There is an obvious storyline heading into the Bellator 143 matchup between Darrion Caldwell and Shawn Bunch, a pair of decorated wrestlers looking to translate their athletic pedigrees into mixed martial arts success.
Caldwell is a former NCAA national champion at North Carolina State University, while Bunch was a two-time All-American at Edinboro University and a two-time Olympic alternate. However, Caldwell appears to be a little bit more advanced thus far in his MMA tenure.
In his first appearance since dropping from featherweight to bantamweight, Caldwell relied on his grappling roots to outpoint former title challenger Rafael Silva at Bellator 137 on May 15.