Rashad Evans: The Best TUF Coach Yet?

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Rashad Evans: The Best TUF Coach Yet?

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Started 2 weeks ago by Justin H
Latest reply from jcohl

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Rashad Evans

Justin H

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Joined: Nov '08
Posts: 617

Todd Jackson over at Fox's Inside Fights wrote a great piece last week about Rashad Evans, the coach, and how good of a job he is doing on TUF. I am including an excerpt, but the full story can be found here and I encourage you to give it a read.

Rashad Evans has always been an impressive component to the UFC. He has always been in the mix since his debut. His heart and desire led him to win the first heavyweight TUF show in a division he was clearly not built for.

His nearly unblemished record speaks for itself, and if your only loss came at the hands of Lyoto Machida that’s nothing to be ashamed of.

Simply put, “Sugar” Rashad Evans is the real deal and always has been. Some folks have an affinity towards him, others can’t stand his style. Regardless, this fighter has a wealth of qualities that cannot be overlooked. Like or dislike him, that remains a fact.

The former UFC light heavyweight champion has displayed one resounding quality with an undeniable display of coaching ability on The Ultimate Fighter Season 10.

Rashad’s approach to coaching is inspiring to say the least if not flawless at its best.

The Ultimate Fighter on Spike TV has been rolling for years. Many times the coaches set the tone for the show moreso than the fights or the fighters themselves. That is definitely the case in the current season of the show.

Posted 2 weeks ago #
fr702

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Joined: Nov '08
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Yet we don't know if it is "his" coaching style or simply the fact that he picked the better fighters offered too him.... I've never been sold as Greg Jackson being the end all be all of coaches, I believe that his stable of fighters are what alone brings Jackson submission team popularity, perhaps he has an "eye" for talent, mind you I by no means am saying that {Greg} Jackson is a bad coach yet with the stable of fighters he has how can he not help but be a GREAT coach, perhaps Rashad is version 2.0 or TUF version 1.0 when it comes to coaching, the talent one has helps tremendously...

Posted 2 weeks ago #
Justin H

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Joined: Nov '08
Posts: 617

FR,
Not saying that the talent doesn't have something to do with it, but by the same token, in other sports, there have been coaches that were fired and replaced only to have the same talent under a different coach reverse the team's record in the positive direction.

Also, further in the article it addresses more than just Rashad's record, but also his techniques and ability to read and lead people, which is exceptional.

Posted 2 weeks ago #
MarvelKnight4

Heavyweight
Joined: Feb '09
Posts: 1,112

i think that Greg Jackson is a really great coach but it doesn't hurt that he's got Georges St. Pierre,Nate Marquardt,Rashad Evans etc... on his team, those guys don't exactly have a "rookie" tag on them but to be fair Jackson is indeed a great coach with lots of knowledge on MMA so you can argue both sides of this, both the Fighters and the Coach benefit equally but again when your coaching Georges St. Pierre he's for sure gonna bring street cred to your coaching rep IMO.

Posted 2 weeks ago #
Eldiablo

Light Heavyweight
Joined: Jan '09
Posts: 279

Nice find Justin,

I really like Rashad's cerebral approach to coaching; it's more than fighting skill to him, it's about getting into your head and making you think you can win. None of this "the guy's got titties" BS for a prep-talk.

However, I must say that Serra is quite possibly the best coach for MMA out there to have in your corner. He's at his best when his fighter is in a bad position, and isn't that when you need your coach the most?

Posted 2 weeks ago #
MarvelKnight4

Heavyweight
Joined: Feb '09
Posts: 1,112

Eldiablo,

i agree, i think that Serra has been the best coach on TUF besides my boy Tito, Serra knows how to motivate and keep his fighters in the fight, the dude always puts it in his fighters to never give up

Posted 2 weeks ago #
Eldiablo

Light Heavyweight
Joined: Jan '09
Posts: 279

I agree, sort of, MK4 (glad you brought the 4 back, by the way). TUF made me a Tito fan after a few years of not really digging his antics, but Serra`s still the King of Coaching (which ironically, after months/year of calling Hughes a d!ck, makes him a KoC)

Posted 2 weeks ago #
jcohl

Heavyweight
Joined: Jul '09
Posts: 1,276

Maybe we should wait for TUF 10 to end before we crown Rashad best TUF coach ever...

