Can nerds be fighters? Well, the Fighting Nerds definitely believe so. With Caio Borralho, Mauricio Ruffy, Jean Silva, and Carlos Prates on the frontlines, and led by Pablo Sucupira as the head coach and founder, the Fighting Nerds have shone through in the recent scenario of the MMA world. What began as an unofficial team in 2014 has now become one of the most loved and feared teams in the MMA realm. But what exactly was the reason behind the team’s massive success? 

On episode #2309 of the JRE, Joe Rogan had a 3-hour-long conversation with the famed actor and author, and close friend Joey Diaz. And during their conversation, the duo stumbled upon the Fighting Nerds. Back at UFC 314, Silva displayed fierce fighting spirit and maintained his undefeated streak by beating Bryce Mitchell. Before that, Ruffy knocked King Green out with a spinning heel kick. Of course, it was worthy of being the Knockout of the Year. And now, ‘The Nightmare’ is getting ready to face Ian Garry at UFC on ESPN 66. And as the conversation went on, Rogan revealed the secret to the team’s success. 

The JRE host said, “That whole team, apparently, the Fighting Nerds, I was talking to Jon Anik about this, they have data scientists that work for the team. Data scientists who analyze techniques. And they like break things down, like what’s effective, and patterns. They find patterns, patterns of opponents, what the person does, when they do it… That’s a team of f—– savages.”

Rogan recounted how Jean Silva made it look like Bryce Mitchell was never in the fight before putting him to sleep with a ninja choke. He praised Caio Borralho’s run in the middleweight division and Mauricio Ruffy’s lightweight heroics against King Green. But that was not all.

The 57-year-old seemed mighty impressed with the approach the Fighting Nerds were bringing to the game: “These guys are learning now it’s not just about training hard, it’s not about sacrificing. It’s about thinking hard. It’s about learning. It’s about really going over your game, like, what can you improve upon? How do we make this better? How do we seal up this part of the game? Amazing…”

Needless to say, the UFC color commentator will have his eyes on Sucupira’s team for the foreseeable future. But do you know what the head coach thinks about his team? Let’s find out!

The Fighting Nerds’ coach speaks up about the team’s success

Sucupira was the one who initially handled the coaching of the Fighting Nerds. But in 2021, Flavio Alvaro joined the team as a coach. With 60 MMA fights, Alvaro was the addition that the team needed. But even though Sucupira didn’t have the kind of money that Alvaro asked for, the coach stayed and became an integral part of the team. 

He said, “I think Fighting Nerds have become a concept today, and that concept is more important than the wins. Fighting Nerds showed that smarter men can fight and win. Victory crowns the job well done, the mindset, but I think Fighting Nerds is above that. But we want the belt. Caio is closer, Jean Silva is doing great, same with Prates and Ruffy. We can have not only one but four belts in here. That’s what we’re chasing, to have four belts at home.”

Bruna Brasil, one of the core members of the team, also revealed her stance on the Fighting Nerds. She claimed that they were named the best team of 2024, and the secret to their success was nothing but dedication, strategy, and passion. Now, with Joe Rogan’s revelation, data scientists were also added to the list of factors that pushed the team to great heights. 

What are your thoughts on the idea of employing data scientists to develop one’s team? Is this really the secret to the Fighting Nerds’ success? Let us know what you think in the comments down below.