Jason Parillo – MMA Coach

DOB:	June 11th 1974
Age:	48
Place of Birth:	New York, United States
Gym:	RVCA Training Center
Location:	Costa Mesa, California
Sport:	Boxing
Martial Arts Background:	Boxing
Weight Class:	Super Welterweight
Boxing Record:	8-0
Notable Fighters:	BJ Penn, Michael Bisping, Rafael Dos Anjos, Cris Cyborg, Mackenzie Dern

Jason Parillo’s early fighting career

Jason Parillo took up boxing when he was 16 years under hall of fame boxing instructor Jesse Reid. After just two years, Parillo would get his first experience as a trainer, coaching beginners at Reid’s gym.

As an amateur boxer, Jason Parillo would accumulate a record of 21-6 before turning pro at 24. He would quickly become a highly touted contender gaining a record of 8-0 with 6 KOs.

Unfortunately his career would be cut short by a detached retina that would force him to retire.

Jason Parillo become a coach

After his fighting career was over, Jason Parillo made the natural transition to boxing coach. For a while he trained boxers and a few MMA fighters before getting an offer from RCVA founder Pat Tenore.

At the time, Tenore was sponsoring BJ Penn and was about to face Jens Pulver for a second time. Since Pulver’s strength was boxing, he asked Parillo to help sharpen Penn’s boxing game.

The work Penn did with Jason Parillo paid off and it got the attention of many MMA fighters. Pretty soon after this, he began growing his own stable of MMA fighters.

Jason became a partner of Pat Tenore as they would open RVCA Training Center in Costa Mesa, California. Tenore would run the business side as Parillo would be the head coach of the gym.

Since 2007, Parillo has coached a who’s who of MMA fighters. The list of fighters he coached includes numerous UFC champions and BJJ world champions.

Notable fighters

In his 15 years of coaching MMA fighters, Jason Parillo has quite a list of fighters he has coached. Having coached 7 former UFC champions and currently coaches a few of the promotion’s top fighters.

BJ Penn

“The Prodigy” BJ Penn teamed up with Jason Parillo in 2007 and this led to the best run of Penn’s career. With the lightweight division reintroduced into the promotion, the former champion was brought back to the UFC.

With Parillo as his boxing coach, Penn became a more complete fighter. He would make his return, making easy work of Jens Pulver and avenging his previous title loss.

With that win, Penn was back in line to fight Joe Stevenson for the vacant lightweight title against Joe Stevenson. Again Penn would have another impressive performance and earn his 3rd UFC title.

BJ would go on to defend his title 3 times before losing it to Frankie Edgar. 

Michael Bisping

One of the best to ever step in the octagon is former middleweight champion Michael Bisping. Bisping would team up with Jason Parillo a few years into his UFC run after Michael moved to California.

RVCA Training Center  with Parillo would be one of the main camps Bisping would train at. He would face the best in the middleweight division for almost a decade.

After putting together a 3 win fight win streak between 2015-2016, Bisping would have his first shot at a UFC title. Michael would shock the world knocking out Luke Rockhold and avenging a loss to the then champion.

This title was the feather in the cap of Bisping’s fantastic career.

Rafael dos Anjos

Rafael dos Anjos is a former UFC lightweight champion and a 14 year veteran in the promotion.  30 of his 43 career fights have been inside the UFC octagon.

From 2014-2015, RDA had the high point of his career going on a 5 fight win streak. This included winning the lightweight title against Anthony Pettis and defending it against Donald Cerrone.

After losing his title and another loss after, RDA would move to welterweight. Going 4-4 before moving back to lightweight.

After leaving Kings MMA in 2016, RDA would routinely work with Jason Parillo along with his other gym Evolve MMA. 

Cris Cyborg

Cris Cyborg is one of the greatest female MMA fighters ever. Having one every major female MMA title and only tasting defeat 2 times.

Once she moved to California in the 2010s, one of the gyms she would frequent would be RVCA Training Center. Going there to work her boxing with Parillo. 

In the last decade, Cyborg has won the Invicta, UFC, and Bellator Women’s featherweight titles. Extending her MMA record to 24-2. She is currently in Bellator and is looking to defend her title and stay active.

Mackenzie Dern

The newest student of Jason Parillo is former BJJ world champion and UFC strawweight standout Mackenzie Dern. After stints with the MMA Lab and Black House MMA, Dern has made RVCA with Parillo her main gym.

Since becoming a pro MMA fighter in 2016, Dern has earned an 11-1 record with 7 wins by submission. The only blemish on her record is a decision loss to Amanda Ribas that was her return fighter after having a child.

After that loss, she began working on her striking with Parillo at RVCA. Her striking has looked noticeably better after Parillo became her head trainer. 

Dern has won 4 in a row with 3 finishes since teaming up with Parillo. She will look to continue to improve her game and get in line for her first shot at UFC gold.

Jason Parillo’s legacy as a coach

Jason Parillo’s resume as a MMA coach speaks for itself. He has coached many of the world’s best fighters since training BJ Penn in 2007.

Parillo has really grown into his own as a MMA coach and made RVCA Training Center a premiere fighter gym. In his time as an MMA coach, Jason Parillo has coached dozens of UFC fighters and 7 UFC champions.

He has done it all as an MMA coach and will continue helping his fighters try to become world champions.