James Krause: MMA Coach Profile (Gym, Methods, Scandals)

Do you have some questions about MMA coach, James Krause?

In this article, we’ll look at James Krause’s background, gym, training methods, successes, fighters, businesses, scandals, net worth, and more.

Who Is MMA Coach James Krause? (Fighting Career)

James Krause is a former MMA and UFC fighter in the welterweight division (170 lbs). His professional MMA career lasted 14 years from 2007 to 2021 where he competed in Titan FC, IFC, WEC, Bellator, RFA, and finally the UFC.

He joined the UFC in 2013 and fought there until his retirement in 2021, fighting to a respectable 9-4 UFC record and a brilliant MMA record of 28-8.

James Krause was born June 4, 1986, in Newport News, Virginia, but moved to  Odessa, Missouri, at 2 years old and has called Missouri his home ever since.

His martial arts journey began in karate at the age of 7. He then started wrestling at Odessa High School at the age of 15. 

After finishing school in 2004, James Krause worked odd jobs until he picked up MMA training in 2005 at the age of 19. In the next 2 years, James Krause fought to an 18-1 amateur MMA record and claimed two titles.

He then turned professional and joined Titan FC in 2007, winning his first 10 professional bouts before losing back-to-back fights against Donald Cerrone and Ricardo Lamas in WEC.

After another 7 fight win streak, James Krause entered The Ultimate Fighter in 2012 but his time was cut short as he lost to Justin Lawrence via TKO in the elimination bouts.

However, James Krause was called by the UFC to step in as a short-notice replacement against Sam Stout. He won the fight by guillotine submission and earned a UFC contract.

James Krause Records

• Amateur MMA: 18-1
• MMA Record: 28-8
• UFC Record: 9-4

Best UFC Wins

• Claudio Silva
• Warlley Alves

Notable UFC Losses

• Jorge Masvidal
• Bobby Green

UFC Bonuses

• Fight of the Night (Two times) vs. Sam Stout and Trevin Giles
• Performance of the Night (One time) vs. Sérgio Moraes
• Submission of the Night (One time) vs. Sam Stout

James Krause’s MMA Coaching Career

While actively fighting, James Krause opened his own gym in 2010, Glory MMA and Fitness, located in Lee’s Summit, Missouri, USA.

It was a place for him to train and earn extra income by teaching public Brazilian jiu-jitsu and MMA classes.

Although his time was short on The Ultimate Fighter in 2012, he had the chance to work under high-level coaches. This experience led him to think about MMA coaching as a full-time career.

3 years later (2015), he started part-time coaching MMA fighters while an active UFC fighter, and after retiring in 2020 with a 28-8 record, he became a full-time coach.

James Krause’s MMA coaching credentials improved in 2018 when he became part of Team Stipe’s coaching team on The Ultime Fighter: Undefeated. This saw him learn from and oppose an elite coach on Cormier’s team, Javier Mendez.

What Is the Name of James Krause’s Gym?

The name of James Krause’s gym is Glory MMA and Fitness, located in Lee’s Summit, Missouri, USA. He opened the gym in 2010 and coached several MMA and UFC fighters there.

Glory MMA and Fitness is a 6,000-square-foot facility offering MMA, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and Muay Thai training to adults and kids. The gym has over 40 martial arts classes and 15 cardio kickboxing per week.

A second Glory MMA and Fitness was opened in North Kansas City due to the popularity of the first.

However, on December 9, 2022, James Krause sold his ownership of Glory MMA and Fitness and his part-ownership of the Fighting Alliance Championship to Joe Wooster – the part-owner of Fighting Alliance Championship and owner of MMA management firm, Iridium Sports Agency.

James Krause sold Glory MMA and Fitness as a result of a betting scandal he was involved in (discussed in the section below).

Who Are James Krause’s Fighters?

During his coaching career from 2010 to 2022, James Krause coached and/or cornered the following MMA and UFC fighters.

