Seen from the outside, Dean Garnett’s long break may seem strange. Why did an English prodigy, considered one of the hopes of MMA, disappear from the radar in the middle of his physical peak? The elements of answer are multiple.

Indeed, since 2018, date of his last fight in a cage, many events have disrupted the career of the Scouser with a strong accent. The arrival of a child, a broken jaw in the middle of a fight-week, but especially the development of the Aspire Combat Sport Academy, the gym he owns, in Liverpool. Because Dean Garnett is not only a talented athlete. He is also a renowned coach, who has contributed to the rise of several young fighters in his country. Chief among them is Muhammad Mokaev, currently ranked in the top 15 of his weight class in the UFC. “I think we have the best amateur team in England right now. But also a lot of high-level professionals.”

“I’m a much better fighter than I was before.”

In Dean Garnett’s case, competitive inactivity does not rhyme with athletic inactivity. In fact, for the past five years, he has been training hard to refine his game. “The beauty of coaching is that even when you’re working others, you’re working yourself. I’m constantly with very high level fighters, and I’m a much better fighter myself than I was before.” So there is something to salivate over, considering the level shown by the 34-year-old Englishman in the past. Foot-fighting, wrestling, jiu-jitsu… It’s hard to find a weak point. Because even if he was introduced to martial arts by boxing, very young, Dean Garnett worked to erase his shortcomings by transiting to MMA. Until he became formidable complete.

“My goal is to take the HEXAGONE MMA belt.”

“From the beginning, I focused on jiu-jistu. I knew it was essential,” he recalls. Initially practiced to catch up, ground fighting has finally become one of the main strengths of the kid from Liverpool, as evidenced by the black belt he should receive very soon. So he says it straight, “I might surprise the public. “While I was away, I gained a lot of wisdom and knowledge. I have four or five years left at the highest level, and I intend to make the most of it. My goal is to take the HEXAGONE MMA belt.” The machine is back in motion.