In combat sports, coaches and corner men have an important job. Their duty is not only to instruct the fighter leading up to the contest but to keep him calm, focused and safe during the battle. Trevor Wittman embodied that role when he protected former champion Nate Marquardt from more damage at the hands of Kelvin Gastelum at UFC 188 on June 13.
Gastelum defeated Marquardt via corner stoppage in the second round of their middleweight fight. Marquardt had taken a vicious beating up to that point, and Wittman stepped in to bring the fight to an end.