• Brandon Moreno – two-time UFC flyweight champion
• Darrick Minner
• David Onama
• Grant Dawson
• Isaac Dulgarian
• Jeff Molina
• Julian Marquez
• Karl Roberson
• Kevin Croom
• Leomana Martinez
• Marcelo Rojo
• Megan Anderson – former Featherweight title challenger
• Miles Johns
• Tim Elliott – former flyweight title challenger
• Zak Cummings

What Are James Krause’s Coaching & Training Methods

During his 12-year coaching career between 2010 and 2022, James Krause’s coaching and training methods were as follows.

Technique Coaching

James Krause was a good UFC fighter who was known mostly for Brazilian jiu-jitsu pedigree, where he’s a 2nd-degree black belt under Leonardo Peçanha.

Many fighters went to him for Bjj coaching, with many of them improving their jiu-jitsu twofold.

James Krause allowed his fighters to be the fighters they were and didn’t try to change their style too much. He takes his fighters’ strengths and organizes their fighting style to bring them to the forefront.

Transferable UFC and MMA Experience

James Krause was fast becoming one of the best MMA/UFC coaches before his untimely scandal in 2022.

This was due to his 15-year MMA career between 2005 and 2020, and his ability to transfer this experience to his fighters. He was the only coach who was actively fighting in the UFC.

This is invaluable and worth his weight in gold. Other great coaches like Javier Mendez were elite kickboxers during the 1980s and 90s, but their fight experience was out of date whereas Krause’s was there and then.

Krause was leading by example and teaching his students techniques and tactics he’d learned through years of fighting, and which he’d use against recent/upcoming opponents.

There was no other coach who could do this, except Khabib Nurmagomedov who was working under Javier Mendez for a short time to help the likes of Islam Makhachev.

This experience led to amazing attention to detail and great strategy, which is often the difference between winning and losing the chess match of MMA.

Coaching Philosophy: Beyond the Sport

James Krause’s approach to coaching transcends the physical aspects of MMA. He views MMA not merely as a sport but as a lifestyle.

In an interview before his short-notice fight against Claudio Silva in October 2020, Krause emphasized the best MMA coaches are actually life coaches, rather than technique coaches.

He believes in teaching his fighters to operate like champions in all facets of life, not just inside the cage.

A large part of this was coaching his fighters to see MMA as a lifestyle rather than a career, which brings around an increased level of dedication and focus.

Another part of it was teaching them how to become financially secure and prepared for life after their fighting careers. 

James Krause understands the business aspect of the UFC and MMA, which he teaches to every fighter he coaches. He famously said, “This is not the fight game. This is two things: the sports entertainment game and we are assets.”

He’s also a believer in visualization and teaches his fighters how to do this.

Cornering

James Krause became very well-known for his no-bs style of cornering. Some found it offensive, but most appreciated his directness in telling his fighter how a fight was going.

He would swear at them, shout, and get in their face, but he would always inspire and motivate them to win.

If one of his fighters was down two rounds out of three, he would tell them they needed a finish in no uncertain terms. If it was 1-1 and he could see his fighter could improve, he’d say, don’t leave it to the judge’s decision, get the finish!

He doesn’t care about offending his students, which is why he came to be known as one of the best UFC coaches in terms of cornering.  

He became an expert in reading people and their body language, and he knew how to get the best out of his fighters.

Not only does James Krause stir aggression and motivation inside his fighters when cornering, but he also gives them solid technical advice and strategy spoken very clearly.

While Krause loved fighting and was in a position as a welterweight contender after winning 7 out of his last 8 UFC fights, he found coaching was his main passion.

He was much happier when helping others achieve success in MMA – which is the key to his fast-lane success. James Krause claimed in 2018 he’s cornered over 1,000 fights, so by the end of 2022 it must’ve been around 1,500.

One of the best examples of James Krause’s cornering ability was his interaction with his fighter, Grant Dawson, during the break before the start of the third round:

Coaches

James Krause believes in hiring slow and firing fast, which is why he’s had a great team of coaches and staff around him throughout his coaching career.

He considers himself well-versed in emotionless and logical thinking and has fired good friends without a second thought.

