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Once an MMA fighter retires from active competition, several alternative career paths open up in what is the natural progression of their tenure in combat sports. Sometimes, fighters become color commentators, especially if they are known for being charismatic and having the gift of gab.
In rarer cases, fighters promoters, much like Jorge Masvidal and Nate Diaz (who is not yet retired), with Gamebred Fighting Championship and Real Fight Inc., respectively. But in what has become an increasingly common path, many ex-fighters become MMA coaches.
While some don't attain any noticeable level of success, others do, proving their mettle as trainers and cornermen with the high win percentages boasted by their pupils. So, with that in mind, this list goes over seven MMA fighters who became successful coaches.
#7. Bob Cook, American Kickboxing Academy
Bob Cook is a key member of the American Kickboxing Academy's coaching staff, having been partly responsible for the camp's ability to produce champions across multiple weight classes, like Cain Velasquez at heavyweight, Daniel Cormier at light heavyweight, and Luke Rockhold at middleweight.
Prior to his dive into coaching, 'Crazy' Bob Cook was an MMA fighter himself, having competed in the welterweight division. In fact, he was undefeated, having won five bouts, while suffering no losses during a career that included a single UFC appearance.
#6. Randy Couture, Xtreme Couture, and Team Quest
Randy Couture is one of the most accomplished fighters in MMA history. He is one of the few mixed martial artists to have captured titles across two different divisions in the UFC, and also holds the distinction of being the oldest champion in the promotion's history.
During his run as an active fighter, 'The Natural' was known for being exceptionally well-prepared, with flawless game plans. So it is no surprise that he parlayed this fight IQ into a coaching career, as he co-founded Team Quest and Xtreme Couture Mixed Martial Arts, the latter of which he serves as head coach at.
#5. Duane Ludwig, Ludwig Martial Arts
Former kickboxing and retired MMA fighter Duane Ludwig never found significant success as a mixed martial artist, besides once holding the record of the fastest knockout in UFC history, a record that has since been eclipsed by Jorge Masvidal's five-second flying knee knockout over Ben Askren.
However, Ludwig has proven to be an exceptional coach with a keen eye for striking, having worked at Team Alpha Male before a split that saw him and star pupil T.J. Dillashaw, whom he is often credited with turning into a UFC champion, go off on their own as the two found that they were a match made in heaven.
#4. Urijah Faber, Team Alpha Male
The lower weight classes' quintessential star of yesteryear is none other than Urijah Faber, who achieved great success across bantamweight and featherweight, even becoming the WEC featherweight champion. It was during his title reign that his historic feud with Dominick Cruz would begin.
However, Faber is also a world-renowned MMA coach, having founded Team Alpha Male, where he has produced countless elite fighters like former UFC bantamweight titleholder Cody Garbrandt, two-time UFC featherweight title challenger Chad Mendes, and surging 125-pounder Yan Xiaonan, to name a few.
#3. Henry Cejudo, Fight Ready
Henry Cejudo fancies himself the greatest combat sports athlete of all time. Given his accolades, he has a strong case, as he is a former two-division UFC champion, having once held its flyweight and bantamweight titles, as well as being an Olympic gold medalist in freestyle wrestling, once the youngest American to do so.
He has also proven to have a sharp eye for coaching. During his three-year retirement, 'Triple C' became a coach and cornerman, and his time as a trainer sparked immediate improvements in Zhang Weili's grappling game while also instructing Jon Jones on the exact finishing sequence he used to beat Ciryl Gane.
#2. James Krause, Glory MMA & Fitness
As an MMA fighter, James Krause was no one of great significance. He fought in several high-profile organizations like the UFC and Bellator but never achieved championship success before retiring with a respectable record of 28 wins and eight losses. However, as a coach, he found his true calling.
As the previous head coach of Glory MMA, James Krause had quickly established himself as one of the best young up-and-coming coaches in the sport, with the likes of two-time UFC flyweight Brandon Moreno and one-time women's featherweight title challenger Megan Anderson training under him.
Unfortunately, his tenure as a coach came to an abrupt end after the discovery of his part in a massive betting scandal.
#1. Khabib Nurmagomedov, American Kickboxing Academy
Khabib Nurmagomedov retired as the undefeated UFC lightweight champion with a spotless record of 29-0. 'The Eagle' boasts wins over former champions, undisputed and interim, like Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier, and Justin Gaethje, finishing all three men to tie the UFC lightweight division's title defense record.
After retiring from MMA, Nurmagomedov became a coach and was immediately successful. He guided Islam Makhachev to the latter's title-winning triumph at UFC 280 and cornered surging welterweight contender Belal Muhammad, whom he had trained, at that same event, guiding him to his first finish in three years.
