Ed Ruth

During his collegiate career, Ruth also claimed four Big Ten Conference championships and maintained an impressive 84-match winning streak. Beyond collegiate wrestling, he represented the United States in freestyle wrestling, participating in the 2014 World Championships and the 2015 World Cup, where he earned multiple medals in prestigious international competitions such as the Henri Deglane Challenge and the Bill Farrell International Open. Ruth transitioned to mixed martial arts, signing with Bellator MMA in May 2015. His professional MMA debut took place in November 2016 at Bellator 163, where he swiftly defeated Dustin Collins-Miles via TKO in the first round.

He continued his winning streak with further TKO victories at Bellator 168 against Emanuele Palombi and Bellator 178 against David Mundell. A significant point in his MMA career was his successful welterweight debut at Bellator 201 in June 2018, where he secured another TKO victory over Andy Murad. He participated in the Bellator Welterweight Grand Prix in December 2018, experiencing a submission loss to Neiman Gracie, and subsequently joined the renowned American Kickboxing Academy to further hone his skills. His tenure with Bellator MMA included additional notable wins, securing victories against Kiichi Kunimoto at Bellator 224 and Jason Jackson at Bellator 231.

However, Ruth faced subsequent challenges in the octagon, experiencing a unanimous decision loss to Yaroslav Amosov at Bellator 239 and a submission defeat via inverted heel hook to Taylor Johnson at Bellator 245. In July 2021, Ed Ruth announced his retirement from professional mixed martial arts to take on an assistant coach position with the University of Illinois wrestling program, joining head coach Mike Poeta’s staff. This pivotal move underscored his enduring commitment to the sport of wrestling through coaching and mentorship, contributing his extensive experience and championship pedigree to developing future athletes.