“Worst” is a tough label to put on a person, but it’s certainly a term that comes to mind when you’re sifting back through the relatively high-profile debacles of his last few years as a coach. For the sake of decorum, we will suffice to say that Edmond Tarverdyan is, at very least, the most controversial coach in the game.
Ronda Rousey has reached the pinnacle of MMA success finding a home in modeling and in acting as the result of turning in the most historically dominant career in UFC history, earning millions in the process. In these ways, she has distinguished herself from nearly every other fighter in the history of the sport. However, in addition to the numerous facts that set Ronda apart in the world of fighters, one exists that she may not have planned for, or wanted – she is teamed with the most polarizing trainer in the sport, Coach Edmond Tarverdyan.
Travis Browne has seen his fortunes rise, his chances come, and his chips fall assortedly. However, one thing he never had to worry about before making the move from Jackson-Wink to Edmond’s Glendale Fighting Club (aside from a losing record) was answering questions about the antics of his camp. Nonetheless, Travis is still competing near the top of the division and, though decision time is rapidly approaching, for now seems comfortable referring fights between his opponents and his trainer.
These facts, linking them through the peak of all of their careers, have drug Rowdy and HAPA’s names into many conversations they would have most likely rather not been a part of.
Even versus the magnitude of Ronda’s superstardom, Edmond has repeatedly found ways to redirect his fighter’s spotlight and replace them at the forefront of attention.
In the list below we’ll take a look at the most Five Most Controversial Moments in the career of Coach Edmond:
(1) Gets Suspended and Placed on Probation
On April 2, 2015 Edmond put a “no” on his Corner’s License application as an answer regarding the existence of any past criminal offenses. As it turns out, back in 2010 Tarverdyan was picked up on two felony counts of Identity Theft and one count of resisting arrest. When this was discovered, Coach Edmond was temporarily suspended and placed on a three year probationary period.
(2) Goes Rounds with Brendan Schaub
Two years ago the UFC signed an unranked Brendan Schaub to a fight with no. 3 Heavyweight Travis Browne. During an interview on the Joe Rogan Experience, Schuab made comments implying that Browne’s recent move to Edmond’s camp was good for his (Brendan’s) chances in their Dec. 6 bout. This prompted Edmond, while being interviewed, to comment (among other things) that in his opinion Brendan couldn’t “fight for s—t”. The tension mounted, social media insults whirled, and Edmond even verbally confronted Schaub at the fighter’s weigh in.
(3) Glendale Fight Club Closing?
As if having a trainer who has a past as a conman and seems to enjoy confronting your opponents isn’t distracting enough, I guess wondering if your gym is going to get turned into a Chipotle’s could do the trick. In July of 2015 Edmond filed for Bankruptcy claiming to have “$700,000 in debt” and “$0 in monthly income.” When asked how this could be possible given his status as Ronda’s coach he replied, “And that’s what I’m saying. With my, I did not know what’s been put. And then so I hired a new attorney and I did read the first page. I wasn’t aware of most of the stuff, and I’m willing to fix it.” I’m sure he was willing to return the aforementioned identities, too. (SOURCE LINK)
(4) Doesn’t do Well When He “Meets the Parents”
In 2015 Ronda’s mother, AnnMaria De Mars, gave an interview on video during which she discussed her contempt for Edmond. Cut from the same cloth as her daughter, Momma Rhonda didn’t hold back calling Tarverdyan a “terrible coach” saying that he “hit the lottery with Rhonda” and claiming that Rousey is only involved with Edmond because it’s like when “somebody pitches a no-hitter while they’re wearing red underwear and they wear red underwear for everyday,” saying later that she “would caution anybody from going in there” because “he’s (Edmond) a bad person.” Perhaps a mother’s intuition?
(5) Werdoomed Himself to a Fabricio Front Kick
Last (and most recently) but not least, we have the very high profile and bazaar ending to an already bazaar fight at UFC 203. According to Werdum, Edmond entered the cage at the end of the third and final round saying some “bad things” to the former champ. Fabricio responded with a look of shock followed by a shove-fest which triggered a front kick to the belly of Edmond – just roughly two feet south of the area it would’ve been most effectively placed. At first the event seemed to escalate, but was quelled before resulting in suspensions and probationary issues for Mr. Tarverdyan.
With Ronda still promising a triumphant return to the Octagon and Travis Browne promising to be competitive against the second-tier fighters in the Heavyweight Division, we are certainly far from the end of Edmond’s debacle-ridden coaching career. However, Browne is a loss away from having to seriously reconsider where he’s come to in his career and Ronda is near a year removed from her KO loss to Holly. It is a very real chance that in the relatively near future, and with another loss to his two flagship fighters lists like these, articles like this will be the only place we will be seeing Edmond’s name.
CHECK OUT YESTERDAY’S TOP FIVE LIST: TUESDAY TOP FIVE: Dustin Poirier’s Top 5 UFC Moments including Chang Sung Jung, Joseph Duffy, Josh Gripsi
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