Top MMA Coaches: In sports, fighters are fascinating people. They are the most notable athletes in every sport known to man. However, we occasionally forget that there is a great coach behind every great fighter and behind every fantastic narrative. Fighters wouldn’t be completely prepared to take on the task presented to them in a bout without the direction and mentality of a coach.
We presents to you today 10 of the Top MMA Coaches:
The Top 10 MMA Coaches Right Now
1) Greg Jackson, Jackson-Winkeljohn MMA
Most people agree that Greg Jackson is one of the top MMA coaches, if not the best. The award-winning MMA gym in Jackson Jackson-Winkeljohn MMA Academy is regarded as one of the world’s best MMA training facilities. Jackson has also received many accolades for coach of the year and top coach.
Jackson has trained some of the top pound-for-pound competitors in the sport, including Georges St-Pierre, Jon Jones, Rashad Evans, Carlos Condit, and other former and current UFC World Champions, in collaboration with trainer Mike Winkeljohn.
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2) Rafael Cordeiro, Kings MMA
Rafael Cordeiro is a trailblazing mixed martial arts teacher. A former fighter and coach at Chute Box Academy, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, Anderson Silva, and Wanderlei Silva are just a few of the well-known MMA fighters he coached. In mixed martial arts (MMA), Cordeiro is renowned for his ability to help fighters hone their striking techniques.
With several accolades for best coach and coach of the year, Cordeiro is still developing elite athletes under the banner of Kings MMA. Among these competitors are Fabricio Werdum, Lyoto Machida, and Rafael Dos Anjos, the current and past UFC World Champions.
3) Andre Pederneiras, Nova Uniao
In addition to being one of the best mixed martial arts (MMA) teachers in the world, Andre Pederneiras is also considered as one of the best Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) coaches. In addition to being the head of the Nova Uniao MMA academy and one of its founders, Paderneiras is renowned for having produced world champions from Rio de Janeiro’s worst neighbourhoods.
Nova Uniao is regarded as one of the top BJJ schools globally, having produced world-class grapplers like Robson Moura and BJ Penn. Former and current world champions including Jose Aldo, Renan Barao, Junior dos Santos, and Marlon Sandro are with the Nova Uniao fight squad.
4) Heath Sims, Evolve MMA
Heath Sims is one of the most prosperous educators on our list. Dan Henderson managed his illustrious MMA career from the start to the end. Henderson won the Strikeforce Championship at Light Heavyweight as well as the Pride Championships titles at Welterweight and Middleweight. Henderson is a former American Olympic wrestler and six-time US National Greco-Roman Wrestling Champion. Sims has worked closely with Randy Couture, Rampage Jackson, Tito Ortiz, and many other well-known figures.
Sims is now the head coach of Evolve MMA in Singapore, home of the most accomplished professional fighting team in Asia. The Evolve Fight Team has participated in and triumphed at the top mixed martial arts competitions, including Bellator FC, Pride FC, DREAM, ONE Championship, and UFC.
Rafael Dos Anjos, the current UFC Lightweight World Champion, Shinya Aoki, the ONE Lightweight World Champion, Ben Askren, the former Bellator Welterweight World Champion, Strikeforce Champion Tarec Saffiedine, UFC rising star Leandro “Brodinho” Issa, ONE Superstars Jake Butler, Herbert Burns, Eddie Ng, and Angela Lee, among many others, are among the fighters on the Evolve Fight Team.
5) Firas Zahabi, TriStar Gym
Firas Zahabi is credited with founding the TriStar Gym, one of the top MMA and fitness facilities in all of Canada. He is renowned for his thorough, in-depth, and creative approach to mixed martial arts combat. Also, he and Greg Jackson have a tight working relationship that facilitates the exchange of ideas, methods, and tactics between the two groups.
Some of the greatest and most well-rounded competitors in mixed martial arts (MMA) have been trained and produced by Firas Zahabi and the TriStar Gym. Notable alumni include former UFC Welterweight World Champion Georges St-Pierre, UFC title contender Rory MacDonald, and former UFC star Kenny Florian.
6) Javier Mendez, American Kickboxing Academy (AKA)
Javier Mendez is regarded as one of the first mixed martial arts teachers. The American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) was established by the former kickboxing champion in the 1980s, although Mendez didn’t enter the mixed martial arts (MMA) scene until the mid-1990s. After that, Mendez embarked on a new career as an MMA trainer, and in 1997, Frank Shamrock became the inaugural UFC champion.
Some of the best fighters in the industry to date have been trained by Mendez and the AKA squad. With champions, past champions, and top contenders for titles like BJ Penn, Cain Velasquez, Daniel Cormier, Luke Rockhold, Josh Thompson, Khabib Nurmagomedov, and others, the AKA stable of athletes is among the most accomplished fight teams in the world.
7) Ricardo Liborio, American Top Team
Ricardo Liborio is the head trainer and co-founder of American Top Team (ATT) MMA Gym. Liborio studied under the legendary Vale Tudo fighter Carlson Gracie, and he is an extremely talented BJJ practitioner and grappler.
Some of the best athletes the sport has ever seen have been produced by Liborio and ATT over their more than 10 years in MMA. Their current stable includes elite fighters and former champions Robbie Lawler, Yoel Romera, Tyron Woodley, Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva, and others.
8) Duane Ludwig, Team Alpha Male/Ludwig Martial Arts
One of the most well-known teams in mixed martial arts (MMA) is Team Alpha Male. What is the secret to their success? Bang Ludwig, Duane. The UFC fighter and former kickboxing champion has won praise for his contribution to Team Alpha Male’s rise to prominence as one of the best mixed martial arts camps around.
In addition to assisting Team Alpha Male in winning the 2013 Gym of the Year award, Ludwig received votes for Coach of the Year in both 2013 and 2014. He has coached and produced a number of today’s elite mixed martial artists, such as Joseph Benavidez, Chad Mendes, Urijah Faber, TJ Dillashaw, the world bantamweight champion in the UFC, and others.
9) Cesar Gracie, Cesar Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy
Cesar Gracie assisted in creating a stable of fighters that would eventually control the promotion’s divisions back when Strikeforce was still in existence. Gracie is also renowned for possessing one of the MMA’s most devoted and close-knit crews.
Prominent UFC fighters and past Strikeforce Champions Nick Diaz, Gilbert Melendez, Jake Shields, and UFC lightweight sensation Nate Diaz are among the fighters on his squad.
10) Eric Del Fierro, Alliance MMA
As the head coach of Alliance MMA, one of the best gyms in the sport, Eric Del Fierro is surely accomplishing amazing things in mixed martial arts, even if he would rather keep out of the spotlight. Having coached for more than ten years, Del Fierro has contributed to the development of some of the best MMA fighters.
Del Fierro’s Coalition Among the most gifted and talented athletes in mixed martial arts (MMA) include former UFC Bantamweight World Champion Dominick Cruz, Phil Davis, Alexander Gustafsson, Brandon Vera, and others.
Remember that every coach is different from the next, with special traits that fit their own set of fighters. They mentor, inspire, and desire nothing but the best for their students. Don’t forget the “coaches” in your life who helped shape who you are now, whether or not you are a martial artist.
