career tonight at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Connecticut.