Pat Downey

James Patrick Downey III (born August 7, 1992) is an American wrestler and professional mixed martial artist who competes in the middleweight division. As a freestyle wrestler, Downey competed at 86 kilograms and was a 2019 Pan American Games medalist and the 2019 US Open national champion. In collegiate wrestling, he was an NCAA Division I All-American in 2016 for the Iowa State Cyclones and an NJCAA champion for Iowa Central Community College. A legally problematic high schooler, Downey was multiple times denied of wrestling and playing football due to multiple charges.

College

University of Nebraska After being invited to train at the United States Olympic Training Center by Bobby Douglas, he started residing and training in there. During his stay, he met Olympic Gold medalist and University of Nebraska graduate Jordan Burroughs, who played a big part on Downey's recruiting. He was accepted by the Nebraska Cornhuskers and was supposed to attend the University of Nebraska, but as a recently turned 21 year–old, he got sidetracked on partying. This caused head coach Mark Manning's decision of cutting Downey off the team, suggesting him to start a mixed martial arts career after breaking his thumb in a street fight.

Iowa Central Community College After his deflected time at UNL, Downey attended Iowa Central Community College, an NJCAA level school. As a redshirt freshman competing at 197 pounds, he compiled an undefeated record and became the '15 NJCAA champion (helping the Tritons reach the team championship). He also went 10–1 against NCAA Division I competition, recording notable victories over Hawkeyes, Cornhuskers, Quakers, Sun Devils, etc.

Iowa State University After putting things back on track, Downey was given two options; Iowa State University and University of Iowa. He ended up deciding to wear the Cyclones' cardinal and gold clothes, stating that some of the factors of his decision were his connections with coaches Kevin Jackson and Trent and Travis Paulson and his preference of the teammates. and entered the NCAA championships unseeded. He performed well, taking out multiple high-seeded wrestlers to place fifth, earning All-American honors.

As a junior, he was finding high success at 184 pounds during the regular season, posting seven wins and no losses. Despite some talks about a potential run as an Iowa Hawkeye, this finished Downey's collegiate wrestling career and he earned his degree from ISU via online courses.

Freestyle career

Junior level Downey was a standout junior level freestyle wrestler until 2014, year in which his eligibility to compete at this level expired. After failing to make the 2012 Senior US Olympic Team, he made the Junior World Team and went on to win a silver medal at the World Championships. He was also a FILA and USAW National Champion.

Senior level 2011–2016 He made his debut in 2011 (fresh out of high school) at the OTT qualifiers in an attempt to make the Olympic Team, but was unsuccessful after losing in the first round to eventual UFC champion and then NCAA DII champion Kamaru Usman. He competed just once between 2012 and 2013 and made his return in 2014. In this year, he won the Northern Plains tournament, placed sixth at the University Nationals and attended the World Team Trials. A year later, he competed at the ASICS US Nationals, the Northern Plains and the Bill Farrell Memorial but did not place, In 2016, he just wrestled one match.

2017–2018 In 2017, he made a return to freestyle in big fashion with a fifth-place finish at the US Open, which qualified him for the World Team Trials. At the WTT, he defeated two-time All-American turned MMA fighter Kyle Crutchmer but subsequently dropped his next two bouts. To close the year, he racked up a bronze medal from the Dave Schultz Memorial Invitational. In 2018, he once again placed at the US Open and (unlike the previous year) at the World Team Trials.

2019–2020 Downey completed his best year of competition as of now in 2019, as he racked up titles from the Dave Schultz Memorial International and the US Open and made the World Team after defeating Nick Heflin in the challenge finals and the defending World Champion David Taylor could not make it to Final X. After successfully making the team, Downey won a prestigious Pan American Games medal and went 2–1 at the World Championships. He then participated in a Super Fight against the accomplished submission grappler Nick Rodriguez, whom he tech'd after scoring 12 points to none.

In 2020, he won a bronze medal at the Matteo Pellicone Ranking Series in Italy and had a brief appearance at the Ivan Yarygin Golden Grand Prix. In February 2020, Downey competed at a special event where he faced the often referred as "Greatest Submission Grappler of All Time" Gordon Ryan. This event consisted of a freestyle wrestling match and a submission grappling match. In the wrestling match, Downey tech'd Ryan in seconds. In the sub only portion of the match, Downey tapped out to Ryan via 3/4 nelson.

