Nicolas Ott

At a glance

• Coach of Nassourdine Imavov and Benoît Saint-Denis
• Founder of Smartfight and the MMA Performance Center in Paris
• About 36.7K YouTube subscribers and 103K Instagram followers (@smartfight.fr)

Overview

Nicolas Ott is an MMA coach based in Paris. He trains Nassourdine Imavov and Benoît Saint-Denis, who made him his head coach for 2025. Born in June 1986, he competed himself: he won bronze at the 2015 IMMAF World Championships and went 2 and 1 as a pro.

He worked at MMA Factory before founding Smartfight, a preparation approach built around biomechanics and stress management. In September 2025 he unveiled his new gym in Paris, the MMA Performance Center.

What you'll find

On his YouTube channel, which has about 36,700 subscribers, Ott walks through his method: fight preparation, building game plans and breakdowns of his fighters. You also get behind the scenes footage from fight camps and fight weeks. The videos are in French.

His Instagram account, @smartfight.fr, with about 103,000 followers, posts shorter clips: drills, Smartfight principles, cornering moments and reactions after his athletes fight. The two channels work together, YouTube for the detail and Instagram for quick takeaways. During his athletes' fight weeks, both accounts pick up the pace, with footage from final preparation and from the corner.

Why follow

Few active UFC coaches explain their work publicly in this much detail. Following Ott shows you how a high level fight gets prepared, from scouting the opponent to the instructions given between rounds. His Smartfight method gives you concrete language on biomechanics and stress management in competition, two areas that often decide close fights.

His direct work with Saint-Denis and Imavov puts you close to two of the most visible French fighters in the UFC, with details you will not get from mainstream coverage. His new gym, the MMA Performance Center, also shows how he organizes the daily work of a team of professional fighters in Paris, from strength sessions to sparring. If you follow those two on American broadcasts, his content adds the view from their corner.

MMA Official's take

This is for people who train and for fans who want to understand how a UFC fighter prepares. Start with his YouTube videos on Benoît Saint-Denis or Nassourdine Imavov game plans before a fight; the visuals carry a lot even if your French is limited. Then follow @smartfight.fr on Instagram for drills and principles you can try at your own gym.