Former Bulldog Rosholt scores third-round win

DALLAS — It took former Sandpoint state champion wrestler Jared Rosholt a little while to get the confidence to impose his will on his former training partner, Josh Copeland.

But when Rosholt (12-2 MMA, 4-1 UFC) finally found his step, it wasn’t long before the fight swung violently in his favor, with punches withering Copeland (9-2 MMA, 0-2 UFC) in the third frame.

The heavyweight bout was part of the preliminary card of the UFC 185 event at American Airlines Center in Dallas.

The official end came at the 3:12 mark of the final frame as referee Dan Miragliotta stepped in to intervene as Rosholt wailed at Copeland from top position on the mat. Moments earlier, a pair of left elbows made Copeland grimace.

It was the best possible position for Rosholt, a decorated collegiate wrestler who’d suffered a knockout loss to Oleksiy Oliynyk in his previous UFC appearance. Perhaps because of that, he appeared tentative to engage in early exchanges, darting in and out of range as Copeland tried to catch him with his right hand.

When Rosholt bullied Copeland to the canvas in the third, it signaled a turning point which put the bout in his corner.

“I was trying to control his arm while we were on the ground so I could line up specific punches and land my shots,” Rosholt said. “When I went for the finish, I was trying to pick my shots. When I hit him with the elbow, I heard him grunt, so I knew it was super uncomfortable for him and that’s when I knew it was time to go for the finish.”

Rosholt, who trained with Copeland for his bout with Oliynyk, is now 4-1 in the octagon, while Copeland remains winless after two tries, including a decision loss to Ruslan Magomedov in his debut this past November.

“You know what happened? Jared Rosholt happened,” Copeland said. “He went out there and did what he was good at. He’s a world-class grappler and all-around good fighter. I don’t know what else to say.”