Exclusive Interview with Greg Jackson: Mixed Martial Arts Premier Coach

Greg Jackson's camp in Albuquerque, New Mexico, is considered by many to be the premier academy in the sport.

Jackson is among the elite trainers and strategists in the sport of mixed martial arts. Under his tutelage there have been multiple world champions, Ultimate Fighter winners, and several top-10 ranked fighters.

The most recent success from the camp came last Saturday night at WEC 48 where Jackson had two fighters earning victories.

Most notably, WEC featherweight Leonard “Bad Boy” Garcia was victorious in a fight that some consider to be the most exciting in the history of the sport. Garcia and his opponent, Chan Sung Jung, stood toe to toe for the duration of the fight and in doing so the two earned fight of the night honors.

The Jackson-trained Garcia is known for his never say die attitude and relentless fighting style which led Coach Jackson to believing that the fight could end up playing out the way it did.

“I thought it might play out that way just because the two of them are such similar styles. It was just an amazingly exciting fight and I was really happy to be a part of it but safely on the outside of the cage.”

In 2009, Jackson was awarded with Coach and Gym of the Year honors at the Fighters Only World Mixed Martial Arts Awards for his outstanding achievements in the sport. After receiving the highest award for his craft, Jackson gave credit to his entire coaching staff and the fighters that they trained together.

“For myself it was very meaningful and I’m glad my fighters are doing well because if my fighters weren’t doing well then we wouldn’t get the award. I didn’t really feel that it was really anything that I did, I felt that I was a representative of the coaching staff and there’s a lot of us,” Jackson explained.

“I felt that it was a testament to the fighters and I think our fighters were doing really well overall and because of that fact people like myself and outside of that got recognized. That’s nice because I know my boys and girls are kicking butt and that was a nice feeling.”

Fighters train and compete to be the best in their respected divisions and to be world champions. But what exactly drives a coach and gives him the most enjoyment in what he does on a day to day basis.

“I think the key is watching people change their lives and to fulfill their dreams. Watching people get better and just watching how it can change your life and how it can better your life. Just being part of that process of helping so many people have a better life I think is really the addiction I have to it.”

Helping people change their lives is exactly what the 2009 Coach of the Year does. He has been widely recognized for turning fighters into the most mentally strong athletes in the world.

“We really have a good balance of the technical and mental. We’re constantly pushing both of those and we’re doing pretty good so far. I think it’s the whole atmosphere and there’s definitely things that we try to install,” Jackson explained.

“The mental toughness, the ability to accept suffering, and to accept the battle. We actually enjoy that where other people are getting worried, afraid, and getting tired. We definitely try to install that mental toughness and having that positive atmosphere behind it so you’re suffering with a purpose. That’s really important and I think that’s one of the keys to the fighters' success.”

The balance the camp has between the technical and mental aspects of the sport has played a huge part in the success the camp has enjoyed. Place strategy in the mix and a fighter’s game plan could be the key to putting the odds in his favor.

“I really think it helps a lot and sometimes things change in the fight, you have to have the ability to adjust to that. The strategy of being prepared is the best strategy for fighting. Part of that preparation is physical, part of that is mental, and part of that is technical. Just having a plan and I feel if you have those things covered then it is like you said, 'putting the odds in your favor.' It’s maximum ability to maximum effect.”

In maximizing the aforementioned aspects of the sport, Jackson, along with his coaching staff, have helped produce arguably the best fighter in the sport.

UFC welterweight champion and top pound-for-pound fighter, Georges “Rush” St. Pierre, has seemed unstoppable with his dominant wrestling and well-rounded game since joining the ranks of the Albuquerque based gym.

“The nice thing about that is we have such a great team of coaches all working together. That’s really where you see that kind of stuff shine. People like Phil Nurse, Jon Chaimberg, Jon Danaher, and Firas Zahabi. All those guys are working alongside me with these great ideas and these great goals for Georges. We all work together as a well-oiled machine to improve him and make him the best fighter he can be. The goal of our team is definitely to maximize the potential of the fighters.”

If you have ever been fortunate enough to spend time around Jackson or any of his fighters you can sense that the whole group operates much like a large family. The question remains, what makes Jackson’s MMA like a big family.

“I really think the key is the fighters themselves. I think it’s more than the coaches, and I think it’s the fighters helping each other, always going the extra mile for each other. They travel a lot and are sacrificing a lot of family time to help each other with their camps. You really have people that care about you, care about whether you win or lose, and genuinely care about you and want to see you do well. That’s a great positive place to come from.”

Thus far into 2010, Jackson's mixed martial arts is following up on the success that made them the 2009 camp of the year and the camaraderie they share is second to none.

To follow Greg Jackson and the fighters who are under his tutelage follow: http://www.jacksons.tv/