Gavin Pratt | From Down Under to the Top: Coaching Careers in Combat Sports

Coaching elite mixed martial arts (MMA) athletes demands creativity, adaptability, and a global mindset. Gavin Pratt, Senior Director of Strength and Conditioning at the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Performance Institute, shares insights from his international career. Pratt reflects on preparing athletes for the Chinese National Games and managing strength and conditioning at the world’s first MMA academy in Shanghai. Applying a systems-based approach, he tackles MMA’s unique challenges — including unpredictable training schedules, diverse personalities and backgrounds, session intensity, and load management. Driven by passion rather than prestige, Pratt emphasizes he’s never been a "tracksuit hunter" — someone motivated primarily by titles or status. He highlights MMA’s innovation potential, especially when using individualized technology based on athletes' force or velocity deficiencies. Pratt contrasts the United States’ expertise in speed, agility, and change of direction with Australia’s early adoption of sports science. He also provides valuable interview advice to help coaches communicate effectively under pressure. Discover practical strategies to elevate your coaching impact.

Connect with Gavin via email at [email protected] and on Instagram: @gav_pratt | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs and LinkedIn: @ericmcmahoncscs  

If this episode sparked your interest in MMA and other combat sports, take the next step by joining the NSCA Combat Sports Special Interest Group (SIG) on LinkedIn. Connect with a global network of professionals shaping the future of performance.

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“You're not an electrician whose license only works in a certain state of your country and you have to stay there for your whole career. We have an opportunity to see the world, see different experiences, and understand even our own industry better.” 7:20

“It's getting out of your comfort zone, no matter how uncomfortable that is. That's probably up to the individual. But there's a journey as part of any career. You can't skip the queue. There's a process to accumulating knowledge and experience. So you might have all the Xs and Os down pat, but even the inexperience might not allow you to express that knowledge as well as maybe you could. That's part of the journey, as well, learning what works and what doesn't for different athletes and different colleagues, even. It's part of the process, and you can't rush it.” 10:40

“We need to find people that understand the science, but have an even better understanding of how they can communicate that simply and effectively to colleagues and athletes. That is the skill set of being an S&C coach ultimately. […] You can have all the knowledge of the theory, but if it doesn't come from here and be expressed from a really simplistic standpoint, then it's not as valuable as what it could be.” 23:50