Every knockout, submission and title run begins long before the cage door closes.

While fans eagerly anticipate the next UFC card or Zuffa Boxing event, much of the attention centers on the athletes inside the cage. Fight fans debate matchups, predict performances and wonder how competitors will rebound from difficult losses.

What often goes unnoticed are the coaches and cornermen who help shape those performances long before fight night.

Coaches spend countless hours developing their athletes, studying opponents and preparing fighters for every challenge. Tyson Chartier, head coach of New England Cartel, currently coaches UFC flyweight Mitch Raposo and previously coached UFC fighters Calvin Kattar and Rob Font. He said he spends hours breaking down film and developing detailed game plans tailored to each athlete.

Raposo recently picked up a victory after spending 22 weeks in training camp, a commitment that illustrates just how much time coaches invest in preparing their athletes.

However, building elite-level fighters comes with significant sacrifice. In Chartier’s case, that often means missing time with his family.

“I think the level of selflessness it takes to be a successful MMA coach is drastically underestimated by most people,” Chartier said. “Everyone talks about the fighter, but to my wife and kids if I’m not home for Thanksgiving, they don’t care whether I’m the coach or the fighter. They just know I wasn’t home for Thanksgiving.”

In addition to serving as a head MMA coach, Chartier works alongside several specialist coaches. Raposo, for example, has dedicated striking and jiu-jitsu coaches. As the head coach in Raposo’s corner, Chartier said constant communication is essential to ensure everyone follows the same game plan on fight night.

Chartier also coordinates training schedules between Raposo and his specialist coaches. Earlier in his career, he frequently traveled with his fighters to observe training firsthand and ensure every session aligned with the team’s vision. Today, he relies more on communication than constant travel while balancing the demands of coaching multiple athletes.

Beyond the technical aspects of coaching, Chartier believes emotional and motivational support is just as important. He works to keep his fighters’ confidence high and make sure each athlete knows they have his support throughout training camp.

Chartier asks his fighters what concerns them most and tailors each training camp to address those worries while keeping them confident and motivated.

“All the mental side of it, that’s a big part of what I do as a coach, is really just getting these guys’ heads right,” Chartier said. “It’s just trying to get them confident going into the fight. There’s no one way to get a fighter ready, you know. Every fighter is so different.”

With Raposo, Chartier focused on reinforcing confidence throughout camp, making sure he trusted both his preparation and his abilities entering fight night.

Coaching, however, is a 24/7 job. While fighters can take time off between bouts to recover, coaches often move directly into preparing the next athlete.

“I don’t get to sit on this win or loss,” Chartier said. “I have to get back in the gym because the teammates are getting ready for their fights.”

Chartier said one of the most rewarding parts of coaching is seeing athletes exceed expectations, even recalling that he has helped turn people working at local gas stations into fighters. Still, the profession comes with uncertainty. 

Coaches may occupy an authoritative role inside the gym, but they ultimately work for their fighters, and there is no guarantee an athlete will remain with the same coach throughout a career.

Fans will always remember the knockout, submission or championship victory. Few will remember the months spent studying film, building confidence and preparing game plans behind the scenes. Yet, according to Chartier, that unseen work is what makes success on fight night possible. By the time the cage door closes, much of the work has already been done.