Posted 2 weeks ago #
Gunslinger

Heavyweight
Joined: Nov '08
Posts: 1,371

fr, i believe greg is the best coach, why? because yes he has the best fighters but those fighters went there when they were having troubles......gsp started going to gregs? when im not completly sure but once he started going to gregs look at him now he unstoppable.....also rashad? coming off the ultimate fighter he had wrestling and that was it but greg has turned him into and all around great fighter.....he's helped people like jardine form game plans that gave him wins like the chuck fight and he even got close to beating quinton.......then marquardt look at him nate is a monster now and even more than he was before.......but in my opinion its not just rashad as the best coach its his co coaches....trevor and greg and mike...they make an almost perfect team.......though rashad still deserves the credit for bringing that team with him which is why i still believe rasahd is the best tuf coach ever....with matt serra and tito being a close second

Posted 2 weeks ago #
EtherBunny

Light Heavyweight
Joined: Dec '08
Posts: 260

I think that Rashad could be the best TUF coach ever, but I'll hold off on giving him that title until (like jchol said) the season is over. Why do I think that Sugar could be the best coach? Three reasons:

1) He actually cares a lot about his fighters beyond training and the octagon. Also this statement doesn't even apply to just his fighters but all the fighters on the show, e.g. him giving a peep talk to Rampage's fighters when Rampage left his fighters in the octagon by themselves after their loss. That shows a lot of class right there.

2) His trainer/ coach is agruably the best coach in MMA, Greg Jackson. This is a large reason why he, Sugar, is such a good coach. After training and being coached by someone for so long you will start to pick up on their coaching style and start veiwing fighters and situations the way that they see it. Also, your attitude and the way that you approach people and also coach. teach them will start to gravitate towards your coach's.

3) This might be some what controversial but IMO, I think that this plays a larger role than people think. The last reason that I can think of right now as to why Sugar looks like such a great coach is because of Rampage. Why? Because of 'foil', to enhance by contrast. Since Rampage is probably hands down the worst coach on TUF (losing all of his fights, bad matchups and leaving his fighters in the cage alone) it just makes Rashad look so much better. Example: I don't even have my level 1 in Muay Thai yet but if you put me side to side with someone that has only been training for a month or two I look like mother effing Nak Suu Khaao.

Posted 2 weeks ago #
MarvelKnight4

Heavyweight
Joined: Feb '09
Posts: 1,112

I honeslty think that Tito has been the best coach so far, both of his fighters won the show9Michael Bisping and Kendall Grove). And he hekped Matt Hamill on a lot of things, he genuinely wanted to help his fighters improve which most of them did and he did his best to put his beef with Shammy McShammerson aside, i think that Evans has had way more help not only from Greg Jackson but the fact the Rampage has been acting like a douuche has made Evans look better than what he actually is al things considered.

Posted 2 weeks ago #
Justin H

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Joined: Nov '08
Posts: 617

As far as waiting till the end of the season, we will find out tonight about that. If Jones doesn't manage to get a W for team Rampage, that could help settle that debate.

Posted 2 weeks ago #
jazzkok

Light Heavyweight
Joined: Mar '09
Posts: 347

I agree with you MK4,

It's hard not to look great when you're around a guy acting like a kid who's jealous of the straight a student who's also captain of the baseball team.

Not taking anything away from evans. He's definately put in work to help his fighters out and has shown great character when stepping outside the "team" box and encouraging the opposing teams fighters. He's done a great job and has had a great eye for choosing the fights.

Best coach ever? Not too sure about that. Tito and Serra have also been great coaches and have done everything rashad has done with his fighters. It's hard to choose a "best" TUF coach but i'll go ahead and say that Rashad could very well be the most succesfull coach in TUF history. He's managed to get mostly all of his guys to the next round of competition, he hasn't lost a fight and he's looked great in the eyes of the mma world who watch the show because of this AND because of the way rampage has been acting. So his success has been greater then other past coaches.

If all of his fighters win and one of his fighters becomes "the ultimate fighter", i don't think anyone can take away that crown of best tuf coach ever though.

