Frequent watchers of MMA events lately may have started to notice a name that keeps popping up in the mouths of broadcasters. 

Jeff Jimmo and his aptly named Gym-O have made what feels like a quick rise in the MMA world as more and more of their fighters appear in major events. Jimmo perhaps got the most shine after the recent performance of Impa Kasanganay on the Contender Series, a performance that earned him a contract, but you’ll hear his name pop up during the bouts of Scott Holtzman, Bryan Barberena, John Salter, and UFC Vegas 7’s Joe Solecki. 

However, according to Solecki, while you might keep hearing his name, you aren’t going to see much of Jimmo. And that’s because of the type of person that one of MMA’s fastest rising coaches is. 

“Number one is him as a human being, and that sounds cliche and people talk about it all the time, but it’s really true [with him],” Solecki explains. “He’s in this because he wants to change people’s lives and you can see it in his dedication. And he wants nothing out of it.”

Solecki doesn’t mean nothing hyperbolically. He literally means that Jimmo wants no fame or no recognition for his work. In fact, he points out that sometimes it goes comically too far. 

“Can you put a face with Jeff Jimmo? Probably not because he’s not in the cage before or after. He’s there when he’s cornering and then he’s gone. He’s not there for glory,” he said. “He’s not doing interviews or taking pictures - I had to beg him to get in the picture backstage after my first fight.”

It isn’t just the dedication and selflessness of Jimmo though that’s led him to having a stable of fighters making waves. As a former wrestler who also spent time in Thailand kickboxing, Solecki said his knowledge is unmatched and it allows all of his fighters to trust him.

“He puts it all together for us and instills confidence in us. When he says something is going to work, it works - you believe him. I think we all just respect him so much, which sometimes when you get a bunch of meathead MMA fighters together, not that that’s what we are, but you get a lot of egos,” he said. “But there is none out there - everyone listens to Jeff, to what he has to say because it’s going to be something great when he opens his mouth.”  

Solecki knows there’s still a long way to go for the gym to get the recognition it deserves. However, it can take a big step with his bout along with Salter, who fights on Bellator’s card the night before, and Kasanganay, who makes his UFC debut the following week.

 “We have three guys in big promotions that [week],” he said. “It’s just funny how a small gym out of a small town in North Carolina is making so many waves.”

You can see Solecki look to make the biggest of those waves this weekend as part of the UFC on ESPN+ prelims for Fight Night Munhoz vs Edgar.