Harvey Ridings: Elite Wrestling, MMA & Why Fighting Should Be Fun

British wrestler, grappler and MMA fighter Harvey Ridings joins The Mat Minute to talk wrestling, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, MMA and his journey from the UK to training and competing in the United States. After representing Britain in wrestling, Harvey moved to America on a wrestling scholarship before eventually settling in Florida and making the transition towards MMA and submission grappling. Harvey gives his perspective on the huge differences between British and American wrestling, why having wrestling embedded within the US school system matters, and the funding challenges facing young wrestlers trying to reach an elite level in Britain. We also get into the wrestling vs BJJ debate, why elite wrestling doesn't automatically translate into elite MMA wrestling, and how Harvey's own experiences in the cage changed his understanding of grappling. Harvey discusses competing against high-level grapplers, adapting his wrestling to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, training in countries including Ukraine, and what separates some of the world's strongest wrestling nations. We also talk about his approach to competition and why Harvey believes fighters often perform better when they stop putting so much pressure on themselves and start enjoying the experience. And, of course, Harvey explains one of his more controversial philosophies: 🥊 Should everyone get punched in the face at least once? Topics include: 🇬🇧 British vs American wrestling 🤼 Representing Britain in wrestling 🇺🇸 Moving to America 🥋 Wrestling vs Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu 🥊 Transitioning into MMA 🌍 International submission grappling 🤼 Why wrestling for MMA is different 🇮🇷 Iran, Russia & USA wrestling 🧠 The psychology of competition 😂 Why Harvey listens to Bob Marley before competing 💪 Dealing with wins and losses 🥊 Why getting punched can be humbling 🔥 Enjoying competition instead of fearing failure Subscribe to The Mat Minute for more conversations with fighters, grapplers, coaches and personalities from MMA, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and combat sports.