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In the UFC, and indeed all of MMA, coaches are unsung heroes. Casual fans of the sport are only concerned with the fighters and what they see said fighters do inside the octagon, neglecting all of the hard work done by the fighter's coaching staff to prime them for a bout against an equally skilled mixed martial artist.
Worse still, many shifts during bouts are incorrectly attributed to luck or chance, depriving a fighter's corner of the credit they deserve for their technical advice between rounds. For longtime observers of the sport, however, the importance of coaches cannot be understated. Prospects have transformed into champions under the guidance of the correct coach, while fights that seemed as though they were certain losses were reversed into stunning wins.
In honor of Leon Edwards' upset victory over Kamaru Usman at UFC 278, a win that his coaches were instrumental in engineering, this list compiles 5 of some of the greatest coaching moments in the UFC.
#5. Islam Makhachev vs. Dan Hooker, UFC 267
While he is no longer ranked inside the top 10 of the lightweight division, Dan Hooker remains a staple in the 155 lbs weight class. After bouncing back from the first knockout loss of his career against Michael Chandler at UFC 257 with a win over Nasrat Haqparast, 'The Hangman' made the questionable decision to step in as a short-notice replacement for an injured Rafael dos Anjos against surging lightweight Islam Makhachev.
A protege of the legendary Khabib Nurmagomedov, Makhachev is a fearsome grappler with 22 wins and only 1 loss. When he and Hooker clashed, the Russian wasted no time in taking the fight to the ground. During a grappling sequence against the cage, Makhachev was coached by Nurmagomedov into locking in a kimura that he was struggling to secure.
'The Eagle' urged his protege to remain calm and hook his leg behind Hooker's head to gain control and leverage over his foe's upper-body. The advice was successful, enabling Makhachev to slap on the kimura without fail and crank on it until the referee stepped in to bring an end to the bout.
#4. T.J. Dillashaw vs. Cody Garbrandt, UFC 217
The rivalry between T.J. Dillashaw and Cody Garbrandt is one of the most explosive in bantamweight history. After Dillashaw left Team Alpha Male to pursue a different training environment with his longtime striking coach Duane Ludwig, all hell broke loose.
At UFC 217, Garbrandt was scheduled to defend the bantamweight title he had captured from Dominick Cruz against Dillashaw himself.
During the 1st round of the bout, Dillashaw seemed dead set on ending every combination with a kick. It did not take long for his foe to realize that every combination would be punctuated with a kick. So Garbrandt easily stepped back just out of range after every Dillashaw combination, causing his opponent to kick ahead of himself and miss.
Between rounds, Duane Ludwig advised Dillashaw against trying to set up all of his kicks, instead instructing him to catch Garbrandt off-guard with a naked high kick. His input was more than successful as not only did Dillashaw land his kick, but he knocked his foe off his feet. While Garbrand survived, it would only be for a few more minutes before suffering a TKO loss to his former friend.
#3. Georges St-Pierre vs. Michael Bisping, UFC 217
UFC 217 was a fight card defined by fantastic coaching performances. The headline bout was between Georges St-Pierre and then-reigning UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping. It was the Canadian's most daring bid for MMA greatness as he sought to capture a second world championship in a new division after a 4-year sabbatical from the sport.
The 1st round involved St-Pierre countering the longer and taller Bisping's jab with an overhand right over the top. Bisping, however, was a competent boxer, and made the necessary adjustments by the 2nd round, throwing a right cross right after his jab to stun 'GSP' every time his foe tried to dip into an overhand right.
Before the 3rd round, St-Pierre's boxing coach Freddie Roach advised him to fake the overhand right and throw a left hook to counter Bisping's right cross.
It didn't take long for the Canadian's left hook to pay dividends, dropping 'The Count'. St-Pierre wasted no time, immediately pouncing with elbows and punches en route to choking the Englishman unconscious with a rear-naked choke.
#2. Jon Jones vs. Lyoto Machida, UFC 140
At UFC 140, Jon Jones struggled more than fight fans had ever seen him struggle prior to his historic matchup with Alexander Gustafsson 2 years later.
Up until then, Machida was the most educated striker Jones had ever faced in the UFC. Furthermore, at the time, he was one of the deadliest counter-strikers in mixed martial arts, specializing in creating collisions by standing at a long enough range that it caused his foes to lunge right into his counterpunches.
Jon Jones, by contrast, grew into his own as a range specialist and MMA's preeminent outfighter. When he and 'The Dragon' finally crossed paths, Jones encountered a puzzle that troubled him more than he expected. Every time Jones threw a low kick to maintain range, Machida darted on the inside of the kick, countering his foe over the top with a straight left. This karate blitz eventually stunned Jones, forcing a strategic readjustment from the Jones camp.
Between the 1st and 2nd rounds, Mike Winkeljohn advised Jones to fake a low kick and intercept Machida's blitz with a straight left of his own. The suggestion worked to great effect as Jones dropped Machida in the 2nd round before securing a standing guillotine choke after 'The Dragon' scrambled back to his feet. Machida refused to tap, opting to fall unconscious as Jones walked off in triumph.
#1. Leon Edwards vs. Kamaru Usman, UFC 278
The reigning UFC welterweight champion almost lost his chance at winning the title at UFC 278.
In a rematch nearly 7 years in the making, Leon Edwards challenged Kamaru Usman for divisional supremacy. While 'Rocky' did well in the 1st round, he quickly succumbed to the ill effects of fighting at a high altitude in Salt Lake City. By the 2nd round, 'The Nigerian Nightmare' took over the bout and Edwards seemed to grow progressively more discouraged.
Edwards' coaches had to put in a shift, desperately trying to motivate their fighter with repeated calls for him to stop allowing Usman to bully him. By the time of the final round, one of Edwards' coaches, Dave Lovell, offered 'Rocky' a pep talk unlike any other. After demanding that Edwards stop feeling sorry for himself, Lovell urged him to wrench the title from Usman's grasp and pull the win out of the fire.
In the closing minutes of the 5th round, Edwards' corner screamed for a head kick and 'Rocky' complied. After throwing a jab-straight left combination to trick Usman into slipping on the outside of the straight left, Edwards intercepted 'The Nigerian Nightmare' with a left high kick, flattening Usman in one fell swoop to capture UFC gold.
