Words With A MAD Coach

Does Marketing Fighters Help or Hurt Your Gym?

Does putting champions on fight cards actually bring new members through your gym's doors? In this episode, Coach Ses challenges one of the most common assumptions in the martial arts business: that winning fights automatically grows a successful gym. You'll discover why relying on fight records and highlight reels often reaches only a small audience, why personality and storytelling matter more than wins and losses, and how the most successful gyms use marketable coaches and fighters to build lasting communities. If you're a gym owner, coach, or fighter looking to grow your brand beyond the cage, this discussion offers practical marketing strategies that can create long-term success instead of short-lived attention.
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Your Work Your Worth

UFC Freedom 250 Review

On this episode of Words With A MAD Coach, Coach Ses breaks down UFC Freedom 250 and explains why the event was a major win—not just for the UFC, but for everyone involved in producing the spectacle. From the military-themed presentation and live musical performances to the unique staging, fighter entrances, and championship moments, Coach examines what made the show feel bigger than a typical fight card. While he argues that only one fight reached true greatness—Justin Gaethje's unforgettable championship victory—he believes the overall production, atmosphere, and storytelling elevated the event into one of the UFC's most memorable showcases in recent years.

Greatness Leaves Clues

Greatness Leaves Clues is a 17-minute deep dive into the history, statistics, and hidden connections surrounding the upcoming Fight For It 28 matchup between Drew Pais and Toby Grear. Rather than focusing solely on predictions, MAD Coach serves as an MMA archaeologist, digging through old fight cards, championship runs, win percentages, and forgotten moments to uncover the environment that helped shape Drew Pais into the fighter he is today. Along the way, listeners will revisit the rise of the Pais brothers, examine the careers of fighters who shared the cage on pivotal early cards, and explore how ambition, adversity, and opportunity create future champions. Part fight analysis, part historical case study, and part motivational letter, this episode is ultimately a reminder that greatness often leaves clues—and that sometimes the best way to understand a fighter's future is to study where they began.

June 2026 Amateur List P4P

Osvaldo Gonzalez
Liam Kirkpatrick
Charles Young
Khalil Kelly
Devon Rice
Arturo Castillejos
Yexalen Bazan
Fred Nixon
Keshaun Toney
Tyler Hallman

NC June P4P 2026

Pro P4P list June 2026
 
This is the 2026 restart of the P4P.  The goal was to allow more sanctioned events to take place in the state. Using Tapology as the resource, only pro fighters listed with wins in 2026 were considered as a starting point.   As more events take place, more consideration will be given to each event's results rather than to Tapology.
 
Alpha Strout
Trukon Carson
Brent Williams
Upright Odoemena
Gustavo Estebam
Cody Noel
Jameson Thompson
Sebastian Quevedo

The Old Fighters League

If Most Valuable Promotions wants to avoid that trap, it must use veterans strategically rather than excessively. Older stars should not dominate payroll or occupy the entire spotlight. Their purpose should be to transfer credibility, elevate younger talent, and help establish the next generation of fighters.
 
 

No More Live Audio / MAD Storm on Skill

Podbean has ended the live feature on it's platform.  I will come up with an alternative soon.  However, I can still record and upload.  Enjoy

5 Elements Training

This episode is less about memorizing moves and more about understanding the science behind movement itself. We talk about internal timing versus external timing, isolation drills versus integrated training, the relationship between striking and wrestling, and why mastering a tool means understanding the ecosystem around it — not just repeating reps. From bag work to sparring, from wall drills to mental balance, this conversation breaks down how fighters learn, how technique collapses under fatigue, and why awareness may be the most important skill in combat sports.

Combat Sport Weekend Review

MAD Storm about MVP MMA vs UFC