5 best coaching performances in the UFC

#2. Jon Jones vs. Lyoto Machida, UFC 140

At UFC 140, Jon Jones struggled more than fight fans had ever seen him struggle prior to his historic matchup with Alexander Gustafsson 2 years later.

Up until then, Machida was the most educated striker Jones had ever faced in the UFC. Furthermore, at the time, he was one of the deadliest counter-strikers in mixed martial arts, specializing in creating collisions by standing at a long enough range that it caused his foes to lunge right into his counterpunches.

Jon Jones, by contrast, grew into his own as a range specialist and MMA's preeminent outfighter. When he and 'The Dragon' finally crossed paths, Jones encountered a puzzle that troubled him more than he expected. Every time Jones threw a low kick to maintain range, Machida darted on the inside of the kick, countering his foe over the top with a straight left. This karate blitz eventually stunned Jones, forcing a strategic readjustment from the Jones camp.

Between the 1st and 2nd rounds, Mike Winkeljohn advised Jones to fake a low kick and intercept Machida's blitz with a straight left of his own. The suggestion worked to great effect as Jones dropped Machida in the 2nd round before securing a standing guillotine choke after 'The Dragon' scrambled back to his feet. Machida refused to tap, opting to fall unconscious as Jones walked off in triumph.

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#1. Leon Edwards vs. Kamaru Usman, UFC 278

The reigning UFC welterweight champion almost lost his chance at winning the title at UFC 278.

In a rematch nearly 7 years in the making, Leon Edwards challenged Kamaru Usman for divisional supremacy. While 'Rocky' did well in the 1st round, he quickly succumbed to the ill effects of fighting at a high altitude in Salt Lake City. By the 2nd round, 'The Nigerian Nightmare' took over the bout and Edwards seemed to grow progressively more discouraged.

Edwards' coaches had to put in a shift, desperately trying to motivate their fighter with repeated calls for him to stop allowing Usman to bully him. By the time of the final round, one of Edwards' coaches, Dave Lovell, offered 'Rocky' a pep talk unlike any other. After demanding that Edwards stop feeling sorry for himself, Lovell urged him to wrench the title from Usman's grasp and pull the win out of the fire.

In the closing minutes of the 5th round, Edwards' corner screamed for a head kick and 'Rocky' complied. After throwing a jab-straight left combination to trick Usman into slipping on the outside of the straight left, Edwards intercepted 'The Nigerian Nightmare' with a left high kick, flattening Usman in one fell swoop to capture UFC gold.