Martin also enjoys the high-quality training she gets with the various women on the team, including Montana De La Rosa, Miranda Maverick and JJ Aldrich.
With all the voices in the room and all the talent on the mat, it’s natural for philosophies to clash a little bit, but according to Donovan, that only creates more benefits for the athletes.
“If we can get together and talk about those things, it brings balance,” he said. “It creates options for these athletes. They have different skill sets, different backgrounds, different body types, and we’re able to fit them with the right coach whether that’s a personality thing or a skill set thing. It’s also cool to be able to have those resources. I don’t know everything, but I guarantee I can find the answer amongst the coaches that we have.”
Elevation Fight Team saw plenty of success in 2020 that has only evolved in 2021. Sandhagen gets his first crack at a piece of gold as he continues his ascension in the loaded bantamweight division; Blaydes, who recently defeated Jairzinho Rozenstruik at UFC 266, has solidified himself at the top of the heavyweight division; and Gaethje has a chance to put himself back in the lightweight title picture with a win over Michael Chandler at UFC 268.
They aren’t resting on their laurels, but they know there’s plenty brewing in Colorado, and it’s exciting for all those involved.
“I think we are on the cutting edge,” Donovan said. “I’m friends with the other coaches on the other teams around the world, and there are a lot of really special things happening in different rooms, but I know what we’re doing is special. I know that we think about MMA from a very advanced place. I think we’re seeing for the first time, a generation of coaches who actually did it, which is cool because we’re getting away from this individual skill set coaches where – you take Curtis for instance. Curtis has a grappling coach, Curtis has a striking coach, but either one of us can watch him and understand the full picture. A coach can still have their specialty, but if you understand the big picture, you get to really push the limits of the sport and do some cool stuff.”