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Roman Bravo-Young

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Roman Bravo-Young
Personal information
Full nameRoman Guillermo Bravo-Young
NicknameRBY
Born (1999-01-28) January 28, 1999 (age 27)[1]
Tucson, Arizona, U.S.
Sport
Country Mexico (2023–present)
 United States (2016–2023)
SportWrestling
Weight class
57 kg (126 lb)
Events
Freestyle and Folkstyle
College teamPenn State
ClubCowboy Wrestling Club RTC,
Nittany Lion Wrestling Club (formerly)
Coached byDavid Taylor
Cael Sanderson
Medal record
Men's freestyle wrestling
Representing  Mexico
Central American and Caribbean Games
Gold medal – first place2026 Santo Domingo57 kg
Pan American Championships
Gold medal – first place2025 Monterrey57 kg
Grand Prix
Gold medal – first place2023 Mexico City57 kg
Gold medal – first place2024 Sangju57 kg
Gold medal – first place2024 Warsaw57 kg
Gold medal – first place2024 Nice57 kg
Silver medal – second place2025 Ulaanbaatar57 kg
Bronze medal – third place2025 Zagreb57 kg
Silver medal – second place2026 Zagreb57 kg
Representing the  United States
U20 Pan American Championships
Gold medal – first place2019 Guatemala City61 kg
Men's collegiate wrestling
Representing the Penn State Nittany Lions
NCAA Division I Championships
Gold medal – first place2021 St. Louis133 lb
Gold medal – first place2022 Detroit133 lb
Silver medal – second place2023 Tulsa133 lb
Big Ten Championships
Gold medal – first place2021 State College133 lb
Gold medal – first place2022 Lincoln133 lb
Gold medal – first place2023 Ann Arbor133 lb
Silver medal – second place2020 Piscataway133 lb

Roman Guillermo Bravo-Young (born January 28, 1999) is a Mexican–American freestyle and graduated folkstyle wrestler who competes at 57 kilograms.[2] In freestyle, he represented Mexico at the 2024 Summer Olympics, was the Pan American champion in 2025 and the Central American and Caribbean Games champion in 2026.[3]

In folkstyle, Bravo-Young was the 2021 and 2022 NCAA Division I National champion at 133 pounds and a four-time All-American for the Pennsylvania State University.[4][5][6]

Career

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High school

[edit]

Bravo-Young attended Sunnyside High School in Tucson, Arizona,[7][8] where he was an undefeated four-time state champion with a 182–0 record.[9] Also a US U17 World Team member in freestyle, Bravo-Young committed to the Pennsylvania State University.[10]

Pennsylvania State University

[edit]

2018–2019

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Before the folkstyle season started, Bravo-Young placed second at the US U23 National championships in freestyle.[11]

As a true freshman at 133 pounds, he earned a Keystone Classic title and placed third at the Southern Scuffle.[12][13] After placing fifth at the Big Ten Championships, Bravo-Young became an All-American with an eighth-place finish at the NCAA National Championships, closing out the year with a 25–7 record.[14][15]

Bravo-Young then placed second at the U20 US Open and grabbed a gold medal from the U20 Pan American Championships in freestyle.[16][17]

2019–2020

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As a sophomore, Bravo-Young won the Black Knight Invitational and Wilkes Open, and only lost one match during regular season to top-ranked Seth Gross.[18][19] After improving to a second-place finish at the Big Ten Championships, the NCAA National Championships were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, cutting his season short with a 20–2 record.[20][21]

2020–2021

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During the pandemic, Bravo-Young competed in freestyle, taking out NCAA finalist Jack Mueller at FloWrestling: Dake vs. Chamizo, Shelton Mack at the NLWC II, and eventual UFC champion Aljamain Sterling at the NLWC IV.[22][23][24]

Going back to folkstyle, Bravo-Young had an undefeated regular season, and claimed his first Big Ten title with a win over rival Austin DeSanto from Iowa.[25] At the NCAA Championships, Bravo-Young became a national champion with a hard-fought win in sudden-victory over NCAA finalist Daton Fix from Oklahoma State, after an undefeated tournament.[26] He closed out the season with a 14–0 record and was named the Penn State Male Athlete of the Year.[27]

