Waley Jean, the UFC women's bantamweight champion, would like her cornerback to be the head coach of the reigning NBA champion Boston Celtics, Joe Mazzulla.
"Coach Mazzulla is a champion. I would love to have him as my corner man during the fight. I became aware not too long ago that he practices jiu-jitsu. So we managed to become friends when the Celtics were holding training camp in Vegas. I saw him practicing at the UFC Performance Institute at six in the morning. I was struck by how hardworking, professional and focused an athlete Joe is. Plus, he is always eager to learn. That's why he's the best coach. I am a Celtics fan and watch all their games. I am fascinated by his coaching methodologies. He emphasizes perseverance and patience. You can see the similarities between basketball and MMA in the way he coaches. If Joe joined my team, I would be delighted," Sports Illustrated quoted Zhang as saying.
