High school wrestling standout is now a top coach with Bellator, UFC champs to prove it

Eric Albarracin, a formal Coral Springs High School wrestling standout, has traveled the world, serving the U.S. military, teaching a new type of hand-to-hand combat and training some of the top MMA fighters in wrestling.

“He brings a lot of experience, a lot of good energy, a very good champion mind-set,” UFC ranked middleweight Paulo Costa said. “He’s very smart about the wrestling and helps you develop your skills on wrestling -- defense on shoots, your shoots on somebody, takedowns.”

An Arizona State University wrestling alum, Albarracin is a U.S. military veteran, who competed in Greco Roman and freestyle wrestling for the U.S. Army, too.

Former Greco Roman and freestyle wrestler Eric Albarracin competed for the U.S. Army wrestling team.
Former Greco Roman and freestyle wrestler Eric Albarracin competed for the U.S. Army wrestling team.

Albarracin won silver medals in the freestyle 54 kg division at the Pan American Championships and at the Military World Wrestling Championships. He is a seven-time Armed Forces champ and a three-time national champ.

Albarracin also went 6-0 in his Greco-Roman and freestyle matches to lead the All-Army wrestling team to its sixth consecutive Armed Forces Wrestling Championship. He opened each session of the two-day tournament with victories in the 121-pound weight class which sparked the Army squad to triumphs over the Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy.

Albarracin served as a Captain in the U.S. Army in the Individual Readiness Training Company. He was the Officer in Charge of Modern Army Combatives (which was the Army’s new hand-to-hand combat system).

His father, Edilberto Javier Albarracin Rincon, was born in Boyaca, Colombia and lived in Bogota for 30 years, before moving to Scottsdale, Arizona. His dad longed to serve in the military but did not get the opportunity.

Eric, however, proudly did, and his father proudly pinned him (not on the mat but rather) during the U.S. Army Captain’s ceremony. That moment important and emotional to both.

Spending time coaching wrestling at Team Nogueira in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and at Fight Ready in Scotsdale, Arizona, his list of fighters reads like a Who’s Who of top MMA combatants. The stellar group includes the talented Paulo Costa, “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung, two-division Bellator champ Patricio “Pitbull” Freire and former two-division UFC champ and Olympic gold medalist Henry Cejudo.

Coach Eric Albarracin with MMA champions Henry Cejudo (left) and Patricio “Pitbull” Freire.
Coach Eric Albarracin with MMA champions Henry Cejudo (left) and Patricio “Pitbull” Freire.

Known as Captain Americas, Albarracin helped fighters win 12 championships in UFC and Bellator combined. Sporting his signature white glasses, he is well respected throughout the world.

Coach Eric Albarracin, a U.S. Army Captain.
Coach Eric Albarracin, a U.S. Army Captain.

In Part 1 of my audio interview with Coach Albarracin, he discusses UFC, Paulo Costa, Coral Springs High School, U.S. Army, his dad, Arizona State University, Henry Cejudo, Dave Batista, wrestling and more.

In South Florida, Albarracin began his wrestling career at Coral Springs High School under the tutelage of coaches Dan Jacob and Hank Johnson. Jacob helped him attend an important wrestling camp in Minnesota and land at Arizona State University.

Jacob said: ”Eric out works everybody in every phase of his life. No matter what he decides to do, he will out work the competition. When he started wrestling in high school, he was under-sized [80 pounds], but he out worked everyone to become one of the best.

“In his sophomore season, he was 8-8, but as he got bigger and worked harder, he got better. He’s thinking big picture all the time, instead of little picture. He is the best guy to come out of our room. Pound for pound, not much better than him.”

Jacob began coaching at Coral Springs High School in 1988 and continues to do so today. His Colts amassed 557 wins, 15 district titles and three regional championships.

Jacob added: “Eric is calm, level-headed, controls his emotions and works hard. He was always like that, laying the ground work for the future.

“He was a walk on at Arizona State, and he just tried to do more than everybody else there, and he did...He is a very accomplished wrestler, an Olympic alternate.”

Albarracin made the U.S. national team while at ASU and later helped others achieve Olympic glory.

Jacob continued: “He was very instrumental in Henry Cejudo winning gold in the Olympics. He is super popular in Brazil; everybody there wants him to coach them. He is a very calculating person at how he markets himself and coaches the guys. I couldn’t be more prouder as a coach and a friend to see the success he is having.

