Cole Konrad
A decorated wrestler who won the NCAA wrestling championship twice, Cole Konrad looked to be a heavyweight force to be reckoned with when he transitioned to MMA in 2010.
Before long he was picked up by the Bellator promotion and with his dominant wrestling ‘The Polar Bear’ was soon racking up a lengthy winning streak.
Along the way he’d win Bellator’s heavyweight title after emerging victorious in their season 3 tournament, and then defended the belt against Eric Prindle.
By this stage, the 28-year-old Konrad’s record had expanded to a perfect 9-0, but he then caught everyone off-guard when he announced his retirement just a few months later, revealing that he was taking a job as a agricultural commodities broker.
Konrad’s grinding fight-style was never fan-friendly and he didn’t have the physique of a top-flight talent, but heavyweghts are always in demand and his grappling skill was undeniable, so MMA purists will always be left wondering what might have been if The Polar Bear had continued competing.
One man who was in no doubt was ex-UFC star Pat Barry, who said that Konrad was “Cain Velasquez at 300lbs” and would be the heavyweight champion in any organization once he became comfortable with his striking game.
