Trevor Wittman
Striking-coach polymath; boxing-fundamentals MMA refinement
ONX Sports / Grudge Training Center
Athletes coached
- Kamaru Usman
- Justin Gaethje
- Rose Namajunas
- Nate Marquardt (formerly)
On this page (5)
The boxing fundamentals
Trevor Wittman is one of the most-respected striking coaches in modern MMA. His background in professional boxing (he was an active boxer and corner man before transitioning to MMA coaching) gives him a fundamentals-first approach: textbook footwork, defensive head movement, and the patience to develop one-shot KO power over multiple training years.
The athletes
- Kamaru Usman — UFC welterweight champion 2019-2022. The Usman striking evolution under Wittman (culminating in the UFC 261 KO of Jorge Masvidal) is the canonical Wittman case study.
- Justin Gaethje — UFC interim lightweight + BMF champion. The calf-kick attack that defined his post-2018 stretch was a Wittman development.
- Rose Namajunas — UFC women's strawweight champion (2017-2018, 2021-2022). The karate-distance striking that produced the head-kick KO of Zhang Weili.
- Nate Marquardt (formerly) — UFC middleweight contender.
The Onnit / Grudge Training Center
Wittman operates out of Grudge Training Center in Wheat Ridge, Colorado, and previously through an Onnit-sponsored facility. The Colorado altitude conditioning combined with Wittman's striking instruction produces the gym's distinctive championship-ready athlete profile.
The Wittman ONX boxing gloves brand — designed by Wittman as a response to the eye-poke issues with traditional UFC gloves — has become a standard equipment recommendation in MMA striking communities.
The coaching philosophy
Wittman's coaching emphasizes:
- Fundamentals over flash: textbook jab, cross, hook, footwork before novelty techniques.
- Power development: extended training cycles to develop one-punch KO capability.
- Defensive precision: head movement and counter-striking timing.
- Calm corner management: Wittman's corner work is famously calm and instructive, contrasting with louder MMA corner styles.
The legacy
Trevor Wittman is the most-credentialed striking coach of the 2018-2024 era. The Usman welterweight title reign, Gaethje's BMF title, and Namajunas's two strawweight reigns combined make Wittman's coaching results the equal of Eugene Bareman's at City Kickboxing or Henri Hooft's at Sanford MMA.
His coaching style — fundamentals-first with patience and calm — has influenced the next generation of MMA striking coaches.