Jordan Burroughs Will ‘Definitely’ Consider MMA After 2020 Olympics
Jordan Burroughs has hinted at the idea of competing in mixed martial arts (MMA) for some time now.
And after the 2020 Olympics, it may be a reality.
If mainstream MMA fans didn’t know who Burroughs was before he ran roughshod over Ben Askren at Beat the Streets: Grapple at the Garden earlier this month, they certainly do now.
The 30-year-old Olympic champion will look to win gold in the 2020 games in Tokyo and then and only then will he entertain a career in MMA.
“It’s exciting. I can’t deny it, I can’t deny it at all,” Burroughs said on The MMA Hour. “There was a period of time early in my career where I was like, I’m gonna definitely fight. I definitely want to be a part of this lifestyle. Then there was a period of time where I had so much success in the sport of wrestling and I was like, I don’t really need fighting. I’m good, I’m doing well financially, I’ve got a solid following. I’ve got a family, I’m healthy, I’m good.
“Now I’ve arrived at a place too where I’m seeing all of these guys that I once trained alongside become champions—and this is not a shot at any of those dudes—but if these guys can become champion, then I know I can become a champion because I possess all the same qualities that these guys possess. It’s exciting, it’s exciting. It’s something that I’d definitely consider. If I do consider fighting, it won’t be until after the Olympic games in 2020, and then from there I’ll reevaluate, see if it’s something that would be a realistic option for me.”
If Burroughs has it his way, he will be a two-time Olympic gold medalist before he ever sets foot in the Octagon.