Downey was scheduled to compete at the 2020 US Olympic Team Trials on April 4 at State College, Pennsylvania. However, the event was postponed for 2021 along with the Summer Olympics due to the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving all the qualifiers unable to compete.

After the Olympic Trials were postponed, Downey participated in the first wrestling event of the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic on June 28, at Rumble on the Rooftop. He faced Greco-Roman World Team Member Joe Rau in a mixed-rules match, this consisted in one period of Greco-Roman rules and other of freestyle rules, with no technical falls. After choosing Greco-Roman in the first period, Downey was down 9 points to none and could just pick up four points during the freestyle period, dropping the match 4–9.

Controversies After several tweets where he made comments towards Greco-Roman and women's wrestling, Downey was dropped by the NJRTC, terminated by Paradigm Sport Management and Barbarian Appel and also lost his spot at the FloWrestling: Dake vs. Chamizo card where he was supposed to wrestle 2018 World Champion David Taylor on July 25, in a 5–day period.

2021 After more than a year of inactivity, Downey wrestled at the UWW Matteo Pellicone Ranking Series on March 7, at 92 kilograms, where he went 0–4. Downey then competed at the rescheduled US Olympic Team Trials in April, finishing fourth after going 1–2.

Downey was scheduled to face two-time US Open National champion at 97 kg Kyven Gadson on August 13 in an adapted folkstyle match at the Stalemates Street League event. However, Downey did not show up to the event. He was then scheduled to trim down to 79 kilograms and compete at the 2021 US World Team Trials on September 11–12, but once again did not show up.

2025–2026

Downey began competing in Real American Freestyle (RAF) in 2025. He faced Yoel Romero for the interim RAF Light Heavyweight Championship at RAF 04 on December 20, 2025, losing via technical fall.

Downey faced Zac Braunagel on July 18, 2026 at RAF 11 and lost by technical fall.

Legal issues In November 2009, Downey was charged with first-degree assault, after Baltimore Police stated he had beaten up a Towson University student in a parking lot. According to police, Downey broke the student's jaw and knocked off four of his teeth. Downey was also charged with assault and robbery in September 2010, when he was accused of beating up a classmate who sold him and two of Downey's friends marijuana after refusing to pay him, however, charges were dropped due to repeated changes in the victim's testimony.

After a trial that took place in July 2011, where Downey was facing up to 35 years of prison, In 2017, Downey referred to his antics as a high schooler:

Mixed martial arts career

Bellator MMA Downey was formerly signed with Paradigm Sport Management and is now signed with SuckerPunch Entertainment. Downey first announced his intentions of pursuing mixed martial arts in 2018 and was scheduled to make his amateur debut in 2019 in a cancelled bout. Downey was rumored to make his professional debut on May 21, 2021, at LFA 108, in a middleweight bout, but an appearance never materialized.

On January 6, 2022, it was announced that Downey had signed with Bellator MMA and will reportedly make his debut later in the year. Downey was scheduled to make his MMA debut against Daniel Compton on April 15, 2022, at Bellator 277. After developing Red skin syndrome, Downey was forced to pull out of the bout.

Downey made his MMA and Bellator debut, facing Keyes Nelson, on August 12, 2022, at Bellator 284. He won the fight via arm-triangle choke 36 seconds into the bout.

Downey faced Christian Echols on December 9, 2022, at Bellator 289. Despite being a nearly 20-to-1 favorite, he lost the fight via knockout in the first round.

In February 2023, it was announced that Downey was released from Bellator.

Mixed martial arts record Loss

Christian Echols KO (punches) Bellator 289

Uncasville, Connecticut, United States Win

Keyes Nelson Submission (arm-triangle choke) Bellator 284

Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United States Submission grappling career In February 2020, Downey competed at a special event where he faced the often referred as "Greatest Submission Grappler of All Time" Gordon Ryan but the event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Downey made his return to the sport at Subversiv 5 on May 1, 2021, defeating Rasheed Perez by unanimous decision. Downey then competed at the Third Coast Grappling Middleweight Grand Prix on June 19, being eliminated in the first match by Pedro Marinho. He was then scheduled to compete at a Sub Spectrum event on August 14, one day after a wrestling match with Kyven Gadson, but did not show up to either event.

Downey competed in the over 80 kg division of the Craig Jones Invitational on August 16–17, 2024. He defeated Luke Rockhold by decision in the opening round and lost to Adam Bradly in the quarter-final by decision. He was later awarded the first stripe on his Brazilian jiu-jitsu white belt after the performance.

