Former Penn State All-America wrestler Aaron Anspach will make his Mixed Martial Arts debut for LionHeart MMA on July 19 at the Battlefield Fighting Championships in Fredricksburg, Va. according to a press release issued by LionHeart yesterday.

"It's something I've always wanted to do -- to participate in a fight -- and see how it is and see if it's something I could possibly make a career out of," Anspach said in a telephone interview yesterday.

LionHeart founder, Chad Dubin said yesterday that he wouldn't know who Anspach will fight until later in the week.

The former Nittany Lion heavyweight hasn't signed a contract with LionHeart Management and Promotions, mostly because Anspach is "still fulfilling his commitment (as director of wrestling operations for PSU)."

Anspach said his fighting would not interupt his job with the wrestling team.

"I'm still going to be involved with Penn State wrestling, keeping the same position. This is just something I'm doing on the side right now," he said.

The former heavyweight was plagued by injuries during his wrestling career. While at Penn State, Anspach wrestled just 53 matches. His final match came on March 17, 2007 when he lost in the finals. Anspach finished his senior year 22-4 but was denied a sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA.

Although he hasn't faced true competition since, Anspach said he has been conditioning and lifting and feels like he is in good shape.

Dubin said Anspach hasn't trained "extensively," but he has worked out at the LionHeart complex taking a "few boxing lessons" and working on grappling.

"His wrestling background obviously goes a long way," Dubin said. "He's had a very strong interest in this possibly being a career choice for him as far as being a professional athlete."

Anspach will be the second former Penn State wrestler to make the transition to Mixed Martial Arts. Former four-time All-American and 2008 NCAA champion Phil Davis signed a contract with LionHeart last month.

Davis will fight his second bout on the same card as Anspach.

Another LionHeart fighter, Lou Armezzani (3-0) will also fight on the 19th.

Anspach is anticipating his amateur debut, but isn't sure where it will go from there.

"We'll just see where MMA fits in," Anspach said. "I don't know if it's something I'll try to make a career out of but right now I think one fight should give me a good view of where I stand in the world of MMA."