Jake and Jared Rosholt
Jake Rosholt
Age: 38 | Middleweight | Record: 12-5 (1), 1-2 UFC
Jake Rosholt, the older of the two siblings, had a remarkable wrestling career before transitioning into the MMA world. The Idaho native graduated from Sandpoint High School as a three-time state champion in the 189lb division. His high school wrestling success would carry over into his university career. In his first year as an Oklahoma State Cowboy, Rosholt would win a NCAA D1 title at 184lbs. The success carried over into the following years when he won two more titles in the 197lb weight class. This made him a four-time All-American and three-time NCAA Champion. Upon finishing his wrestling career with a 105-20 record, Rosholt embarked on a new journey into mixed martial arts.
Training out of the world-renowned Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas, Rosholt would begin his MMA career with four consecutive victories on the regional scene. This culminated in an opportunity to the now-defunct WEC. At that time WEC was one of the most well-known organizations in North America. It was the home to fighters like Jose Aldo, Dominick Cruz, and Cowboy Cerrone. In his first fight for the promotion, he earned his fifth stoppage victory when he finished Nissen Osternick in the second round with strikes.
In 2008, the UFC decided to merge with the WEC which ultimately led to the upper weight classes being eliminated from the promotion. The WEC would continue putting on events featuring the lighter weight classes and fighters in the heavier classes would move over the UFC. As a result, Rosholt would continue to compete in the UFC. Rosholt went 1-2 in the promotion losing to Dan Miller (also on this list) and Kendall Grove. His lone win in the promotion was a rear-naked choke over UFC veteran Chris Leben. After his loss to Grove, Rosholt was released with a 6-2 record. Over the next three years, Rosholt would compete ten more times for many organizations including Bellator and Shark Fights. In his last fight, he lost to Anthony Johnson and ultimately retired from the sport altogether.
Jared Rosholt
Age: 34 | Heavyweight | Record: 20-8, 6-2 UFC
It is easy to confuse one brother for the other given their accomplishments and wrestling accolades almost mirroring one another. Both have had tremendous success on the wrestling mat and both have competed at the highest level in mixed martial arts. Like older brother Jake, Jared attended Sandpoint High School. He later moved to Ponca City High School where he continued to wrestle and play football. As a high school student, Jared was a four-time state champion and two-time national runner-up. Like his older brother, Jared elected to continue wrestling at Oklahoma State. On a collegiate level, he held a record of 125-27 which was a school record for most wins in the weight class. Rosholt went on to come fourth, third, and second in three consecutive seasons at the NCAA Wrestling Championship.
Shortly after his collegiate wrestling days ended, Rosholt began his move into mixed martial arts like his older brother. In his first year as a mixed martial artist, he went 4-0 with four stoppage victories. In his fifth fight, Rosholt was matched up with a man by the name of Derrick Lewis for the Legacy FC Heavyweight title. Both men were beginning their journey toward the UFC. Lewis would hand Rosholt his first loss by knocking him out in the second round. The setback only fueled Rosholt to get back on track. Following the loss, Rosholt proceeded to win his next four fights which earned him a UFC contract at a record of 8-1.
In his UFC debut, Rosholt was matched up with Walt Harris at the Ultimate Fighter: Team Rousey vs Team Tate Finale. He would proceed to win that fight via unanimous decision. Over the course of the next two years, Rosholt would win five more fights including wins over Stefan Struve, Timothy Johnson and Soa Palelei. Despite going 6-2 in the promotion, Rosholt was released following a defeat to Roy Nelson. Since his release, Jared Rosholt has been competing for the PFL where he has seen mixed results. After seeing mixed results to begin his time in the promotion, Rosholt reached the finals of the 2019 PFL Heavyweight tournament.
Summary
Both men have had excellent careers in both wrestling and mixed martial arts. Younger brother Jared followed Jake’s career almost to a tee to a point where their accolades are almost identical. When looking at which has the edge, it is razor close. As a wrestler, Jake has more titles to his name at the collegiate level. In mixed martial arts, Jared found more success inside the octagon and in higher-level promotions. Regardless of who you believe has strung together a better career for themselves, both men are legends from Oklahoma State.
