What makes a good cornerman in MMA?

If you’ve ever watched an MMA fight, then you’ll often see a cornerman in the corner of each fighter. Usually, this can either be one person, or it can be an entire entourage. The point of these cornermen is to give advice to their fighter and make them perform to the best of their ability. Understandably, this means there’s a lot of emphasis on the cornerman who can impact their fighter’s performance to guide them to victory or even defeat.

The term cornerman comes from the coach literally being in the corner of the fighter. This is from boxing back in the day, where each fighter would have a guy giving instructions from the side. Sometimes, they’re also referred to as cutmen as well, due to covering up cuts with vaseline when necessary.

In this article, we shall look at the nuances of being a cornerman. Although these people aren’t the most thought about when it comes to MMA fighting, they’re usually highly skilled martial artists who are somewhat underappreciated when it comes to the art of fighting. Read on for more information on the importance of cornermen in MMA.

How do you become a cornerman?

To become an MMA cornerman, you would need to coach the fighter and have a good working relationship with them. As a cornerman is basically a trusted coach – then you would need to know the mind and body of the fighter extensively and see them on a regular basis. This means trust both ways, and an understanding of the relationship dynamic.

For example, let’s say there’s a fighter in an MMA gym and you’ve coached him wrestling for the past two years on a weekly basis. This fighter may choose you as his cornerman to coach his wrestling before and during the fight. Effectively, the role of a cornerman is to give advice and help the fighter win. This means that the role of a cornerman is quite important, and usually they’re within the close circle of the fighter.

In short, to become a cornerman you will need to build a reputation as a top coach. This normally takes years or decades to build and usually involves mastering a niche part of fighting, such as being a Muay Thai or BJJ specialist. This, alongside good communication and people skills, may end up with the making of a cornerman. This isn’t something you can just become overnight.

How much do they get paid?

Typically, a cornerman is paid by the fighter they represent. There are two pay structures used, and ultimately this depends on the business relationship between the fighter and their cornerman. For instance, if the coach is well known, then they will get paid a percentage of the fighters purse. So, let’s imagine Georges St Pierre uses Firas Zahabi as his cornerman.

He may pay 5% of his purse to Zahabi. This may not sound like much, but if GSP got paid $700,000 for a fight – then Zahabi would get $35000. Overall, this isn’t bad pay for a day’s work. Of course, there’s more work involved but the point remains – being a top cornerman can pay quite well.

The second pay structure can be a one-off fee and this typically goes on when a fighter doesn’t earn much money. Contrary to popular belief, most professional MMA fighters don’t get paid much money and as far as jobs go, it’s not great. Although fans are exposed to the UFC stars, most fighters live modest lifestyles and get by on very little.

So, if a fighter got paid $3000 for a fight, they may pay their cornerman $100. This works out at under 5% but usually, a cornerman won’t even charge if they’re friends with the fighter. At the end of the day, this boils down to the fighter-coach-dynamic which is something both parties need to talk about. Ultimately, many cornermen go without pay, so it’s not really a career path unless you’re at the top with a great reputation.

How many cornermen can you have?

In the UFC, a fighter is allowed two cornermen whose expenses are paid for by the organization. If a fighter wants more than two cornermen, they will have to start paying for them out of their own pocket. For instance, if a fighter uses three cornermen, then two will have their expenses paid for by the UFC. However, the third coach would have to be paid for by the fighter. In theory, a fighter could have as many cornermen as they want. Having said this, it would be expensive and illogical to employ too many coaches, so usually you’ll rarely see more than three or four at most.

Aside from a set fee (mentioned above), the expenses of a cornerman typically cover travel and accommodation. Imagine that the UFC has an event in Las Vegas and employs a British fighter to fight on their card. They would pay the travel costs (airplane, taxis etc) for up to two cornermen and then accommodation fees as well.