2021–2022

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After another undefeated regular season, Bravo-Young claimed his second Big Ten title with another win over Austin DeSanto.[28] At the NCAA Championships, Bravo-Young became a two-time national champion with another win over Daton Fix, capping yet another perfect season with a 22–0 record.[29]

2022–2023

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In his extra season, granted to athletes due to the 2020 season being cut short, Bravo-Young once again went undefeated during regular season and claimed his third Big Ten title.[30] At the NCAA Championships, he advanced to the finals, but was defeated by Vito Arujau from Cornell to claim runner-up honors, ending his season with a 20–1 record.[31] Bravo-Young graduated as a two-time NCAA national champion, four-time All-American, and three-time Big Ten champion, with an overall record of 100–10.[32]

In June, Bravo-Young competed in submission grappling against UFC veteran Alex Perez at the UFC Fight Pass Invitational 4, with the match ending in a draw.[33][34]

Mexico

[edit]

2023

[edit]

In July, Bravo-Young announced he would transfer and represent Mexico in freestyle, his grandparents' native country.[35] By the end of the month, Bravo-Young claimed the Mexican National Qualifier title, wearing the Mexican singlet for the first time.[36]

In December, Bravo-Young claimed the Mexico Grand Prix title down at 57 kilograms, defeating all three opponents by technical fall.[37]

2024

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To start off January, Bravo-Young claimed a gold medal from the Grand Prix de France Henri Deglane, scoring wins over African champion Diamantino Iuna Fafé and US National Team member Daniel Deshazer.[38]

In March, Bravo-Young competed at the Pan American Olympic Qualification Tournament, in an attempt to qualify Mexico for the Summer Olympics.[39] After victories over Enrique Herrera and Pedro Mejías to make the semifinals, Bravo-Young was able to defeat Óscar Tigreros to become a 2024 Summer Olympian.[40]

In June, Bravo-Young competed at the Poland Open, where he grabbed wins over African champions Gamal Mohamed and Diamantino Iuna Fafé on his way to a championship.[41]

In August, Bravo-Young made his Olympic debut at the 2024 Summer Olympics, where after dropping his opening match to four-time European champion and two-time U23 World champion Arsen Harutyunyan from Armenia, he was eliminated from the tournament.[42]

In November, Bravo-Young competed at the Korea Open, defeating his two Japanese opponents to claim the championship.[43]

2025

[edit]

To start off 2025, Bravo-Young competed at the prestigious Golden Grand Prix Ivan Yarygin in January, where he went 1–1.[44] Next, he claimed a bronze medal at the Grand Prix Zagreb Open, earning three victories over international competition and a loss to three-time NCAA champion and Olympic finalist Spencer Lee in a highly anticipated contest.[45][46][47]

In May, after three victories over foreign opposition, Bravo-Young claimed the gold medal at the Pan American Championships.[48] He gave Mexico its first gold medal performance in 32 years at the tournament.[49]

Bravo-Young competed at the Ulaanbaatar Open in June, in Mongolia.[50] After a win over Turkey, he pinned India's Olympic bronze medalist Aman Sehrawat in the semifinals before suffering a loss to Mongolia.[51]

Bravo-Young finished out the season in September at the World Championships, where he beat Germany and Iran before falling to eventual champion from North Korea Han Chong-song in the quarterfinals.[52] After recovering with a win over Puerto Rico's Darian Cruz in repechage, he fell in the bronze-medal bout to Arsen Harutyunyan from Armenia, in a rematch from the 2024 Summer Olympics and the 2016 U17 World Championships.[53]

2026

[edit]

Bravo-Young stepped on the mat once again at the Zagreb Open in February, defeating notable representatives of India, the United States and Iran to reach the finals, where he suffered an ankle injury early in the match after getting scored on by Spencer Lee's offense, which forced him to withdraw with a silver medal.[54]

After several months off the mat, Bravo-Young gave Mexico a gold medal performance at the Central American and Caribbean Games, taking out the representatives from Colombia, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela and Puerto Rico on his way to the top of the podium.[55]

