UFC coach Trevor Wittman under fire for allegedly breaking NDA and stealing business idea for ONX gloves, fans react

Prominent MMA coach Trevor Wittman, renowned for training several UFC stars like Justin Gaethje and Kamaru Usman, has been caught in a controversy for allegedly violating a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) with Grodex, a company specializing in innovative MMA gear. Wittman is accused of using proprietary knowledge gained from Grodex to launch his brand ONX, which has been recognized as a pioneer in high-quality MMA training gear.

According to the son of Grodex's founder, Wittman spent five months "closely working" with the company, during which he allegedly signed an NDA. The arrangement, according to a video posted on the brand's Instagram handle, allowed Wittman to gain in-depth knowledge of the company's unique designs and development process.

After obtaining this insight, Wittman allegedly ceased contact with the company. Approximately a year later, he launched ONX and introduced products resembling Grodex's punching bags and training gloves. Grodex’s founders are now calling on influential figures in the MMA world, including Joe Rogan, to look into these allegations.

Check out the posts below:

The allegations sparked significant discussion among fans as they wrote:

"Do children believe this stuff? Like, he somehow circumvented copyright and patent laws that easily?"

"Damn. Well said, besides him being a great coach…what a piece of sh*t thing of him to do! I’ll never look at him the same."

"I mean this all sounds legit. But I doubt this picks up enough traction for people to even care and get enough attention."

Check out some of the fan reactions below:

Fans react to news of Trevor Wittman allegedly breaching NDA [Screenshots from @Nolimitsu_ on X]

---

When Justin Gaethje wanted Trevor Wittman's ONX-designed gloves to be recognized by the UFC

Justin Gaethje advocated for UFC to adopt the ONX-designed gloves created by his coach, Trevor Wittman while discussing the need for glove change in the organization. For years, UFC gloves have caused issues for fighters due to limited flexibility, leading to uncomfortable hand positions, and frequent eye pokes.

Wittman, the founder of ONX Sports, developed gloves aimed at addressing these recurring problems, allowing fighters to achieve a natural fist position and minimizing injury risks. Speaking about the need for better gloves in an interview with Sports Illustrated, Gaethje said:

"We're just happy that the UFC is making those changes. I mean, obviously, we would love for it to be our gloves. But at the end of the day, the issue with the glove that we're using is very uncomfortable. It does not promote a comfortable [hand] position. I think that's one of the most important things for us players." [H/t: Sports Illustrated]

He added:

"Imagine putting the glove on getting ready for the biggest fight of your life, your fingertips are going numb and your hands are just, you're in pain in places that you didn't know there would be pain, you know, between your knuckles. I mean, these were the issues, these were the issues that we were trying to solve. I have no idea if these guys are going to do that. But you know, I hope so. But I think from our perspective we're just happy that the change is being made.