Jason Nolf received his BJJ blue belt from Gordon Ryan this week. The three-time NCAA Division I champion announced the promotion on Instagram after he spent more than a year in serious training.

Nolf dominated college wrestling at Penn State. He won three straight NCAA titles from 2017 to 2019. His high school record was 176-1, which shows just how good he was from an early age. During his entire college career, he lost only twice, both times as a freshman to Isaiah Martinez.

After he missed the 2024 Olympic team, Nolf retired from wrestling. He lost twice to Kyle Dake in the Final X series, which ended his Olympic hopes. The defeats convinced him to move on from wrestling and try other sports.

Combat sports have grown much more popular in recent years. More people follow different martial arts now, not just boxing or MMA. The business side has expanded too, and betting on submission grappling events has become common, which means bettors can receive sportsbook promos in the US while betting on these competitions along with traditional combat sports. This growth helps athletes like Nolf find new audiences when they switch disciplines.

Nolf first tried BJJ in 2020 when he trained with Bo Nickal. But he stayed focused on wrestling at that time. Only after his wrestling career ended did he commit fully to grappling. The transition took time because submission fighting requires different skills than wrestling.

His first professional grappling match came at Paradigm Open 3 in June 2024. Nolf won by submission against Andrew Simmons. The victory showed his wrestling skills could work in submission grappling, but tougher tests waited ahead.

At the Craig Jones Invitational in August 2024, Nolf faced Tye Ruotolo in the first round. Ruotolo submitted him, but Nolf proved he could compete at that level. The experience taught him valuable lessons about elite grappling competition.

UFC Fight Pass Invitational 9 came in December 2024. Nolf lost a decision to Renato Canuto after three rounds. He went the distance but could not get the victory. The loss showed areas where his game still needed work.

Nolf now trains at New Wave Jiu-Jitsu with John Danaher. The gym has some of the best grapplers in the world, which helps him improve faster. His wrestling background gives him strong takedowns and top control. Most BJJ practitioners cannot stop his wrestling attacks or escape his pressure.

Gordon Ryan promoted Nolf to blue belt, which means something in the grappling world. Ryan has won ADCC seven times and is considered one of the greatest no-gi grapplers ever. When Ryan promotes someone, other people pay attention because he knows what real skill looks like.

The blue belt shows Nolf has made good progress in just over a year of serious BJJ training. His wrestling foundation gives him advantages that most beginners do not have. He can take down almost anyone and control them on the ground. Once he develops better submission skills, he will become much more dangerous.

Many successful wrestlers have made similar transitions to grappling or MMA. The athletic ability and mental toughness transfer well between sports. Nolf has the right attitude for this challenge because he does not assume his wrestling success automatically makes him good at BJJ.

This promotion represents another step forward in his new career. With continued training at New Wave, he should continue to improve at a rapid pace.

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