Wrestling style

[edit]

Bravo-Young is known for his footwork, speed, and agility.[56][57][58] Defensively, he is known for employing acrobatic flips to get out of dangerous situations.[59][60][61] Bravo-Young sometimes trains with former UFC champion Dominick Cruz, who has some of the most versatile footwork in mixed martial arts.[62][63]

Personal life

[edit]

Bravo-Young was engaged to soccer player Ellie Bravo-Young (née Wheeler) at CPKC Stadium on March 15, 2025. He proposed to her on the field after her game with the Kansas City Current.[64] The couple married in Tucson, Arizona, on December 27, 2025.[65]

Freestyle record

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NCAA record

[edit]

Stats

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Submission grappling record

[edit]
1 Match, 0 Wins, 0 Losses, 1 Draw
Result Rec. Opponent Method Event Division Type Year Location
Draw0–0–1United States Alex PerezDraw (time limit)UFC Fight Pass Invitational 4145 lbsNogiJune 29, 2023United States Las Vegas, Nevada

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ Bravo-Young, Roman (28 January 2018). "19 years old.pic.twitter.com/IVPeNF188Q". @romanbravoyoung. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
  2. ↑ Taylor. "USA gana ocho medallas de oro en el dia final de #WrestleGuatemalaCity". United World Wrestling. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  3. ↑ Morales, Javier (3 December 2023). "Bravo-Young closer to qualifying for Mexico's Olympic team by winning Grand Prix title | ALLSPORTSTUCSON.com". Retrieved 16 December 2023.
  4. ↑ ago, Chris Snyder 15 hours (20 March 2021). "PSU Wrestling: Roman Bravo-Young takes home 133 National Championship". Victory Bell Rings. Retrieved 21 March 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  5. ↑ Spears, Justin (20 March 2021). "Tucsonan, Penn State star Roman Bravo-Young wins wrestling national championship". Arizona Daily Star. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  6. ↑ Wogenrich, Mark (7 March 2021). "Penn State's Aaron Brooks, Roman Bravo-Young Win Big Ten Wrestling Titles". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  7. ↑ "Roman Bravo-Young earns Poland Open championship ahead of Paris Olympics | ALLSPORTSTUCSON.com". 23 June 2024. Retrieved 31 July 2025.
  8. ↑ Spears, Justin (26 May 2023). "The legend of RBY: How Roman Bravo-Young went from streets of South Tucson to famed wrestler". Arizona Daily Star. Retrieved 31 July 2025.
  9. ↑ McKeon, Mara (23 March 2023). "A Look Back At Penn State Wrestling's Roman Bravo-Young's Career". Onward State. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
  10. ↑ "RLR Wrestling: Travis Wittlake Jr. & Roman Bravo-Young commit to PSU". Roar Lions Roar. 22 October 2016. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
  11. ↑ Sauertieg, Clay (3 June 2018). "Penn State Wrestling: U23 and Cadet World Team Trials". Black Shoe Diaries. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
  12. ↑ "No.1 Penn State Wins Keystone Classic in Philadelphia". Penn State University Athletics. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
  13. ↑ "Nittany Lions Win 2019 Southern Scuffle". Penn State University Athletics. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
  14. ↑ "Penn State wrestling wins 2019 Big Ten championship | Penn State University". news.psu.edu. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
  15. ↑ "Penn State Wrestling's Lee Takes Fifth, Bravo-Young Takes Eighth At NCAA Championships". Onward State. 23 March 2019. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
  16. ↑ Morales, Andy (7 June 2019). "Wrestling: Roman Bravo-Young set for Junior Pan Am Championships & Jesse Ybarra takes second at the Cadet World Team Trials | ALLSPORTSTUCSON.com". Retrieved 24 January 2024.
  17. ↑ Linder, Brian (17 June 2022). "Penn State wrestling champ Roman Bravo-Young signs NIL deal which could set him up nicely for his post-wrestling career: reports". pennlive. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
