Trevor Wittman
{{short description|American martial arts coach}}
{{Infobox martial artist
| name = Trevor Wittman
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| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1974|03|05}}
| birth_place = Denver, Colorado, U.S.
| children = 2
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| residence = Wheat Ridge, Colorado, U.S.
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| occupation = Owner and trainer, ONX Sports
| university = Colorado Institute of Art
| spouse = {{marriage|Christina Wittman | 2005}}
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| url = {{url|https://onxsports.com/}}
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Trevor Wittman (born March 5, 1974) is an American boxing and mixed martial arts coach.{{cite journal | title = T's KO Fight Club | journal = Five Knuckles | date = 2009-08-26 | first = Alessandro | last = Mulei | url = http://www.fiveknuckles.com/mma-camp/Ts-KO-Fight-Club.html | access-date = 2010-06-26 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090611154152/http://www.fiveknuckles.com/mma-camp/Ts-KO-Fight-Club.html | archive-date = 2009-06-11}}{{cite journal | title = Grudge Training Center | journal = Sherdog | date = 2008-10-28 | first = Fernando | last = Luevanos| url = http://www.sherdog.com/fightfinder.php?search=yes&association=Grudge | access-date = 2010-06-26}} He is the founder of ONX Sports, a combat sports equipment company based in Golden, Colorado.{{cite news |last=Newman |first=Kyle |title=Denver fighter Justin Gaethje sees a win at UFC 300 as springboard toward another shot at lightweight belt |url=https://www.denverpost.com/2024/04/13/ufc-300-justin-gaethje-denver-roots/ |work=The Denver Post |date=13 April 2024}}
Training career
Compelled to retire from boxing at 21 years old after being diagnosed with a hyperinflated lung, Wittman transitioned to training boxers in the Denver metropolitan area.{{cite news|last1=Carroll|first1=Nick|title=Famed trainer credits teacher with putting him on the right path|work=The Berlin Citizen|location=Berlin, Connecticut|volume=14|issue=42|date=21 October 2010|pages=1, 31}}{{cite news|last1=Zandstra|first1=Tate|title=Mixing up martial arts|url=http://www.boulderweekly.com/adventure/mixing-up-martial-arts/|access-date=3 May 2017|work=Boulder Weekly|date=8 March 2012|location=Boulder, Colorado|page=48}}{{cite news|last1=Chambers|first1=Mike|title=You oughta know: Boxer/trainer Trevor Wittman|url=http://www.denverpost.com/2005/10/15/you-oughta-know-boxertrainer-trevor-wittman/|access-date=3 May 2017|work=The Denver Post|date=15 October 2005|location=Denver}} He founded T's K.O. Fight Club in Wheat Ridge, Colorado in March 1998.{{cite web|title=Home|website=T's K.O. Fight Club|access-date=3 May 2017|url=http://www.tskofightclub.com:80/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090817135016/http://www.tskofightclub.com/|archive-date=17 August 2009|url-status=dead}} The business broadened its scope to include other combat sports such as mixed martial arts, eventually resulting in Wittman closing T's K.O. Fight Club{{cite web|title=Home|website=T's K.O. Fight Club|access-date=3 May 2017|url=http://www.tskofightclub.com:80/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091130014148/http://www.tskofightclub.com/|archive-date=30 November 2009|url-status=dead}} and establishing the Grudge Training Center facility in Wheat Ridge in 2009. Grudge relocated to Arvada, Colorado in 2013. Having developed experience working with and making training equipment for fighters, in 2015 Wittman founded ONX Sports, a combat sports equipment company. To focus more attention on ONX Sports, Wittman closed down Grudge in November 2016, though he continues to train a few select fighters, including Rose Namajunas, Justin Gaethje, and Kamaru Usman.{{cite episode|title=UFC 261 Countdown: Usman vs. Masvidal 2|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBiQ2X9zS90&list=PL9m3-_Hv6qNhcWjK8g-u4SHLwHoXHQkpr&t=917s |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210418161104/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBiQ2X9zS90 |archive-date=2021-04-18 |url-status=dead|access-date=April 19, 2021|series=UFC Countdown|network=ESPNews|date=April 19, 2021|time=15:17|quote=Along with former interim champ Justin Gaethje, Usman and Namajunas are the only athletes that Wittman coaches.}}
Personal life
Wittman wrestled at Berlin High School, after which he moved to New Jersey, then to Colorado, where he attended the Colorado Institute of Art. Wittman married his wife Christina in 2005, and has a son and a daughter.
