Lance Palmer is used to success. As a four-time All-American wrestler at Ohio State and now one of the top prospects in MMA‘s featherweight division, the Palmer bar is pretty high.
The 27-year-old Palmer (10-1) holds the World Series of Fighting promotion’s 145-pound title, and he’s a big favorite to defend it Friday night against Alexandre de Almeida at WSOF 26.
But all is not right in the Palmer orbit.
WSOF officials announced Thursday that they had parted ways with executive Ali Abdelaziz, after questions came up over Abdelaziz‘s dual role as a promoter and manager, which some alleged created a conflict of interest. WSOF is also in the midst of a messy lawsuit with a business partner.
What’s more, Palmer’s training headquarters, Team Alpha Male of Sacramento, California, recently dealt with the defection of its prized charge, UFC bantamweight champ T.J. Dillashaw, and an extended public war of words between Alpha Male head Urijah Faber and former striking coach Duane Ludwig.
In response, Palmer offers the regular standbys for athletes in these situations: I have to focus on my job, one day at a time, I block it all out.
But how, exactly, does one do that?
On that question, Palmer may be fortunate. He has training to fall back on. And not just any training: With MMA now and wrestling before that, he’s well-accustomed to perhaps the most grueling athletic regimen in the world.
“Wrestling makes you more mentally tough than it does with strength and all that,” Palmer said in an exclusive interview with Bleacher Report. “It’s all the training that does it. It’s waking up at 6 a.m. for sprints up the stadium steps. It’s doing the things you don’t want to do. That’s what makes you tough.”
The routine also instills loyalty. Palmer, who finished his Buckeyes career with a 121-33 record and was a four-time state champion in high school before that, talks wistfully of his time in the gym and on the bus, bonding with teammates.
“Oh yeah, I miss it every day,” Palmer said. “I miss the tough practices and traveling with the guys. MMA’s not the same.”
Ohio State—or more specifically, a couple of notable alums—also played a direct role in Palmer’s decision to pursue MMA as a career.
“Mark Coleman and Kevin Randleman wrestled at Ohio State, and they were kind of my inspiration,” Palmer said. “I know Coleman personally, and he came in and told me one day that my style would be good for MMA.”
The closest thing in high-level MMA to a wrestling family, in Palmer’s eyes, is Team Alpha Male. The collective consists largely of former wrestlers, including Faber and Chad Mendes, and famously fosters companionship among its fighters. Just last month, some of the guys spent Thanksgiving Day watching football on Faber’s couch.
“I met Urijah Faber when I was a sophomore in college,” Palmer recalled. “He was doing a photo shoot in the wrestling room at Ohio State. We met, and I talked to him and mentioned I wanted to fight after college. …He took me under his wing. …Team Alpha Male is the team for me right now. It’s not just a team. It’s the camaraderie.”
Given this, it’s no surprise then that Palmer downplays Dillashaw‘s departure and defends Team Alpha Male against the notion that the camp was weakened by the very public struggle between the team, Dillashaw and Ludwig.
“Duane says stuff he doesn’t really mean, and that’s kind of his downfall,” Palmer said. “But he’s a good guy. We had a feeling T.J. Dillashaw would go. This was just the first time he did a whole camp [outside of Team Alpha Male]. …Urijah wasn’t really focused on it. It doesn’t really bother anybody.”
When it comes to WSOF‘s controversies, Palmer hedges a little bit more, though he is generally complimentary of the promotion.
“I’ve read a couple of articles about it, but I’m just focused on my fight,” he said. “If something does happen and I have to go, I’ll figure it out. But the business seems OK for now. Hopefully through Friday they’ll be all right.”
Palmer noted a close relationship with matchmakers in the UFC, where he, like pretty much every other elite prospect, hopes to one day wind up.
“I talk to [matchmaker] Sean Shelby all the time,” he said. “I corner some of our guys in the UFC a lot. We have a great relationship. I talk to [UFC CEO] Lorenzo [Fertitta] a lot. They’re great people. …I’ve had a couple talks with them. Right now, I have a contract with World Series of Fighting. … After that, we’ll see.”
The Beaten Path is Bleacher Report’s series on top MMA prospects. For the previous interview in the series, click here. Scott Harris covers MMA for Bleacher Report. For more, follow Scott on Twitter. All quotes obtained firsthand.
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