As for jackson, gun had an awesome point. Jackson does have some of the very best fighters to work with which makes his job a he11 of a lot easier, BUT his fighters have greatly improved since going to his camp. I won't say he's the best either but his methods have spawned champions and #1 contenders + they all seem to work very well as a team and support eachother a lot so the guy must be doing something "special".

Posted 2 weeks ago #
MarvelKnight4

Heavyweight
Joined: Feb '09
Posts: 1,112

I agree Jazzkok,

i don't like and never will like Rashad Evans, but he's done a decent job as a coach but i still don't think he's the best Coach ever because both Tito and Serra developed personal realationships after their run on TUF and i just think that Tito and Serra were better than Evans to be honest.

Posted 2 weeks ago #
Gunslinger

Heavyweight
Joined: Nov '08
Posts: 1,371

i think rasahd has formed that connection as well....i saw a picture on line like a week ago of rasahd, justin wren, demico rogers and brendan schaub all with there arms around each other at greag jacksons

Posted 2 weeks ago #
fr702

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Joined: Nov '08
Posts: 835

Gun,

With all do respect, perhaps we can think of this in a logical manner.... GSP was pretty much unstoppable before heading to Jackson's camp, GSP's main trainer is and has been Firas Zahibi, now did GSP go to Jackson's camp to "tweek" a few things like his wrestling and ground manouvers absolutely but in all honesty with every loss GSP has on his record he has "gotten it back" and learned every time out, I don't attribute GSP's success to Jackson tho in gameplans Jackson has help quite a bit....

And that this the thing Greg Jackson is a great strategist, and you are correct his "outside" game plan v Liddell worked wonders and they mimic'd it when 'Shad brutally KO'd the Iceman, I by no means am taking Greg's preperation for these fights into question, I just think that his "stable" affords him luxuries....

Here are the names I found that train @ Jackson fight sub ko camp group whatever

Georges St-Pierre - (UFC Welterweight champion)
Rashad Evans - Former UFC Light Heavyweight champion, The Ultimate Fighter 2 heavyweight winner
Keith Jardine - (UFC,The Ultimate Fighter 2 contestant)
David Loiseau - (UFC veteran, TKO, Elite XC veteran)
Jason MacDonald - (UFC, TKO veteran)
Nate Marquardt - (former King of Pancrase; UFC veteran)
Rolles Gracie Jr. - (UFC, AOW, IFL)
Joey Villasenor - (PRIDE, Elite XC veteran)
Carlos Condit - (former WEC Welterweight champion, UFC)
Julie Kedzie - (Elite XC, BodogFIGHT veteran)
Roger Huerta - (UFC veteran)
Joe Stevenson - (UFC veteran)
Kyle Noke - (Elite XC, Warriors Realm)
Leonard Garcia - (WEC, UFC)
Donald Cerrone - (WEC veteran)
Karo Parisyan - (UFC veteran)
Yoshiyuki Yoshida - (UFC, Cage Force Welterweight Grand prix winner)
Brandon Gatewood - (Muay Thai practitioner)
Shane Carwin - (UFC)
Aaron Riley - (UFC)
Damacio Page - (WEC)
Michelle Waterson - (StrikeForce)
Jon Jones (UFC)
Clay Guida (UFC)
Andrei Arlovski [Strikeforce]

That is a pretty darn good group it is hard to not be successful with these fighters under your hat, DO I think Jackson is a wonderful coach absolutely is he the greatest I don't know but the stable of fighters he holds helps...

O and Nate the Great was an awesome fighter before he even came to the UFC and I think working with GSP on a regular basis in O Canada helps him a great deal, yet Jackson is suited to mold him into a more complete fighter, thats my thoughts on that

"Hit him with your groin Georges"

Posted 2 weeks ago #
MarvelKnight4

Heavyweight
Joined: Feb '09
Posts: 1,112

I would love to have seen how Jackson would have done had he not been so lucky to work with all the talent that he has. I wonder if we would be talking about him today as a great coach if his roster only included unknowns and rookies but i guess we'll never know right..

Posted 2 weeks ago #
jcohl

Heavyweight
Joined: Jul '09
Posts: 1,276

I think as it relates to Greg Jackson, we'll need to decide if he looks so good because he has so much talent, or does he have so much talent because he looked so good to those fighters before they joined his camp.