“The type of person he is, when he comes back to visit, he does a mini-clinic for free. That’s the kind of guy he is. He is a great guy, and we always stay in touch.”

Coach Hank Johnson said: “In my senior year, we were both wrestlers for Coral Springs High School. Eric was undersized for his weight class, probably all of 80 pounds. He may have been small in stature, but his curiosity for the workings of the sport was massive. There was a tenacity and passion. He always wanted to learn that next move or perfect the ones he had.

“My first year of coaching for Coral Springs High School, I also got to be an assistant coach to Eric technically. Eric was still hungry and had grown into his weight class by now. He had his go to moves but even in his final year at the high school level, Eric was still gathering knowledge of the sport. If he saw someone hit something that he didn’t know, he would badger them until they taught it to him.

“Eric was tenacious in every way, rarely made excuses and was never afraid of putting the work in that was needed to get him to the next level. Upon graduating CSHS, he walked onto Arizona State University’s wrestling team where his same traits only grew and caught the attention of his coaches there.

“Eric would return to the [CSHS wrestling] room from time to time to share with the team. I remember each time he came back, I had less and less of an urge to scrap with him; he was no longer that 80-pound kid I first met but was now on his way to becoming truly elite.

“It’s been a great honor to watch Eric grow to where he is now. He’s worked hard for every bit of it. I think it’s those traits of the hungry 80-pound kid fighting for a spot on the team that has helped carry him to where he is today.”

A pro wrestling fan growing up in New York, Arizona and South Florida, he notes The Rock, “The Four Horsemen,” Koko B. Ware, Hulk Hogan, “The British Bulldogs” Davey Boy Smith and Dynamite Kid as his favs. He learned quickly no steel chairs, eye gauges, punches, drop kicks, low blows allowed in Jacob’s CSHS wrestling room. That marked his eye opening introduction to amateur wrestling.

A dedicated workhorse, he became a FHSAA state runner-up at 103 pounds, being defeated by rival Lee Pritts of (Davie) Western High School. They are now friends, and Pritts is an assistant coach at Arizona State.

What an interesting career/journey for this well-traveled and successful American who also has Colombian and Puerto Rican roots.

Albarracin began his U.S. Army career alongside WWE Superstar and standout Bellator MMA fighter Bobby Lashley. He met Olympic gold medalist and WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle (and was with Angle at the Olympics). He knows MMA legend, pro wrestling star and fellow ASU alum Dan “The Beast” Severn. He worked with British Bulldog’s son Davey Boy Smith Jr., while training WWE alum Dave Batista for Batista’s first and only MMA fight (a victory).

He’s been a coach on UFC’s The Ultimate Fighter Brazil 2, 3, 4 and UFC’s The Ultimate Fighter 24.

In Part 2 of my audio interview with Coach Albarracin, he discusses Henry Cejudo, weight cutting, Patricio “Pitbull” Freire, Stephan Bonnar, Bobby Lashley, Conor McGregor, Fight Ready, CTE and more.

Whether it’s Ric Flair’s “Woooo” or Arnold Schwarzenegger’s “Prepare To Be Erased,” Albarracin instills confidence in his fighters, talking the talk and walking the walk.

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OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

His fighters are competing on big cards in October.

Flyweight Bruno “Bulldog” Silva vs. Tagir Ulanbekov during UFC Fight Night on Oct. 10.

Lightweight Patricky “Pitbull” Freire and Bantamweight Leandro “Alter” Higo during Bellator 249 on Oct. 15.

https://cagesidepress.com/2020/09/29/patricky-freire-meets-lfa-champ-jaleel-willis-bellator-249/

https://www.foxsports.com/ufc/henry-cejudo-fighter-stats

Coach Albarracin socially acceptable

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Website: https://www.fightready.com/

UFC fighter Paulo Costa (left) with Coach Eric Albarracin and his signature white glasses.
UFC fighter Paulo Costa (left) with Coach Eric Albarracin and his signature white glasses.
Coach Eric Albarracin (left) and UFC Champ and Olympic gold medalist Henry Cejudo.
Coach Eric Albarracin (left) and UFC Champ and Olympic gold medalist Henry Cejudo.
Coach Eric Albarracin at The ESPYS.
Coach Eric Albarracin at The ESPYS.

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