Sherdog’s Top 10: Training Camps

Chris Weidman set the standard for Serra-Longo Fight Team. | Photo: D. Mandel/Sherdog.com

9. Serra-Longo Fight Team

Former UFC welterweight champion Matt Serra and his longtime striking trainer, Ray Longo, are two of MMA’s great characters. Far from being only sources of quotable material, however, Serra and Longo have grown into two of the finest coaches in the sport, producing a steady stream of talented young fighters from their stronghold on Long Island.

Quality over quantity is the Serra-Longo way. They do not train the vast numbers of fighters who pass through American Top Team, Jackson-Wink MMA or even Alliance MMA but instead focus their attention on a small, tight-knit group of pupils. Middleweight champion Chris Weidman is the centerpiece of the group, of course, but rising stars such as Al Iaquinta and Aljamain Sterling have begun to make their mark, as well. “The Ultimate Fighter 19” winner Eddie Gordon is also a Serra-Longo product, and the camp has several fighters on the way up who will make their mark sooner rather than later.

That tight connection with fighters is a huge benefit. Serra and Longo know their pupils’ games inside and out, as they have generally taught them since near the beginning of their careers. They know what to work on between fights and understand their psyches well enough to provide customized game planning and how to approach their specific needs. That is why we see such a clear pattern of improvement from fight to fight for all of their fighters, and Serra and Longo have an incredible wealth of experience and creativity upon which to draw.

With so many young and promising fighters, it would be surprising if the Serra-Longo Fight Team did not vault even higher up a future edition of this list.

Number 8 » Blackzilians