Downey entered the IBJJF No Gi World Championship 2024 as a blue belt. He won all five matches but was disqualified in the final due to unsportsmanlike conduct after a fight broke out between him and his opponent. Downey was later suspended from IBJJF competition for five years as a result of his conduct.

Downey competed against Andre Petroski in the co-main event of Fury Pro Grappling 12 on December 28, 2024. He won the match by golden score in overtime. Downey entered the Mat Assassin Grand Prix on January 19, 2025. He won his first two matches before being submitted in the semi-finals.

Downey was scheduled to face Deron Winn in a no gi submission grappling superfight at Spokane Submission Series 4 on March 1, 2025. Both Downey and Winn withdrew from the match.

Downey competed against Chris Weidman at Fury Pro Grappling 13 on May 23, 2025. He won the match by golden score in overtime

Submission grappling record

Result Rec. Opponent Method Event Division Type Year Location

Freestyle record

Res. Record Opponent Score Date Event Location

Loss 62–43

Loss 62–42

Win 62–41

Loss 61–41

Loss 61–40

Win 61–39

Loss 60–39

Loss 60–38

Rome, Italy Loss 60–37

Win 60–36

Beverly, Massachusetts

Loss 59–36

Krasnoyarsk, Russia

Win 59–35

Rome, Italy Loss 58–35

Win 58–34

Win 57–34

Win 56–34

Iowa City, Iowa

Loss 55–34

Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan Win 55–33

Win 54–33

Win 53–33

Lima, Peru Loss 52–33

Win 52–32

Loss 51–32

Istanbul, Turkey Loss 51–31

Win 51–30

Raleigh, North Carolina Win 50–30

Win 49–30

Las Vegas, Nevada Win 48–30

Win 47–30

Win 46–30

Win 45–30

Win 44–30

Loss 43–30

Havana, Cuba Loss 43–29

Win 43–28

Colorado Springs, Colorado Win 42–28

Win 41–28

Loss 40–28

Vladikavkaz, Russia

Loss 40–27

Bethlehem, Pennsylvania Win 40–26

Rochester, Minnesota Win 39–26

Loss 38–26

Win 38–25

Las Vegas, Nevada Loss 37–25

Win 37–24

Win 36–24

Loss 35–24

Win 35–23

Colorado Springs, Colorado Loss 34–23

Win 34–22

Loss 33–22

Loss 33–21

Lincoln, Nebraska Loss 33–20

Win 33–19

Win 32–19

Las Vegas, Nevada Loss 31–19

Win 31–18

Win 30–18

Loss 29–18

Win 29–17

Win 28–17

Win 27–17

Loss 26–17

Spala, Poland

Loss 26–16

New York City, New York Win 26–15

Win 25–15

Win 24–15

Loss 23–15

Win 23–14

Loss 22–14

Win 22–13

Win 21–13

Win 20–13

Loss 19–13

Win 19–12

Win 18–12

Win 17–12

Loss 16–12

Waterloo, Iowa Win 16–11

Win 15–11

Loss 14–11

Las Vegas, Nevada Win 14–10

Win 13–10

Loss 12–10

Win 12–9

Loss 11–9

Madison, Wisconsin Loss 11–8

Loss 11–7

Win 11–6

Win 10–6

Win 9–6

Win 8–6

Win 7–6

Waterloo, Iowa Win 6–6

Win 5–6

Loss 4–6

New York City, New York Win 4–5

Loss 3–5

Loss 3–4

Las Vegas, Nevada Win 3–3

Loss 2–3

Loss 2–2

New York City, New York Win 2–1

Loss 1–1

Win 1–0

NCAA record

Res. Record Opponent Score Date Event

Win 17–4

Win 16–4

Win 15–4

Win 14–4

Win 13–4

Win 12–4

Win 11–4

Loss 10–4

Win 10–3

Win 9–3

Loss 8–3

Win 8–2

Win 7–2

Win 6–2

Win 5–2

Loss 4–2

Win 4–1

Win 3–1

Loss 2–1

Win 2–0

Win 1–0

Stats Season Year School Rank Weigh Class Record Win Bonus 2017 Junior

7 (DNQ) 184 7–0 100.00% 57.14% 2016 Sophomore 5 (5th)

11–4 73.33% 13.33% 2015 Freshman Iowa Central Community College 1 (NJCAA) 10–1 90.91% 36-36%