  18. ↑ "Lewan, Parris Capture Titles, Headline U-M Effort at Black Knight Invite". University of Michigan Athletics. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
  19. ↑ "Nittany Lions Dominate Wilkes Open". Penn State University Athletics. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
  20. ↑ "Hall and Brooks Claim Big Ten Titles as 2020 B1G Championship Concludes". Penn State University Athletics. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
  21. ↑ Collegian, Shane Connelly | The Daily (30 March 2020). "'What a joke': Penn State wrestling's Roman Bravo-Young reacts as NCAA won't grant winter athletes more eligibility". The Daily Collegian. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
  22. ↑ "Dake vs Chamizo Match Notes". www.flowrestling.org. 25 July 2020. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
  23. ↑ "Meredith and Bartlett entertain at NLWC dual on Tuesday". Team USA. 20 October 2020. Archived from the original on 23 October 2020.
  24. ↑ Collegian, Jake Aferiat | The Daily (22 December 2020). "Zain Retherford, Roman Bravo-Young put on strong showings as headliners in NLWC's fourth freestyle event". The Daily Collegian. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
  25. ↑ "VIDEO: Roman Bravo-Young Outclasses Austin Desanto for First Big Ten Title". Roar Lions Roar. 8 March 2021. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
  26. ↑ Collegian, Ben Serfass | The Daily (20 March 2021). "Penn State wrestling's Roman Bravo-Young earns 1st career national title". The Daily Collegian. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  27. ↑ "Bravo-Young and Schlegel Named Penn State's Athletes of the Year". Penn State University Athletics. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  28. ↑ Morales, Javier (6 March 2022). "Sunnyside alum Roman Bravo-Young repeats as 133-pound Big Ten champion | ALLSPORTSTUCSON.com". Retrieved 16 December 2023.
  29. ↑ "Penn State Wrestling Roman Bravo-Young wins his second NCAA Title". Victory Bell Rings. 19 March 2022. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
  30. ↑ Scovel, Shannon. "Penn State wins the 2023 Big Ten wrestling tournament | NCAA.com". www.ncaa.com. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
  31. ↑ "Watch LI's Vito Arujau win the national championship at 133 pounds for Cornell". Newsday. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
  32. ↑ "Roman Bravo-Young - Wrestling". Penn State Athletics. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
  33. ↑ de Souza, Diogo (28 May 2023). "NCAA Champion Roman Bravo-Young To Make BJJ Debut At UFC Fight Pass Invitational 4". JitsMagazine. Retrieved 28 May 2023.
  34. ↑ "UFC Fight Pass Invitational 4 Full Results And Review". Jitsmagazine. 30 June 2023. Retrieved 30 June 2023.
  35. ↑ Lamm, Keeley (14 July 2023). "Penn State Wrestling Star Roman Bravo-Young To Represent Mexico In 2024 Olympic Qualifying". Onward State. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
  36. ↑ "NittanyLionWC on X: "Roman Bravo-Young went 2-0 with two technical falls at the 4th Annual National Qualifier for Mexico. Congrats Roman! 🥇"". X. 29 July 2023.
  37. ↑ Morales, Javier (3 December 2023). "Bravo-Young closer to qualifying for Mexico's Olympic team by winning Grand Prix title | ALLSPORTSTUCSON.com". Retrieved 16 December 2023.
  38. ↑ "El mexicano Román Bravo conquista la medalla de oro en Grand Prix de lucha libre, en Francia". Latin US (in Mexican Spanish). 22 January 2024. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
  39. ↑ Lamm, Keeley (14 July 2023). "Penn State Wrestling Star Roman Bravo-Young To Represent Mexico In 2024 Olympic Qualifying". Onward State. Retrieved 2 March 2024.
  40. ↑ Lamm, Keeley (3 March 2024). "Former Penn State Wrestler Roman Bravo-Young Qualifies for 2024 Olympic Games". StateCollege.com. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