Some of the coaches James Krause hired for Glory MMA and Fitness are:

• Paul Kolenda: Bjj Coach
• Justin Fabac: Bjj Coach
• Jason High: MMA Coach
• Kevin Croom: MMA Coach
• Stefaan Jefferson: MMA Striking Coach

James Krause’s Betting Business (Discord)

James Krause started a YouTube channel and podcast known as ‘The 1% Club’. Through both channels, James Krause picked UFC fights and became known as a master fight predictor.

The podcast episodes were also uploaded to UFC Fight Pass (now removed), and these channels acted as a funnel to his main business, an exclusive discord channel also named ‘The 1% Club’ which he started on April 8th, 2022.

In an interview with Ariel Helwani on ‘The MMA Hour’ podcast in August, James Krause revealed his Discord had over 2,000 members who would pay him between $50 to $2,000 monthly for betting consultation and picks.

Members who paid more received increased consultation, with James admitting he’d take over members’ accounts to place bets for them. He also admitted to betting on his fighters when they fight, such as Brandon Moreno.

Speaking to Ariel Helwani, James Krause said, “I bet every single card, just about every fight. I make more money gambling on MMA than I do anything else. I don’t make sh*t on coaching, absolutely not. 

If you’re talking about time, if I go out on a Wednesday to Sunday (to corner fighters), I make 10 percent of (a guy’s purse) – if we’re not talking about Brandon Moreno, most of my guys are entry-level guys making ($12,000 to show/$12,000 to win), 14/14.

I have some guys making in the 20s. Even at that, 10 percent of 20 grand is $2,000. I’m on the road every weekend Wednesday through Sunday. It’s not even close.”

And while it’s unknown how much James Krause made from his gambling escapades, rumors put the number in the millions of dollars.

On the lower end, if we assume he was earning $100 per month for each Discord member, James Krause was earning $200,000 per month ($100 x 2,000) just from his UFC/MMA gambling/prediction business.

Include the money he was making from his own bets, it’s easy to see how James Krause could’ve earned millions betting (net worth discussed below). It also shows why he had his last fight in the UFC in 2020.

On April 10, one of his UFC fighters, Jeff Molina, posted this in ‘The 1% Club’ Discord:

“He’s trained with a lot of the fighters, lives and breathes this sport as a coach/fighter, & at times has the scoop on injuries — non-announced matchups — how fighters look like in camp, etc.

In stocks, this is called insider trading in MMA betting it’s called James Krause. For the last 6 months, all my bills including my mortgage and car note have been paid via Krause’s picks. Do yourself a favor and join the VIP.”

The James Krause Betting Scandal

The James Krause betting scandal has seen James Krause’s coaching license suspended indefinitely, awaiting the verdict of an investigation that has the FBI involved.

James Krause is accused of:

1. Failing to disclose a pre-fight injury of Darrick Minner (his student) before his fight against Shayilan Nuerdanbieke and fixing the fight.
2. Sharing Minner’s pre-fight injury (insider information) and fight fixing with his Discord channel and affiliates which caused a huge swing in the odds before the fight.
3. Betting on other people’s accounts (illegal and he admitted to doing so on the Helwani podcast). Although not accused of the following, it allows him to bet against his own fighters through a third party and cover his tracks.
4. Acting as an agent (middleman) for ABCBetting.ag since at least 2019 – an offshore Costa Rica-based sportsbook – where he offered referral kickbacks and gambling credit.
5. Gambling on UFC fights in November despite the UFC updating the UFC Athlete Conduct Policy in October to prevent anyone involved in the UFC from betting on any UFC fights.

For a clearer picture, here’s a timeline of the James Krause betting scandal:

On October 17, 2022, the UFC prohibited UFC fighters from betting on any UFC fights. This extended to any people UFC fighters know and come in contact with, such as friends, family, coaches, medical professionals, managers, and more.

The James Krause betting scandal started on November 5th, 2022, at UFC Fight Night: Rodriguez vs. Lemos, in the Darrick Minner and Shayilan Nuerdanbieke fight.

Moments before the fight, there was a wild swing in the betting odds where Darrick Minner went from a +170 underdog to a +288 underdog. 

It’s clear there were many people placing the same or similar bets on this fight – which makes it seem like ‘The 1% Club’ members knew about this bet.

