TORRINGTON – Growing up in Cheyenne, Bryce Meredith made the trip north on Highway 85 many times to attend wrestling camps in Torrington.

On Saturday and Sunday, he returned to Torrington to help coach at a preseason wrestling camp put on by the Torrington Wrestling Club.

“Growing up in Southeast area of Wyoming – Cheyenne, Torrington – the majority of my life and the Sundays of my life from 6-11 or 12 were spent on this road going back and forth doing wrestling clinics with high-level clinicians,” Meredith said. “Now, for it to come full circle, and 18-20 years later, I’m the one coming back home to work with these kids and try to increase Wyoming wrestling as much as we possibly can.”

There were nearly 40 kids from Goshen County, Cheyenne and Nebraska packed into the Torrington Wrestling Room, adjacent to the Goshen County School District’s Central Administration building, ranging in ages from 8 through to high school, soaking in everything they could from the four-time Wyoming state champion and University of Wyoming All-American wrestler.

“Getting to come here and take these kids to a higher level and teach them stuff, it’s one of my favorite things to do in all the world,” Meredith said. “This group of kids listen really, really well. They’ve been a good bunch of kids.”

Meredith came to Torrington through his connection with the Hatley family.

“I grew up with the Hatley’s and have been very connected with them my entire life,” he said. “When they called me and wanted me to come out, it was a no-brainer.”

The camp almost didn’t happen with Meredith in attendance since he is only days away from his next MMA fight. He was able to rearrange his schedule to be able to make the trip to Goshen County ahead of his fight with Miguel Peimbert at Bellator 300 on Oct. 7 in San Diego, California as he looks to remain unbeaten in the MMA world.

Meredith said the sports of wrestling and MMA are similar so the transition from one sport to another wasn’t an issue for him.

“Wrestling is a great base for MMA, so it was a pretty seamless transition to go into MMA,” he said. “After some time, it starts to feel pretty much the exact same.”

Meredith said even though he’s transitioned from traditional wrestling to an MMA fighter, wrestling will always be his true love.

“Wrestling is still the greatest sport,” Meredith said. “Fighting is obviously violent, and there is brain health that comes with that. I think wrestling is the best way to fight another human being. For me, I’m always staying connected to wrestling and always want to be coaching in wrestling. Like I said, hopefully in my life, I have my hand in wrestling in some sort forever.”