UFC Championship Coach: Why Leaving Fighting is so Hard, Making Elite Fighters and MORE (Phil Daru)

Phil Daru has trained some of the biggest names in combat sports — Dustin Poirier, Amanda Nunes, and countless UFC and ONE Championship fighters — and built one of the most respected performance training brands in the game. In this episode, Kenny sits down with Phil to talk about the concussion that ended his pro fighting career, the framework he built at American Top Team that shaped how he coaches today, and how he's now applying those same principles to busy executives and entrepreneurs through his partnership with Marek Health.We get into readiness tracking and auto-regulation, why wrestling is the real foundation of great fighters, his Mount Rushmore of trainers, his brief stint in bodybuilding and powerlifting, and what he's building next — a certification course, a new HQ facility, a book, and a returning podcast.#PhilDaru #StrongNewYork #MMA #UFC #StrengthAndConditioningCONNECT:  Follow Kenny: @kennysantucciFollow the Strong New York Podcast: @strongnewyorkpodFollow Phil Daru:  @darustrongThis episode is sponsored by:🔥 Celsius — the energy drink that fuels every Strong New York workout. Follow @celsiusofficial on Instagram for all the new flavors.🩸 Marek Health — optimize your hormones, recovery, and performance at marekhealth.com. Use code KENNY for 10% off Diagnostics, Supplements, and Guided Optimization.🤝 Founders Club — a trusted circle of 2,500+ builders across North America who share resources, open doors, and raise the bar for entrepreneurship. Learn more at FoundersClubOfficial.com.00:00 – Intro: Welcome Phil Daru01:30 – What makes Phil stand out after 20 years in the industry04:15 – The 2-hour intake: understanding a client's true "why"07:40 – Training fighters vs. training executives10:20 – Readiness tracking: RPE, HRV, and the green/yellow/red system13:00 – The concussion that ended his fighting career16:45 – Opening his first gym at 22 while still fighting pro20:10 – Scaling from an 800 sq ft gym to 11,000 sq ft23:00 – Phil's Mount Rushmore of trainers28:15 – Learning the conjugate method from Louie Simmons32:00 – Making pro debut at 155 and the brutal weight cuts36:30 – The final concussion and the decision to walk away40:00 – Chasing the competitive itch: bodybuilding, Strongman, powerlifting46:00 – Top 3 things every trainer needs to know50:30 – Why wrestling is the real foundation of elite fighters54:00 – Blocking out the noise: what separates elite fighters mentally58:00 – Building Marek Health's performance division1:02:00 – What's next: certification course, new HQ, book, and podcast1:06:00 – Where to find Phil Daru