As expected, Minner lost in round 1 via TKO, after appearing to injure his left knee with back-to-back roundhouse body kicks and offering very little on the ground defensively. It looks like a fixed fight.

On November 6th, U.S. Integrity started an investigation into the Minner fight, a U.S.-based betting integrity firm.

On November 7th, the UFC announced its integrity partner, Don Best Sports, would conduct a thorough investigation of the incident and report its findings.

On November 19th, James Krause was suspended by the UFC from cornering his fighter, Miles Johns, at the UFC event that evening.

On the same day, the New Jersey State Gambling Authority banned sportsbooks from taking any bets on UFC fights involving James Krause.

On November 24th, Krause’s ‘The 1% Club’ YouTube channel and Discord were deleted.

On December 1st, the Ontario Alcohol and Gambling Commission banned UFC betting. A day later, Alberta became the second Canadian commission to ban UFC betting.

Also on December 2nd, James Krause had his coaching license suspended pending the results of the Nevada State Athletic Commission’s investigation, with Darrick Minner being released by the UFC.

The UFC also suspended James Krause from anything to do with the UFC. Even his fighters had to move gyms as they weren’t allowed to fight if they continued to stay with him.

On December 9th, the FBI started monitoring the UFC over potential match-fixing.

On December 14th, Krause and Minner were told they were suspended indefinitely by the Nevada State Athletic Commission for failing to disclose an injury on the pre-fight medical questionnaire.

On January 12, 2023, the ongoing investigation found Krause had worked as an agent for Costa Rica-based ABCBetting.ag since at least 2019, an offshore online sportsbook.

Anonymous sources claimed they placed bets with Krause through ABCBetting, with Krause offering referral kickbacks and gambling credit, and taking payment via PayPal and Venmo.

On January 19th, the UFC announced U.S. Integrity as its official integrity partner (anti-gambling partner) to monitor gambling activity on UFC fights until at least the end of 2023.

U.S. Integrity provides protection services to sports leagues and sports books across America, with its biggest clients being the NBA and Major League Baseball.

On the same day, the Ontario Gaming Commission reinstated betting on UFC fights.

At the time of writing (August 2023), there have been no further updates on the James Krause betting scandal.

Overall

James Krause was created through the UFC’s negligence of anti-gambling rules and laws. UFC insider betting happened all the time over the last 30 years but James Krause will go down as the scapegoat. 

James Krause made the mistake of bringing UFC betting to the attention of the UFC and various commissions by promoting his Discord. An easy mistake to make considering the huge profits he was making.

James Krause’s Net Worth (Calculations Shown)

As mentioned above, James Krause was likely earning $200,000 per month on the lower end from his Discord channel called ‘The 1% Club’.

This is the lower end because in August he told Ariel Helwani he had 2,000 members, but by the time the ‘The 1% Club’ Discord was shut down in November, it had 4,901 members – which shows how quickly it was growing.

So, let’s say he was earning $100 per member for earnings of $200,000 per month ($100 x 2,000). ‘The 1% Club’ Discord lasted for 7 months between 8th April to November 24, earning him a total of $1.4 million.

James Krause was also earning 10% from his fighter’s purses, of which he had 13 UFC fighters in 2020. They were low to mid-tier UFC fighters, so if we take an average of $20,000 per fight, that’s $2,000 per fight, per fighter.

UFC fighters fight on average 3 times per year, which equals $6,000 per fighter. $6,000 x 13 fighters totals $78,000 per year as James Krause’s annual earnings from coaching UFC fighters.

$78,000 x 3 (2020, 2021, 2022) = $234,000. Add a lowball estimate of $70,000 for the preceding 5 years since he started part-time coaching UFC/MMA fighters for a total of $304,000.

You then have James Krause’s earnings from his gym, which is unknown. Let’s say it’s $50,000 profit per year. You then have the sale of his 6,000-square-foot gym, in Lee’s Summit, Missouri, likely worth $100,000 or more.

