By MATT BOONE
MMANEWS.COM Staff Writer

The 2009 NCAA amateur wrestling heavyweight champion Mark Ellis reportedly signed a deal with Zinkin Entertainment, a MMA management group, as he has started the process into officially enterting the sport of mixed-martial arts.

Ellis was on the same amateur wrestling team as current MMA fighter and former Olympic wrestler Ben Askren.

Ellis is currently training MMA with the American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) in San Jose, California. There is no word on when, or with whom, Ellis plans on having his first professional MMA bout.