The MAD Coach Training Series was created with a very specific intent in mind — and it wasn’t to teach a new combination, a takedown, or a leg lock.
Those things happened, but they weren’t the point.
The goal was to test an environment.
To see what happens when fighters, coaches, and a promotion share the same room without ego, without scripting, and without rushing the outcome. To see if a space could exist where people actually work — not perform — and where evaluation happens naturally instead of artificially.
This first Training Series of 2026 did exactly that.
Before anything else, thank you to Fight For It for supporting the vision and understanding that development doesn’t always look flashy at the start. Thank you to Schell Shock BJJ for trusting the process and providing a facility that allowed the room to breathe. And thank you to coaches Osvaldo Gonzalez and Gustavo Estebam, who brought two very different coaching styles that ended up complementing each other in real time.
Finally, respect to the athletes from Team ROC and Schell Shock BJJ. Everyone showed up prepared. Everyone stayed the full three hours. Nobody treated it like a drop-in. That matters.
What stood out most wasn’t a technique — it was the energy.
The room was calm, focused, and functional. Fighters were problem-solving instead of waiting to be corrected. Coaches were observing instead of dominating. Conversations continued after the work was done, which is usually the clearest sign that something landed.
That environment is not accidental. It’s intentional.
The Training Series operates on four pillars:
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Promote MMA Events by creating visible, evaluated talent pools
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Promote fighters by attaching faces, names, and context to performance
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Develop coaches by giving them real rooms, not scripted seminars
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Help fighters find placement on events based on readiness, not records
This wasn’t matchmaking. It was an observation with context.
Based on composure, engagement, and overall readiness, several athletes stood out during the session as strong candidates for upcoming opportunities:
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Li (TEAM ROC) — dynamic, composed, and comfortable, letting his skills show
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Evan (TEAM ROC)— technical, disciplined, and steadily developing
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Corey (TEAM ROC)— cerebral, adaptable, and already carrying a main-card presence
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Cody (Schell Shock)— fearless in the pocket with clear kickboxing upside
That doesn’t mean fights are promised. It means work was seen.
Looking ahead, the vision is to host 12 Training Series events this year, continuing to build opportunities for athletes and coaches while strengthening the regional combat sports ecosystem as a whole. The goal is to connect fighters with the right events, at the right time, with the right preparation — and to give coaches space to grow alongside them.
The next Training Series is currently in development, and our vision is that your participation will maintain the same level of engagement and evaluation that made this first one successful.
Fighters and coaches interested in participating in the next session should reach out directly to the MAD Coach to be considered.
This series isn’t about rushing people forward.
It’s about building rooms where progress actually happens — and letting the work speak for itself.