As it relates to Rashad Evans, I think he has done an excellent job, both with his fighters and his occasional supporting of Rampage's fallen fighters. However it does bear mentioning that Rashad's level of coaching competition is SO low, that quite probably any one of the frenZied who have MMA experience could out-coach a guy like Rampage that leaves fallen fighters on the mat of the cage while he grabs some more camera time with histrionics, and bombs out to Pollo Loco with his staff for lunch an hour before he has a man fighting for a shot at a six figure UFC contract.
Not taking anything away from what Rashad and his fighters have accomplished to date, but Rampage Jackson is SO bad at MMA coaching he makes Ken Shamrock look like the Vince fu<king Lombardi of MMA.

Personally, if I was 21 years old and had it to do all over again, the TUF coaches I would try to work with are Randy Couture, Tito Ortiz, and Matt Serra. They all radiated a quiet control and confidence that young up and coming fighters need, and clearly have the MMA cred to earn the respect of their students...

Posted 2 weeks ago #
timcat

Welterweight
Joined: Nov '08
Posts: 91

FR,
While I agree with what you said, i must correct you on Carlos Condit, who does not train with Greg Jackson. I think Tito did a great job as a coach. Rashad is way too cocky and fu of himsef to take this seriously. All he wants to do is further his career and rip on Rampage and hype the fight he thought was going to happen.

Posted 2 weeks ago #
Justin H

admin
Joined: Nov '08
Posts: 617

timcat,
I thought Condit recently went to Jackson's.

Posted 2 weeks ago #
jcohl

Heavyweight
Joined: Jul '09
Posts: 1,276

Not that they are the most legitimate informational authority on the planet, but I swear I've seen wikipedia list Carlos Condit as a Jackson's Submission Fighting guy...

Posted 2 weeks ago #
Justin H

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Joined: Nov '08
Posts: 617

I'm pretty sure I saw something somewhere about him making the move from ACS to Jackson's after losing to Kampmann.

Posted 2 weeks ago #
Gunslinger

Heavyweight
Joined: Nov '08
Posts: 1,371

i do believe condit has left arizona combat sports, he isnt shown on any of the commercials anymore...so i would guess he would not be there

Posted 2 weeks ago #
timcat

Welterweight
Joined: Nov '08
Posts: 91

Didn't know that he left ACS. my bad

Posted 2 weeks ago #
garrule

Welterweight
Joined: Jul '09
Posts: 54

I say Serra has to be the best coach so far. He not only coached his team to overwhelming success against Hughes...but on The Comeback season, he took it upon himself to lead his peers. Helping Shonie Carter was hard for him to swallow, but I can still hear him yelling "Hammer Fists! Hammer Fists!!"

Serra has had his own BJJ Acadamy with his brother here on Long Island for years. I believe the idea for "The Comeback" was with him in mind. It didn't surprise me when he became the leader of his team. Luke Cuomo and Pete Sell (Spelling?) are both students of his from Long Island. Not too many fighters in the UFC that have students in the UFC.

Posted 2 weeks ago #
Gunslinger

Heavyweight
Joined: Nov '08
Posts: 1,371

"Not too many fighters in the UFC that have students in the UFC."

randy couture,rich franklin,jorge gurgel,matt hughes,big nog,chris leben are the only other one i can think of

Posted 2 weeks ago #
garrule

Welterweight
Joined: Jul '09
Posts: 54

HAHA...I know, I'm just a shill for Serra.

Posted 2 weeks ago #
JENKINS!

Welterweight
Joined: Feb '09
Posts: 37

I believe Tito was the best TUF coach. He really got through to his fighters and if you look at the success his fighters have had, its pretty impressive. Not that others havent....because it seems like every season, half the fighters end up having a stint in the UFC.

Serra was an excellent coach, as was Matt Hughes (season 2 that is).

Rashad is a great coach, but I think its his supporting cast that made his team so great. Van Arsdale, Greg Jackson, etc. Rashad definitely chose the right fighters though. Its obvious that he is a better coach than Rampage, but I dont think he is the best coach ever.

Posted 2 weeks ago #
jcohl

Heavyweight
Joined: Jul '09
Posts: 1,276

I wouldn't be surprised if we saw Matt Hughes coach TUF again before he finally retires to the farm...

Posted 1 week ago #

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