Justin Flores

Justin Flores has built a reputation as one of the most technically sophisticated judo coaches operating at the intersection of Olympic-level competition and professional fighting. As a U.S. judo coach and Team USA Olympic instructor, he has worked at the highest levels of the sport, shaping athletes who compete on the world stage.

His most prominent coaching relationship came through his work with Ronda Rousey, whom he guided through six consecutive UFC bantamweight title defenses. That sustained run of dominance positioned Rousey as one of the most recognizable figures in combat sports history, with Flores's judo-based approach to clinch control and throwing serving as a foundational pillar of her fighting system. His ability to translate elite Olympic judo methodology into an MMA context demonstrated both his technical depth and his adaptability as a coach.

Within the judo and combat sports community, Flores is regarded as a high-level technical instructor whose command of grip fighting, throwing mechanics, and leverage-based takedowns extends well beyond conventional coaching frameworks. His work with Team USA and his role in bridging Olympic judo with MMA competition preparation have cemented his standing as a respected figure across multiple grappling disciplines.

Few figures in the grappling world have continued to teach and compete at a meaningful level while managing the volume of physical damage that Justin Flores has sustained. On a BJJ Fanatics Podcast appearance around October 2025, Flores disclosed that he has undergone approximately 18 knee surgeries, including six ACL reconstructions. As a result, he no longer has functional ACLs or PCLs, and his right knee is defined by severe arthritis and minimal remaining cartilage.

Between roughly 2015 and 2025, a significant bone growth developed in his knee that severely limited his range of motion. Surgeons removed that growth around 2023, partially restoring function. Flores also manages three herniated discs in his neck — a condition that restricts head movement and can produce numbness and stingers — a combination that would sideline most practitioners permanently.

Despite this injury history, Flores continues to teach, demonstrate techniques, and compete. He frames this ongoing participation not as recklessness but as professional and personal discipline. As a father of two, he has spoken about the importance of staying present — physically, mentally, and emotionally — as a motivating force that runs in parallel with his identity as an athlete and coach.

Efficiency Over Force

Flores's physical limitations have directly shaped a technical philosophy built on efficiency and timing rather than force. Head-to-head pressure and force-on-force driving movements — staples of wrestling-heavy takedown systems — place excessive load on both the cervical spine and compromised knees. Rather than compensate through raw athleticism, Flores has developed an approach that sidesteps those demands entirely.

Opportunistic Entries and Leg Passing

Instead of initiating takedowns through dominant physical positioning or forward driving pressure, Flores favors opportunistic entries that exploit an opponent's overconfidence or momentary lapse in awareness. This approach demands a sophisticated read of distance and timing — qualities he has refined over decades of high-level competition and coaching.

One of his preferred technical solutions involves entering to the legs by passing an elbow to a leg rather than committing the body through a traditional driving shot. This method substantially reduces cervical spine loading compared to standard level-change entries, allowing Flores to execute functional takedowns without aggravating his neck injuries.

Relevance for Older and Injured Grapplers

The broader principle underlying his system — working smarter within physical constraints rather than overpowering them — carries particular relevance for older grapplers, injured practitioners, and those transitioning from wrestling-heavy backgrounds whose bodies can no longer absorb the cumulative stress of high-impact takedown mechanics. Flores's approach offers a roadmap for sustaining effectiveness on the mat long after traditional methods become untenable.

In November 2024, Flores announced that he was considering launching a hybrid no-gi judo tournament called the JFLO Invitational. The concept reflects his longstanding interest in creating a competition format that merges judo's throwing and grip-fighting traditions with the rule structures and aesthetic of no-gi grappling.

The proposed format would occupy a space few existing events address directly — drawing on the technical depth of competitive judo while removing the gi-based grip fighting that limits crossover appeal within submission grappling and BJJ competition ecosystems. If realized, the JFLO Invitational would represent both a personal project for Flores and a contribution to a broader trend of judo-influenced coaches and athletes exploring hybrid event formats that bring throwing-based grappling into closer conversation with the rapidly expanding no-gi competition landscape.