Coaching wrestling in high school | Matt Alfonte

I caught up with Matt Alfonte, a former wrestler, amateur MMA fighter, and high school wrestling coach from Orange County. I’ve known Matt for about ten years, ever since he was part of the first MMA team that Marvin Vettori joined when he arrived in the U.S.We shared some memories from those early days, talked about the team environment, and reflected on how things used to be before the UFC. Later in the conversation, we dug into Matt’s experience coaching high school athletes and explored the controversial practice of cutting weight—how it’s handled, what’s changed, and what still needs work.A conversation filled with stories, insights, and a look behind the curtain of youth wrestling culture