Biography(references)Villante also earned all-American honors following a 5th-place finish in the 215 lbs weight class at the 2003 NHSCA senior national wrestling tournament. Villante was equally accomplished in football, in which he received the 2002 Thorpe Award winner as the top football player in Nassau County, also the Bill Piner Award as the top linebacker in Nassau County and was named to the High School Heisman All-Star team. Villante attended Hofstra University from 2003 to 2007 where he continued his highly successful football and wrestling careers. Villante started his first game against Marshall University, as a true freshman, at middle linebacker. Villante wrestled for Hofstra where he became close with NCAA All-American wrestler and future UFC Middleweight Champion Chris Weidman.
Fighter Trivia(references)Villante is Italian American. He and his long-time girlfriend Katie have a son, Gianluca, who was born in December 2019.
Awards & Accolades
UFC: Fight of the Night (Three times)
Ring of Combat: Ring of Combat Heavyweight Championship (One time)
Ring of Combat: Ring of Combat Light Heavyweight Championship (One time)
MMAJunkie.com: 2015 April Fight of the Month vs. Corey Anderson
High school football: 2001 All-Section VIII Linebacker
High school football: 2001 All-Long Island Linebacker (Sect VIII&XI)
High school football: 2002 All-Section VIII Linebacker
High school football: 2002 All-Long Island Linebacker (Sect VIII&XI)
High school football: 2002 Piner Award (Best Linebacker – Section VIII – Nassau County)
High school football: 2002 Thorpe Award (Best Football Player – Section VIII – Nassau County)
High school football: 2002 1st Team All-New York State
High school football: 2002 1st All-Metro Team (Lower NY-Upper NJ)
College football: 2004 2nd Team Defensive All-Atlantic 10
College football: 2004 1st Team Defensive I-AA All-American
College football: 2006 1st Team Defensive All-Atlantic 10
College football: 2007 1st Team Defensive All-Colonial Conference
High school wrestling: 2002 Section VIII Nassau County Champion (215 lbs)
High school wrestling: 2002 New York State 3rd Place (215 lbs)
High school wrestling: 2003 Section VIII Nassau County Champion (215 lbs)
High school wrestling: 2003 New York State Champion (215 lbs)
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