Episode 1 | John Crouch

In this episode, Joe sits down with legendary UFC coach John Crouch, the head coach and owner of The MMA Lab, one of the most respected fight gyms here in Phoenix.

Long before coaching UFC champions, John’s journey started with the Gracie Academy, where he trained under the original lineage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu pioneers, including Royce Gracie.

From there, John dedicated his life to the craft: teaching, refining, and eventually building his own programs before becoming the head coach at The MMA Lab in Arizona, where he’s coached some of the sport’s top fighters and helped shape championship-level talent.

In this conversation, Joe and John dive into:

-How training under the Gracie lineage shaped his philosophy as a coach
-Why he chose coaching over pursuing a professional fighting career
-What it takes to develop elite fighters from the ground up
-And why you can’t judge someone’s ability at first glance

This episode is a behind-the-scenes look at the mindset, discipline, and path it takes to go from student to one of the most respected coaches in MMA.