Jake Ellenberger: Ronda Rousey's coach 'probably' the best I've had in career

UFC welterweight Jake Ellenberger did not make a behind-the-scenes switch in training camps despite another loss in his most recent outing. Instead, he chose to reinvest his time with the coach he sought out after a heartbreaking setback to Rory MacDonald in July 2013.

The coach is Edmond Tarverdyan, who’s credited as a major force in the explosive rise of UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey. Over the past year, he’s taken on other UFC clients, including Ellenberger and standout heavyweight Travis Browne, who hope to replicate the champ’s success.

Ellenberger not only enlisted Tarverdyan for more work after a May TKO loss to current welterweight contender Robbie Lawler, but even rented an apartment close to Tarverdyan’s gym in North Hollywood, Calif., so he could avoid a lengthly commute from his home in nearby Mission Viejo.

“It’s much easier to stay up here around where I’m training,” Ellenberger (29-8 MMA, 8-4 UFC) told MMAjunkie Radio. “It’s all I need.”

A shortened training camp for Lawler left Ellenberger only so much time to refine his skills, but with a full camp to prepare for his next bout opposite Kelvin Gastelum (9-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC), he said he’s getting an idea why Tarverdyan’s changes have found success.

“Honestly, Edmund’s one of the smartest guys I’ve ever met,” said Ellenberger, who meets “The Ultimate Fighter 17? winner in the co-headliner of UFC 180 on Nov. 15 in Mexico City. “In my humble opinion, he’s probably the best coach I’ve had, and that’s in any sport I’ve ever competed in.

“Obviously, people have seen his success with Ronda and they talk about the way she’s worked with him, but (I’ve seen it) the more I’ve worked with him and seen the passion he has for strategy. People always like to point fingers when you fail, but at the end of the day, when you fail, it’s nobody’s fault but your own.

“But Edmund’s been amazing. I’ve really gotten a chance to develop more with concepts. I’ve fought for nine years, and there are things that I’ve never even seen before. It’s just simple things, keeping it simple. He’s brilliant. He’s a phenomenal coach.”

It doesn’t hurt that Tarverdyan favors Ellenberger over others, as well, for individual training sessions.

“You’d be amazed how many people he gets asked to train every day, every week,” he said. “People from all over the world. It’s funny because it’s a private gym; you can come in to train, but it wouldn’t be with Edmund. He’s pretty much crunched for time as it is. He’s one on one. If he likes you, he’ll spend time on you.”

At the same time he’s absorbing Tarverdyan’s methods, Ellenberger also is seeking out work with the world-famous Gracie Academy and reading up on training at altitude, which he’ll be doing 7,380 feet above sea level in Mexico City. (The event’s main card airs live on pay-per-view following prelims on FOX Sports 1 and UFC Fight Pass.)

“All the studies that I’ve read and seen, it’s after that 21-minute mark when you start to see that acid buildup a lot more, so we’re not running a marathon,” he said. “We’re not doing anything long duration. I trained for a fight for 15 minutes, and that’s what we’re going to do.”

Ellenberger and Gastelum once trained under the same roof at Reign Training Center in Lake Forest, Calif., but Ellenberger said he didn’t work with the fighter.

Still, he expects a good matchup, anticipating Gastelum will come forward and fight him in the way he’s responded best.

“Fighting’s such a psychological game, and whatever you’re going to focus on, you’ve got to be able to stay positive and optimistic,” he said. “We’re at elevation; there’s all these different factors. At the end of the day, it’s a fight. I do the best when guys are moving forward. It’s much tougher to fight a guy who sits back and is calculated. And that’s where I’ve had most of my success – moving forward and fighting guys who move forward as well. But I’m hoping that’s what he does, because everyone is a little different.”

For more on UFC 180, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.

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