Off Guard: Retired from fighting, Robert Drysdale explains unique coaching mindset

Robert Drysdale is calling it quits on his fighting career.

Well technically, he retired awhile back, but he didn’t let anyone know it right away. However, in a recent post on Facebook, Drysdale (7-0 MMA) officially announced the end of the road.

Earlier this month, he opened up to MMA Junkie about the decision to call it quits despite going undefeated as a pro.

“I just didn’t want to do it anymore,” Drysdale said. “My heart wasn’t in the right place. I always told myself I was going to do it for the right reasons… Because basically I wanted to prove to myself I could. … There were somethings missing that I would have liked to have done, but nothing’s perfect.”

What’s next for Drysdale? The Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, like many other retired fighters, will continued his legacy in MMA as a coach. Unlike his fellow retirees, however, a coaching position is where Drysdale started out in MMA – not as a fighter.

“There’s a reason why people turn into coaches once they retire,” Drysdale said. “And my career was backwards in that regard. I was cornering UFC title fights when I was 0-0 into my late 20s. So it’s not something I was prepared for. It’s very different now.”

Drysdale believes the unusual journey to this point will give him an advantageous mindset as a coach. Throughout  his MMA career, he was able to analyze the coaching he received from a coach’s perspective.

“My mindset as a coach is a reflex to my mistakes as a fighter or the things that I thought my coaches weren’t doing right in my opinion,” Drysdale said. “I’ve learned from that experience… I think there’s a lot more to MMA than being technically and physically and mentally ready.”

Drysdale was successful inside the cage, but that doesn’t mean he always felt comfortable. The mental and emotional toll of fighting weighed on Drysdale, which is one aspect he won’t have to weight as a coach.

“I’m more confident about this than I ever was about my fighting career,” Drysdale said. “Fighting was always something very difficult because I had to confront my fears and anxiety. I was terrified of fighting and it was very difficult for me emotionally.

“Because some these guys walk into the cage like it’s nothing. To me, it was very hard. I overcame that even though it was very difficult. Even though I did well, I was never as confident about that career as I am about my career as a coach. Because I really feel that this is my calling more than fighting was.”

In his lone UFC appearance, Drysdale submitted Keith Berish at the TUF 19 Finale in July 2014. The victory was eventually ruled a no contest after Drysdale tested positive for elevated testosterone levels. He was subsequently released by the UFC.

After he served his suspension, Drysdale return to pro MMA action at Legacy FC 58 in July 2016 when he submitted future UFC light heavyweight Ryan Spann by second-round rear-naked choke.

Check out MMA Junkie’s full “Off Guard” interview with Robert Drysdale in the video above.