Jiu Jitsu Injuries, Leg Locks, and Longevity with UFC Fighter Jonathan Webb

In this episode, I sit down with Jonovan Webb, 3rd degree black belt, UFC and CFFC veteran, and owner of Webb Fitness, who also happens to be the coach who started my Jiu Jitsu journey and helped shape me as both an athlete and a person.

We dive deep into gym culture, coaching philosophy, and what it really takes to train hard while minimizing injuries in combat sports.

We talk about managing ego on the mats, training at high pace without unnecessary damage, leg lock safety and evolution, and how coaches can create environments that keep athletes healthy, progressing, and coming back long term.

We also get real about injuries, surgery, and the mental challenges of recovery, and how lessons learned on the mats carry directly into life outside the gym.

If you train, coach, or care for combat athletes and want a framework for longevity instead of burnout, this conversation will give you a lot to think about.

I’m Dr. Megan Jimenez, orthopedic sports surgeon, U.S. Army major, and jiu-jitsu black belt. I help combat athletes and military professionals understand their injuries, train smarter, and stay on the mats longer.

New episodes of Dr. Jiu-Jitsu drop the first Friday of every month.

Timestamps:

00:00 – What is Dr. Jiu-Jitsu and who is Jonathan Webb
00:34 – How we met and my journey from white belt through his gym
02:09 – Open-weight competition, big opponents, and the ACL tear story
03:21 – How Jonathan handles “spazzy” students and keeps his room safer
05:17 – Training for competition: pace, intensity, and checking your ego
08:33 – Leg locks, heel hooks, and why bad mechanics cause most injuries
11:22 – My ACL tear, going all-in on leg lock defense, and why I teach them early
17:34 – Jonathan’s path from fighter to coach to gym owner and finding fulfillment
27:25 – Shoulder dislocations, surgery, and the mental grind of rehab
46:15 – Lessons from the mats: failing, resilience, and taking risks off the mat
50:26 – Growth of women’s jiu-jitsu and building a room where women can thrive