Nick Piccininni
BornNicholas Piccininni
(1996-12-16) December 16, 1996
East Setauket, New York, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
Weight125 lb (57 kg; 8.9 st)
DivisionFlyweight (2021–present)
StyleWrestling
Fighting out ofGilroy, California, U.S.
TeamAmerican Kickboxing Academy (2020–2023)[1]
Fortis MMA (2023–present)[2]
WrestlingNCAA Division I Wrestling[3]
Years active2021–present
Mixed martial arts record
Total4
Wins4
By submission3
By decision1
Losses0
UniversityOklahoma State University–Stillwater
Notable school(s)Ward Melville High School
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog
Medal record
Collegiate Wrestling
Representing the Oklahoma State Cowboys
Big 12 Championships
Gold medal – first place 2017 Tulsa 125 lb
Gold medal – first place 2018 Tulsa 125 lb
Gold medal – first place 2019 Tulsa 125 lb
Gold medal – first place 2020 Tulsa 125 lb

Nicholas Piccininni (born December 16, 1996) is an American professional mixed martial artist and graduated folkstyle wrestler who currently competes in the flyweight division.[4] As a wrestler, Piccininni became a three–time NCAA Division I All-American and a four–time Big 12 Conference champion out of the Oklahoma State University for John Smith.[5]

Wrestling career

High school

Piccininni was born and raised in East Setauket, New York, and went on to attend Ward Melville High School. He made the varsity team in wrestling when he was in the eighth grade, year in which he placed third at the state championships. He won the state title in every year of high school, making him a four–time NYSPHSAA champion at four different weight classes (106, 113, 120 & 126 respectively).[6] He also competed at FloNationals, tournament in which he was the runner-up on 2013 and the champion on 2014. He graduated with a record of 226–3 and was awarded the 2015 Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award.[7][8] After graduation, Piccininni committed to the Oklahoma State University to wrestle for the Cowboys.[9]

College

After compiling a 16–4 record in open tournaments, claiming the OCU Open and the Bob Smith Open titles as a redshirting athlete,[10] Piccininni went 27–8 during his freshman season (2016–2017) competing at 125 pounds, and went on to claim his first Big 12 Conference title before the NCAAs.[11] At the National tournament, he went 5–2 with both losses coming from returning NCAA runner–up from Iowa Thomas Gilman, to place fourth and earn All–American honors.[12] As a sophomore (2017–2018), Piccininni claimed his second Big 12 title in a row, pinning Zeke Moisey from West Virginia in the finals.[13] After two wins, Piccininni was pinned by freshman phenom and three–time age–group World Champion from Iowa Spencer Lee (eventual winner of the championship) at the NCAAs, and went on to be eliminated by Ethan Lizak from Minnesota after losing by technical fall, compiling an overall record of 24–5 and not placing at the tournament despite his sixth seed.[14][15]

Piccininni showed major improvements as a junior (2018–2019), building his record up to an undefeated 31–0 record before the NCAAs, notably avenging his loss to the now returning NCAA champion from Iowa Spencer Lee and claiming his third Big 12 Conference title.[16][17] At the National tournament, Piccininni racked up three wins before once again losing to Lee and getting thrown to consolations, where after being downed by 2016 Cadet World Championship runner–up from Cornell Vito Arujau, he got a win over Pat Glory to place fifth and secure his second All–American mention.[18]

In his senior year (2019–2020) he captured 26 wins and 2 losses, became the ninth Cowboy to win four conference titles when he defeated Alex Mackall from Iowa State in the finals of the Big 12 Conference championships.[19] Piccininni was the third–seeded wrestler for the 2020 NCAA Championships, however, the event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, rendering him and all the qualifiers unable to compete.[20] Piccininni earned first–team NWCA All–American honors after the season.[21]

Piccininni graduated from the Oklahoma State University with a 112–17 record, four Big 12 Conference titles and three All–American honors.[22][7]

Freestyle

During his academic years, Piccinini did not compete very regularly in freestyle.[23] In June 2018, he competed at the US U23 Nationals,[24] where after a four–match win streak he was quickly downed by Vito Arujau, placing sixth.[25] A year later, he competed at the 2019 US Open in April, going 3–2.[26] He made another brief appearance at the 2019 Beat the Streets of May, where he was tech'd by Jack Mueller.[27]

Coaching

In April 2020, it was announced that Piccininni had joined the coaching staff of the wrestling team at Gilroy High School in Gilroy, California, along with notable athletes from AKA such as Daniel Cormier and Deron Winn.[28]

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

In April 2020, Piccininni announced his transition to MMA and signed a contract with Zinkin Entertainment & Sports Management.[29] He started training at American Kickboxing Academy, MMA powerhouse where former Cowboys such as Daniel Cormier and Kyle Crutchmer train.[28][30][31] Piccininni made his professional debut in June 18, 2021, at XFN 371, winning by submission in the first round.[32][33]

He made his sophomore appearance in the sport against Joseph McCormick at XFN 376 on December 10, 2021. He won the bout via first-round submission.[34]

His third bout took place on June 24, 2022, at XFN 381 against Shawn Gustafson.[35] He won the bout via unanimous decision.

He then faced Freddie Rodriguez at Fury FC 72 on December 18, 2022.[36] He won the bout via first-round submission.[37]

Championships and accomplishments

Folkstyle wrestling[7]

Mixed martial arts record

Professional record breakdown
4 matches 4 wins 0 losses
By submission 3 0
By decision 1 0
Res. Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes
Win 4–0 Freddie Rodriguez Submission (arm-triangle choke) Fury FC 72 December 18, 2022 1 3:11 Houston, Texas, United States
Win 3–0 Shawn Gustafson Decision (unanimous) XFN 381 June 24, 2022 3 5:00 Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States
Win 2–0 Joseph McCormick Submission (arm-triangle choke) XFN 376 December 10, 2021 1 1:28 Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States
Win 1–0 Chancey Wilson Submission (rear-naked choke) XFN 371 June 18, 2021 1 1:41 Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States Flyweight debut.

