It wasn’t until his sophomore year of high school that Prince Fortuna Abdullah even considered wrestling.
Originally a kickboxer who hoped to pursue mixed martial arts, Abdullah had to be convinced to try the sport. Three years later, the Buchholz senior is a state qualifier who says joining the wrestling program changed his life.
“I truly believe joining the Buchholz wrestling program was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. It has made me so much of a better person,” Abdullah said. “I went from being insecure and unathletic, not in the best shape, to being part of a culture that taught me to work hard and get the results I wanted. I just had to trust the process.”
The process wasn’t immediate.
Abdullah spent much of his early time in the program learning the sport at the junior varsity level and figuring out how to deal with adversity. A missed opportunity to reach the state tournament as a junior helped reshape his thought process and the way he worked.
“I had a chance to make it to states last year, but I just didn’t handle things well or have the right mindset I needed to finish things off,” Abdullah said. “Once I understood to take it one match at a time and realize losing is OK, I became a better wrestler. I wasn’t just hanging on by a thread trying to always win no matter what.”
That shift paid off during his senior season.
Early in the year, Abdullah faced a returning state finalist at a tournament and jumped out to a commanding lead before the match ended due to injury.
“I was beating him 10-0 and unfortunately dislocated his arm, but that spoke to me that I have the ability to be at this level,” Abdullah said. “We went to other tournaments and I’d get first and second, and that made me realize I’m getting better and I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.”
Even while battling a torn labrum, Abdullah continued to compete at a high level, finishing near the top of several tournaments. After being forced to medically forfeit in one event, he returned the following week to win another, crediting Buchholz’s athletic training staff for helping him get back on the mat.
“The staff was really supportive and helped me with all the questions I had,” Abdullah said. “They got me seen right away, and it’s awesome to see how much they care about you. They checked up on me and even stayed after hours to try and reduce the pain I had. I’m just very thankful they did all the things they did to get me back wrestling again.”
Abdullah finished the season with a 45-9 record and captured both district and regional championships in his weight class, earning this week’s UF Health Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine Athlete of the Week honors.
Despite the individual nature of wrestling, Abdullah said his success was fueled by the teammates around him.
“Wrestling is a very unique sport. It’s such a brotherhood, and all of my teammates are coming here pushing their hardest to make me better,” Abdullah said. “I’m so grateful to have been part of a program where my teammates and coaches take time out of their day to support me and help in any way they can.”
Ranked No. 1 in the region for much of the season, Abdullah still had to defeat an opponent he had already beaten three times to clinch his spot at the state tournament. He passed the test, reaching the goal that slipped away a year earlier while showcasing his signature move, “The Big Boy.”
“The jump, the maturity, just the overall ownership he took of being a leader was outstanding,” Buchholz coach and athletic director Billy Pankey said. “This offseason he turned into one of the baddest dudes on the planet this year. It was so great to see him win a state medal, and that will go up on the wall forever.”
After graduation, Abdullah plans to return to his original goal of pursuing MMA fighting. But he also hopes to stay connected with the Buchholz program that helped shape him.
Each weekly winner is eligible for the UF Health High School Athlete of the Year Scholarship, a $2,500 award presented at the conclusion of the 2025-26 academic year.