  41. ↑ Morales, Javier (23 June 2024). "Roman Bravo-Young earns Poland Open championship ahead of Paris Olympics | ALLSPORTSTUCSON.com". Retrieved 23 June 2024.
  42. ↑ Smeltzer, Joe (8 August 2024). "Penn State Wrestling Great Roman Bravo-Young Drops Olympic Debut". Nittany Sports Now. Retrieved 9 August 2024.
  43. ↑ Morales, Javier (25 November 2024). "Roman Bravo-Young wins 57-kg Korea Open International Tournament championship | ALLSPORTSTUCSON.com". Retrieved 25 November 2024.
  44. ↑ Kozak, Jon (22 January 2025). "2025 Yarygin Wrestling Tournament Brackets & Results". FloWrestling. Retrieved 24 January 2025.
  45. ↑ Rader, J. D. (25 January 2023). "Roman Bravo-Young Says He Wants To Wrestle Spencer Lee". FloWrestling. Retrieved 5 February 2025.
  46. ↑ Wagner, Brendan (26 January 2023). "Roman Bravo-Young Ready For Potential Matchup Against Iowa's Spencer Lee". Onward State. Retrieved 5 February 2025.
  47. ↑ "Zagreb Open 2025 Day 1 Semifinals Set". uww.org. 5 February 2025. Retrieved 5 February 2025.
  48. ↑ "McKenna, Parker, Wick, Hidlay, Rademacher, Hendrickson to go for gold in men's freestyle at Pan American Championship". www.themat.com. 11 May 2025. Retrieved 12 May 2025.
  49. ↑ "Freestyle history for Argentina, Mexico at Pan-Ams". uww.org. 12 May 2025. Retrieved 22 May 2025.
  50. ↑ "Ulaanbaatar Open 2025 Ranking Series Entries". uww.org. 19 May 2025. Retrieved 22 May 2025.
  51. ↑ Morales, Javier (2 June 2025). "Roman Bravo-Young defeats Olympic medalist, earns silver medal in Mongolian Ranking Series | ALLSPORTSTUCSON.com". Retrieved 2 June 2025.
  52. ↑ Ellis, R. R. (14 September 2025). "Senior World Wrestling Championships 2025 Results Day 2". FloWrestling. Retrieved 3 August 2026.
  53. ↑ "World Wrestling Championships 2025 Live Blog: Day 2 FS 57kg, 74kg, 79kg, 92kg". uww.org. 14 September 2025. Retrieved 3 August 2026.
  54. ↑ "Lee, Desanto, Carr, Keckeisen earn gold at Zagreb Open, U.S. starts fast with seven men's freestyle medals". www.themat.com. 4 February 2026. Retrieved 3 August 2026.
  55. ↑ Morales, Javier (2 August 2026). "Roman Bravo-Young dominates competition on way to gold medal at Central American and Caribbean Games | ALLSPORTSTUCSON.com". Retrieved 3 August 2026.
  56. ↑ ago, Chris Snyder 2 months (10 March 2021). "Penn State Wrestling: B1G Championships Grades, MVP". Victory Bell Rings. Retrieved 7 June 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  57. ↑ "Penn State wrestling: Roman Bravo-Young and Aaron Brooks claim individual titles as Nittany Lions finish second". bwi.rivals.com. 7 March 2021. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
  58. ↑ "PSU Wrestling B1G Tourney: Nittany Lions dominated the field". Lions247. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
  59. ↑ "Penn State wrestling's Bravo-Young hopes to put on a show". WDVM25 & DCW50 | Washington, DC. 14 February 2020. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
  60. ↑ Collegian, Jake Aferiat | The Daily (4 December 2018). "Penn State wrestling enjoys strong weekend against two in-state foes". The Daily Collegian. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
  61. ↑ "ASK KOLAT: Where Did the Rubber Knee Come From? | RUDIS". RUDIS Wrestling Gear. 10 April 2019. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
  62. ↑ "Roman Bravo-Young | 2x NCAA All-American at Penn State". romanbravoyoung.com. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
  63. ↑ Thomas, Luke (14 April 2014). "Dominick Cruz and the deliberate dance of footwork". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
  64. ↑ National Women's Soccer League [@nwsl]; (15 March 2025). "Ellie Wheeler secures the win and a ring! 💍". Retrieved 16 March 2025 – via Instagram.
  65. ↑ Kansas City Current [@kccurrent]; (29 December 2025). "We couldn't be happier for you both, @elliebravoyoung & @rby ❤️". Retrieved 29 December 2025 – via Instagram.
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