Justin Buchholz confirms departure from Team Alpha Male

Last October, Team Alpha Male coach Justin Buchholz first announced that he was no longer with the Sacramento-based squad. According to him, the team has gone to “a different system” from the one he put in place in 2016.

A few days after he made the announcement, team founder Urijah Faber clarified that Buchholz was still with the team, but has been more of a kickboxing coach than the team’s lead mentor.

“I think Justin is maybe having a little trouble with having more guys in on practice, etc,” Faber said. “It was kinda his idea for him to step into more of a kickboxing role. I’d love for him to be as a head coach. There’s a lot of guys that he will be a head coach for and there’s a lot of guys that won’t have him as a head coach. So it’s not necessarily like a shaking up, everything is pretty much the same.”

Buchholz did continue to corner Team Alpha Male fighters like Cynthia Calvillo at UFC 219 last December, and Darren Elkins at the UFC’s Fight Night event in St. Louis in mid-January. On Tuesday morning, the former UFC lightweight told MMA NYTT that he did part ways with the team, this time, seemingly with finality.

Buchholz has yet to release an official statement, but he also told the publication that he intends to continue working the corners of both Elkins and Calvillo.