The big question at UFC 268: Can Wittman’s team deliver again?
Will Trevor Wittman leave UFC 268 as the frontrunner for “coach of the year”?
UFC 268 takes place on Saturday at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The pay-per-view portion of the event features two title fights and one bout that could launch the winner into a lightweight title fight. One common dominator in those fights is Trevor Wittman.
Wittman, who is one of the most respected coaches in MMA, will be in the corners of welterweight champion Kamaru Usman, strawweight champ Rose Namajunas and former interim lightweight titleholder, Justin Gaethje.
Usman faces former interim UFC kingpin Colby Covington in the main event. In the co-headliner, Namajunas matches up against ex-115-pound queen Zhang Weili. Gaethje meets ex-155-pound title challenger Michael Chandler in the opening fight of the pay-per-view card.
There will be a lot of pressure on Wittman at UFC 268. If his three fighters win, he’ll be celebrated and praised. His name will be mentioned as a potential “coach of the year” winner. If any of Wittman’s trainees stumble and lose, Wittman will have to answer some tough questions.
The coach relishes the opportunity he faces at UFC 268.
“Having three fights in one night, man, it’s an inspiration to me,” he told UFC.com. “I’m excited for it, and no one has seen what went on, but if you know what’s inside, that’s the key to fixing self, and I really, really look forward to competing with myself underneath the pressure of guiding my athletes the right way like champions.”
Usman and Gaethje are both significant favorites. Namajunas and Zhang opened at even odds, but as fight night approaches, Zhang is a slight favorite.
Wittman has coached two big fights on the same card before. In fact, that happened in April when Namajunas knocked out Zhang in the first round to regain the 115-pound title at UFC 261 and Usman knocked out Jorge Masvidal in defense of his welterweight crown.
Wittman has a lot of his plate, and if one member of his team loses on Saturday — especially if it is one of the defending champions — fair or not, his ability to keep three fighters dialed in and focused while competing on the same card will be scrutinized. Wittman and his team can avoid those questions by walking out of Madison Square Garden with three victorious fighters on Saturday night.
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