In 2021, it was reported that Wittman was diagnosed with Dupuytren's contracture, limiting his mobility. He has also lived with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo.{{cite web |last=Mularski |first=Morgan |title=How Trevor Wittman prepared Kamaru Usman, Rose Namajunas, Justin Gaethje and himself for UFC 268 |url=https://www.espn.com/mma/story/_/id/32541947/ufc-268-kamaru-usman-justin-gaethje-rose-namajunas-ufc-268-trevor-wittman-big-night |publisher=ESPN |date=4 November 2021}}
Notable fighters trained
=Mixed martial arts=
- Aspen Ladd
- Michael Bisping
- Kamaru Usman
- Rose Namajunas
- Justin Gaethje
- Stipe Miocic
- T.J. Dillashaw
- Donald Cerrone
- Cory Sandhagen
- Georges St-Pierre
- Neil Magny
- Matt Mitrione
- Roy Nelson
- Tyler Toner
- Gerald Harris
- Pat Barry
- Tyler Stinson
- Luke Caudillo
- James McSweeney
- Todd Duffee
- Jon Madsen
- Jared Hamman
- Ed Herman
- Justin Salas
- Brandon Thatch
- Rashad Evans
- Shane Carwin
- Melvin Guillard
- Brandon Girtz
- Nate Marquardt
- Duane Ludwig
- Cody Donovan
- Alvin Robinson
- Bobby Lashley
- Keith Jardine
- Paul Buentello{{Cite web|url=http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2010/3/22/1385753/coach-trevor-wittman-says-paul|title=Coach Trevor Wittman says Paul Buentello tapped out mainly due to pain from his dislocated finger|date=22 March 2010}}
- Justin Wren
- Kevin Burns
- Mike Wessel
=Boxers=
Awards
- World MMA Awards
- 2017 The Shawn Tompkins Coach of the Year{{cite news |title=World MMA Awards 2018 Results |url=https://www.mmafighting.com/2018/7/3/17532430/world-mma-awards-2018-results |access-date=15 November 2018 |work=MMA Fighting}}
- 2019 – July 2020 The Shawn Tompkins Coach of the Year{{cite web|url=https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/lists/amanda-nunes-israel-adesanya-jorge-masvidal-pace-major-winners-at-world-mma-awards|title=Amanda Nunes, Israel Adesanya, Jorge Masvidal pace major winners at World MMA Awards|date=December 27, 2020|work=MMAjunkie.com}}
- 2021 The Shawn Tompkins Coach of the Year{{cite web|url=https://www.mmafighting.com/2021/12/10/22827368/2021-world-mma-awards-results|title=2021 World MMA Awards Results|date=December 10, 2021|publisher=mmafighting.com}}{{note|wmmanote1}}
- {{note|wmmanote1}}Voting period for 2019 awards ran from January 2019 to July 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Subsequently, the voting period for 2021 awards ran from July 2020 to July 2021.
- MMAjunkie.com
- 2021 Coach of the Year{{cite web|url=https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2022/01/mma-junkie-2021-coach-of-the-year-trevor-wittman|title=MMA Junkie's 2021 Coach of the Year: Trevor Wittman|date=January 5, 2022|work=MMAjunkie.com|author=Dan Tom}}
- Yahoo! Sports
- 2021 Coach of the Year{{cite web|url=https://sports.yahoo.com/2021-mma-awards-best-of-the-rest-including-top-prospect-coach-ko-and-submission-of-the-year-180030122.html|title=2021 MMA Awards: Best of the rest including top prospect, coach, submission and KO of the year|date=December 29, 2021|author=Kevin Iole|work=Yahoo! Sports}}
- Combat Press
- 2021 Coach of the Year{{cite web|url=https://combatpress.com/2022/02/combat-press-2021-mma-awards-coach-of-the-year-trevor-wittman/|title=Combat Press 2021 MMA Awards: Coach of the Year – Trevor Wittman|date=February 1, 2022|publisher=combatpress.com|author=Matthew Petela}}