I recently made the trip out to Las Vegas with one focus: supporting Dante Leon as he competed in the UFC Fight Pass Invitational at the UFC’s Apex Center. This wasn’t just about watching him compete; I was there to evaluate how well our training methods were carrying over to the mat—because if you’ve been following us at Westside Barbell, you know that we’re confident in the system we’ve built, and this was another chance to see it in action.

Training and Preparation

In the days and hours leading up to the event, I took the time to closely observe how Dante prepared—especially since we made a few key changes in his training after his ADCC showing in August. We tapered his workload back for ADCC, but for this event, we ramped things up.

We increased training density, meaning Dante was moving more weight in less time, and we added isometric work to this phase. For those unfamiliar, isometric exercises involve holding a muscle contraction without moving—a serious tool in the strength-building arsenal.

We’re still using the tried-and-true Three-Day Conjugate Method at Westside. It’s the foundation that keeps our athletes strong, fast, and durable. Dante’s been averaging a Volume Lifted Per Minute (VLPM) of 4,000 pounds on his Dynamic Effort (DE) Combo days.

This means that in one minute of work, he’s moving 4,000 pounds of total weight—a metric that speaks to the efficiency and output of our training. You can dive deeper into the specifics of VLPM training here.

Visit to the UFC Performance Institute

While I was in town, I stopped by the UFC Performance Institute (PI) to catch up with Gav Pratt, their Senior Director of Strength and Conditioning. Gav and I have known each other for a little while, and I respect the level of work he’s doing with his athletes.

The UFC PI has built a solid reputation for leading the industry with their approach to training and recovery fro mma athletes, and it’s always valuable to trade ideas with someone on the cutting edge of high-level strength and conditioning. 

Meeting the Pedigo Submission Fighting Team

One of the highlights of this trip was meeting Heath Pedigo, Jorge Valladeres, and Michael Pixley from Pedigo Submission Fighting. These guys have built a serious reputation in grappling, and it was great to connect with them.

Heath runs his team with the same no-nonsense, get-to-work attitude that we’ve always had at Westside Barbell. Watching him coach reminded me a lot of Louie Simmons—different environments, same philosophy of pushing the limits and building something real.

What I Took from This Trip

The main takeaway? Our system works, and it works damn well.

Watching Dante apply what we’ve built in the gym to the mat was a reminder of how effective our training is when it’s done right. The changes we made—whether it’s increasing training density or adding isometric work—are delivering results. And after catching up with experts like Gav Pratt, I’m more convinced than ever that our methods aren’t just relevant; they’re leading the charge in athletic training.

Meeting the Pedigo Submission Fighting team reinforced something that’s always been true: real success comes from hard work and a willingness to do things differently when necessary.

Whether you’re in a Westside gym or a grappling room, the approach is the same—put in the work, and the results will follow.