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Former West Virginia wrestler Lucas Seibert defeats Illinois national champion Lucas Byrd in grappling match

IMG_6598by: Nick Kosko05/25/25nickkosko59
Screenshot 2025-05-25 at 9.04.27 AM
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West Virginia wrestling alum Lucas Seibert defeated 2025 NCAA champion Lucas Byrd (Illinois) in a Fury Grappling match Friday night. Seibert hit a triangle submission in the first two minutes of their match in Atlantic City (N.J.).

It was the debut for Byrd, who just capped off a fantastic year at Illinois as the NCAA champion at 133 pounds. As Byrd makes the transition to jiu jitsu and MMA, he’ll have to see a new set of opponents.

But, Seibert got his number this time around. You can see the submission below. 

Byrd attempted to lift Seibert in the air to cut the submission loose. However, Seibert had the angle and adjusted for the squeeze and Bryd could not escape.

Former Iowa State All-American and World Team member Pat Downey beat former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman in a grappling match as well. The transition of wrestlers to other combat sports, like what Seibert and Byrd have done, is pretty commonplace these days.

Not all is lost for Byrd by the way. He could potentially return as use a 7th year of eligibility in 2025-26 and it seems like that’s the plan, if he’s granted the waiver.

“I don’t know how it all works with it being a medical but from what I’ve been told, I do have an extra year left,” Byrd told On3 in March. “I don’t know how (exactly), because I know you get in at the end of your career, but I don’t know if, like, they just tell me, hey you have the year … (As far as using it next year), that’s kind of where I’m at right now. I’ve been, you know, sitting on it, talking with friends, family, really trying to figure out what the best path for me is.” 

Byrd went 23-1 this season, beating Iowa’s Drake Ayala in the NCAA finals 3-2 in tiebreakers. He previously pinned Ayala in the Big Ten finals two weeks prior after losing to him in the dual earlier this season.

Byrd is 96-16 in his career and is a three-time All-American, finishing fifth in 2021 and ‘22. The 2023 season ended in the Blood Round as Byrd lost to Ohio State’s Jesse Mendez, who went on to win the national title in 2024 and ‘25 at 141 pounds.

Illinois showed out this season, with Byrd getting through an absolutely loaded weight class. Should he be back next year, he’ll be the favorite to repeat as champion.