This may mean funding for a local hotel for a few nights, or even up to a week – dependent on the setup (such as Fight Island). Usually, these costs are around $1000 per person but can be more or less dependent on the travel distance and hotel arrangements.

Whilst on the subject of finances, smaller MMA promotions will typically pay less or not at all in terms of cornermen. Many MMA organizations are run on a shoestring budget, so they can’t afford to pay for cornermen. This means the fighter has to pay themselves. Still, if it’s a local venue then travel and accommodation fees would not be an issue anyway.

What is the role of an MMA cornerman?

When breaking down the dynamics of a good cornerman, there are normally two skills that are used. The first is tactical and technical advice, whilst the second is down to motivation. Below, we shall discuss these qualities in further detail:

The tactical cornerman

Arguably, the best type of cornerman to get is a master tactician who plans your every move. For instance, they may have studied your opponent in-depth and built a game plan to exploit their weaknesses. When Michael Bisping defeated Luke Rockhold to win the UFC title, he claimed that his team had found a glaring weakness, whereby Rockhold dropped his guard at times when punching. This resulted in Bisping taking advantage of this and knocking out Rockhold, gaining an unexpected victory in the process.

In short, there are two ways to give tactical and technical advice. The first is beforehand which usually takes place during a fight camp. Here, the cornerman acts as a coach who will try to get their fighter thinking strategically whilst sparring. Here, they will work on their strengths and weaknesses, whilst thinking about applying these skills on the fight night.

The second part is applying these at the night, during the fight. If all goes to plan then the work beforehand should play out and everything works well. Often though, cornermen should be looking at micro scenarios that can be worked to their fighter’s advantage. For instance, they may see poor footwork or an unorthodox strategy during the fight from their own fighter. Here, they need to correct this behavior by shouting out instructions. This advice is also given during breaks in between rounds.

The motivational cornerman

The second role that a cornerman can use is to act as a hype man. Over the years, many fighters have openly expressed how their cornerman got an extra 10% out of them by hyping them up beforehand. A good example of this can be seen with Teddy Atlas, who is known to scream at his fighters and work them into a fury. Although this style may not appeal to all, it certainly works for some.

At the same time, whilst playing the role of the tactician may be more stoic and technical-minded, you can’t underestimate the ability to get someone in ‘the zone’. For all the best advice in the world, if the fighter fails to perform due to a relaxed coach then ultimately the coach deserves some blame. At the opposite end of the spectrum, you don’t want to push the fighter too far.

If the fighter is already filled with adrenaline, then you don’t want to make them too emotional. This is a fine balance and one that certain cornermen can master very well. Although rare, the ideal cornerman would have both qualities, being good at giving advice whilst also being motivational. This can take years to master and most people are either good at one and not the other. So, if you do find a cornerman who is good at both – then keep them close.

Mike Perry uses his girlfriend as his cornerman

It goes without saying that cornermen are very important. So, when UFC fighter Mike Perry used his girlfriend Latory Gonzalez as his cornerman, it certainly raised eyebrows. During the end of his UFC contract, Perry fought three times with her in his corner. He won once and lost twice which may have happened anyway, but it shows how little Perry thought of his previous coach. After one bout, he even went as far as to say “She did a great job” which says it all.

Most likely, this was a publicity stunt which Perry is well known for. At the same time, it’s certainly not advisable and who knows, with the right coach, Perry may have won one of his losses which could have had big implications for his career. Overall, you probably shouldn’t take advice from Mike Perry, and this is an example of why.

Conclusion

Undoubtedly, cornermen are a key part of MMA. Although MMA is sometimes seen as a knucklehead sport, sometimes the smaller points are missed, such as the role of the cornerman. With these, it’s possible to really improve your career with the right person in your corner. As seen, there’s more to this role than just dabbing sweat and giving water to the fighter.

In conclusion, a good cornerman is made from good people skills, communication and a keen eye for detail. Whilst it’s rare to find all three of these qualities – if you do you’re in luck as a fighter.