Next, his UFC and MMA career earnings:

• 4 UFC bonuses worth $200,000
• 13 UFC fights, on average $30,000 each (guesstimate): $390,000
• 23 other MMA fights: $15,000 each (guesstimate): $345,000
• Discretionary bonuses and Fight Week Incentive Pay, for a total of around $50,000 (guesstimate).

Total MMA and UFC career earnings: $985,000

Finally, you have the earnings from his gambling profits over the years. Without his gambling earnings, James Krause’s net worth from the above earnings is 

Final Calculations:

• Total MMA and UFC career earnings: $985,000
• Sale of his gym: $100,000
• Part-owner of KC Fighting Alliance = $50,000
• Owner of two MetroPCS Stores in Missouri = $100,000
• $78,000 annual coaching salary x 3 = $234,000
• Part-time coaching fighters 2015 – 2020 = $70,000
• ‘The 1% Club’ earnings from 7 months = $1.4 million

James Krause’s Net Worth: $2.939 million

If you then factor in the gambling profits he made from 2015 to the end of 2022, James Krause’s Net Worth could be much higher than just shy of $3 million. 

As mentioned above, rumors put his gambling profits in the millions, but your guess is as good as mine.

Also, the above calculations are estimates, so James Krause’s net worth could be much higher or much lower.

His net worth will also be determined by the outcome of the investigation into fight fixing, which could see him charged thousands and facing jail time. It’s already cost him his major cash cow business, ‘The 1% Club’ Discord channel.

Overall, there are too many factors to accurately give a figure to James Krause’s net worth, but it’s safe to say he’s a millionaire due to his lengthy UFC coaching and fighting career, as well as his recent gambling escapades.

The James Krause Laura Sanko Rumors

James Krause and Laura Sanko have been rumored to have had an affair while Laura Sanko had been training with James Krause at Glory MMA and Fitness.

The rumor was spread on Twitter by former women’s featherweight title challenger, Megan Anderson.

Megan Anderson was complaining about not getting enough attention at the gym from her coach, James Krause, before her UFC 259 fight against Amanda Nunes on March 6, 2021.

On November 10, 2022, someone on Twitter insinuated Megan Anderson went to Glory MMA and Fitness to sleep with James Krause, to which she replied, “You should look at Sanko about that actually.”

The tweet was deleted soon after, and neither James Krause nor Lauro Sanko has directly addressed the rumors. 

However, speaking to the media before UFC Vegas 68, where she was set to become the first female UFC color commentator, Lauro Sanko said, “I’ll just say it, the number of people I’ve supposedly slept with, is endless, it’s so long. 

And, it would be exhausting if it was true. And I don’t see, you know, I don’t see other well-respected voices in the sport, you know, they don’t get that.”

So, while speaking about her road to success, Laura Sanko indirectly denied the rumors of her affair with James Krause, both of whom are currently married.

However, this did little to stop the rumor, as it’s well-known they’ve known each other for many years.

When commentating on Dana White’s Contender Series in October 2020, Laura Sanko said about James Krause, “I gotta give a shout-out to my boy James Krause. He has obviously been one of my best friends for like thirteen years.

To me, he is a guy who flies under a lot of radar because he doesn’t fight super frequently, and that is only because he has been coaching 13 UFC fighters. 

I think he is just now starting to get his dues as a coach, maybe not quite yet from everybody, but people are starting to pay attention to the coaching.”

The Bottom Line

James Krause was a successful MMA and UFC fighter who fought to a 9-4 UFC record and a 28-8 MMA record.

In 2010, James Krause opened his own gym, MMA Glory and Fitness, and coached MMA and UFC fighters throughout his fighting career.

His last MMA/UFC fight took place in 2020, with him verbally announcing his retirement in 2022. In the same year, James Krause had his coaching license suspended, pending the illegal betting investigation.

Before his betting scandal, James Krause was a great UFC coach who was especially known for his cornering ability. 

He fully understood all aspects of MMA: fighting, training, recovery, business, and coaching to a higher level than the overwhelming majority in the industry, which is why he quickly gained a reputation as a great coach.

Unfortunately, James Krause got greedy and ended up involving himself in illegal betting – ultimately ending his fighting and coaching career in the sport he loved.