Freestyle record

NCAA record

Stats

References

  1. ↑ Strictly MMA (6 December 2020). "Former 3X D1 All-American:Nick Piccininni Talks His Transition To MMA/Training At AKA/His MMA Goals" – via YouTube.
  2. ↑ MMAjunkie.com (15 May 2023). Kyle Crutchmer, Nick Piccininni Explain Move From AKA to Fortis MMA – via YouTube.
  3. ↑ "Nick Piccininni - 2019-20 - Wrestling". Oklahoma State University Athletics. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
  4. ↑ "Former Cowboy Wrestling Standout Nick Piccininni Begins MMA Career Friday Night". Oklahoma State University Athletics. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
  5. ↑ Cain, Brandon M. (10 April 2020). "Oklahoma State wrestling: Nick Piccininni signs with Zinkin MMA". Cowboys Ride For Free. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
  6. ↑ Fan, Ryan. "He Does It Again: Nick Piccininni, Four Time State Champion". Kaleidoscope. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
  7. 1 2 3 "Nick Piccininni - 2019-20 - Wrestling". Oklahoma State University Athletics. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
  8. ↑ "2015 Dave Schultz and Tricia Saunders High School Excellence Awards Announced | National Wrestling Hall of Fame". Retrieved 17 April 2020.
  9. ↑ BV (20 May 2015). "Nick Piccininni Named First-Team All-American by ASICS". New York Wrestling News. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
  10. ↑ "Big 12 Championships" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 April 2021.
  11. ↑ "Oklahoma State Keeps Wrestling Hardware". big12sports.com. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
  12. ↑ grappleCy (20 March 2017). "2017 NCAA Wrestling Championships Recap & Final Results/Brackets". Wide Right & Natty Lite. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
  13. ↑ Cain, Brandon M. (5 March 2018). "Oklahoma State wrestling: Cowboys claim 6th straight Big 12 title". Cowboys Ride For Free. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
  14. ↑ "VIDEO: Watch Spencer Lee Dominate His Way to NCAA Title". Go Iowa Awesome. 19 March 2018. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
  15. ↑ "Lizak Becomes Two-Time All-American". University of Minnesota Athletics. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
  16. ↑ Cain, Brandon M. (24 February 2019). "Oklahoma State's Nick Piccininni pins Iowa's Spencer Lee". Cowboys Ride For Free. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
  17. ↑ Cain, Brandon M. (10 March 2019). "Oklahoma State wins 7th straight Big 12 Championship, 6 Cowboys claim titles". Cowboys Ride For Free. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
  18. ↑ NJ.com, Bill Evans and James Kratch | NJ Advance Media for (23 March 2019). "NCAA Wrestling Championships 2019 All-Americans: Meet the 10 national champions, NCAA All-Americans, medal winners". nj. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
  19. ↑ Goodwin, Cody. "Wrestling: Two Cyclones, Two Panthers win Big 12 tournament titles". Des Moines Register. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
  20. ↑ "The First Comments from Cowboy Wrestling After the Cancellation of the NCAA Championships". Maven. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
  21. ↑ "NWCA Division I Coaches Group announces 2020 All-America Teams". Team USA. 17 April 2020. Archived from the original on 3 June 2020. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
  22. ↑ LLC, ACS. "Nick Piccininni (Oklahoma State) Profile". www.wrestlestat.com. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
  23. ↑ "Nick Piccininni (St. James, NY) | Trackwrestling Profile". Trackwrestling. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  24. ↑ "Cowboy Wrestlers Set for U23 Nationals in Akron". Oklahoma State University Athletics. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
  25. ↑ NYWN (7 June 2018). "U23 New York Recap". New York Wrestling News. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
  26. ↑ "White and Piccininni to Compete at Beat the Streets". Oklahoma State University Athletics. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
  27. ↑ "2019 Beat the Streets Grapple at the Garden Results". Team USA. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  28. 1 2 Cain, Brandon M. (10 April 2020). "Oklahoma State wrestling: Nick Piccininni signs with Zinkin MMA". Cowboys Ride For Free. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
  29. ↑ Brandon M. Cain (10 April 2020). "Oklahoma State wrestling: Nick Piccininni signs with Zinkin MMA". cowboysrideforfree.com.
  30. ↑ Duckworth, Seth (11 April 2020). "Oklahoma State Wrestling: Nick Piccininni Announces Transition to MMA". Pistols Firing. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
  31. ↑ "The Oklahoma State To MMA Pipeline Runs Right Through San Jose". www.flowrestling.org. Retrieved 18 April 2020.
  32. ↑ Duckworth, Seth (19 June 2021). "Nick Piccininni Dominates in MMA Debut at XFN371". Pistols Firing. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
  33. ↑ Duckworth, Seth (21 April 2021). "Nick Piccininni's MMA Debut Has Been Scheduled". Pistols Firing. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
  34. ↑ Arlow Jumper. "XFN 376 Recap and Results". fightbookmma.com.
  35. ↑ "River Spirit fights feature a heavyweight tourney and two former OSU Cowboys". Tulsa World. 23 June 2022.
  36. ↑ Nolan King (15 December 2022). "Insider's Scoop: Erin Blanchfield gets fast track, UFC Seoul's nixing, Brandon Moreno, BKFC expansion, more". MMAjunkie.com.
  37. ↑ Roemello Reyes (18 December 2022). "Fury FC 72 Results". mmasucka.com.
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