IAwrestle is proud to announce the return of Night of Conflict on Friday, October 10, 2025, in Iowa City. The preseason showcase will be held at the Courtyard Iowa City University Heights (901 Melrose Ave, Iowa City, IA 52246). Doors will open at 6:30 PM with wrestling set to begin at 7:00 PM.
Fans unable to attend in person can watch the action live on the IAwrestle Rokfin channel. At this time, tickets are being offered exclusively to participating wrestlers, coaches, and families, with public ticket sales scheduled to open closer to the event date. Please contact us at IAwrestlecontact@gmail.com for VIP tables.
This year’s edition marks a heartfelt homecoming, nearly 10 years to the day from the inaugural Night of Conflict on October 16, 2015, held at the iconic Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City. The event immediately made a statement by bringing marquee matchups to one of the sport’s most iconic stages. From there, the event hit the road across the state—stopping in Sioux City, Des Moines, Cedar Falls and Waterloo—each year building on its reputation as the place to see state champions collide, national talent test themselves, and rising stars announce their arrival.
Through the years, Night of Conflict has featured dozens of eventual NCAA standouts and Division I recruits, cementing its status as a proving ground for wrestlers looking to compete on the biggest stages. Whether at Carver or a convention center packed shoulder to shoulder, the event has always been about the same thing: putting elite high school talent under the spotlight and giving fans a preview of the future of wrestling.
“This is more than just a wrestling event—it’s a chance to showcase the sport in Iowa and give these athletes a stage,” said IAwrestle founder Tony Hager. “Bringing Night of Conflict back to Iowa City for the 10-year anniversary makes this one even more special.”
While specific bouts are still being finalized, expect the signature blend of in-state rivalries, out-of-state showdowns, and emerging talents ready to make their mark.
More event information can be found at NightofConflict.com
First Match Announcements
- Kaiden Belinsky (Don Bosco) vs. Urijiah Courter (West Marshall)
Our first match announcement will feature a pair of first time state champions in 2025 who will both be in hunt for a second title this coming February. Don Bosco standout Kaiden Belinsky will take on West Marshall’s Urijiah Courter.
Belinsky earned his first title last year, which was his first ever finish on the high school podium. Prior to that he was a Round of 12 finisher in 2024. In addition to his title, Belinsky was a 2024 and 2025 Fargo All-American. Prior to the summer Belinsky moved up to #28 in IAwrestle’s ranking of the Class of 2026.
Courter is joining the upperclassmen ranks this year and earned his first ever state championship as a sophomore. As a freshman he finished third. Prior to the summer Courter jumped up to #9 in IAwrestle’s ranking of the top wrestlers in the Class of 2027.
- Nico DeSalvo (Southeast Polk) vs Miklo Hernandez (Pipestone Area, MN)
Our second match announcement will feature two lightweight powerhouse wrestlers from their respective states. From Southeast Polk we will see Nico DeSalvo take on national champion Miklo Hernandez from Pipestone Area, Minnesota. Both wrestlers bring a pedigree of wrestling despite neither wrestler having wrestled a match as an upperclassmen.
DeSalvo rates among one of top wrestlers in all of Iowa and is a highly rated national prospect. In Iowa he is the #2 ranked wrestler in the Class of 2027 and #9 in the IAwrestle Fab50, which ranks all Iowa high school wrestlers regardless of grade. MatScouts ranks him #72 overall in the Class of 2027. He is at the halfway point to becoming a potential four-time Iowa high school state champion.
Hernandez is a promising up and comer in Minnesota, already winning two titles by the end of his freshman year. As a seventh grader he was a state runner-up at the Minnesota state tournament, and he doubled up with titles in each of the past two seasons. MNwrestle lists him as the #4 overall wrestler in the state for the Class of 2028. This past summer he captured the 126-pound title in 16U freestyle out at Fargo.
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Please double check the address for the venue as listed in this article. I believe the Courtyard University Heights is near Kinnick on Melrose.