Respected cutman Jacob ‘Stitch’ Duran stresses that style and discipline are the key to hitting the big time.

At UFC Live 2 in San Diego last year I saw Jon Jones in the hotel lobby and introduced him to my family. He is as much of a professional outside of the Octagon as he is inside, and he gave me one of the best compliments regarding the work I do with the fighters.

“Stitch, how did a cutman become as famous as you?” he asked.

“I don’t know,” I modestly replied. Jon answered his question with a compliment I’ll always cherish while using the words of 50 Cent.

“God gave you style,” he said. To receive a compliment like that from a person like Jon in front of my family meant a lot.

Apart from being a very polite and friendly character, what is it that makes Jon Jones and other fighters like him special?

One word... discipline.

The first time I laid eyes on Jon, it was in the dressing room at his UFC debut. His trainer, a Native American in Thai shorts, tells me the line I’ve heard hundreds of times: “This kid is going to be a champion.”

I looked at Jones’ body structure and thought, ‘Okay, he’s long and lean, but not necessarily the body of a champion.’ Boy was I wrong, but it takes more than a body to be a champion.

Jon has style as well, and his discipline is second to none.

I’ve worked his corner and he has total confidence in his trainer, Greg Jackson. I’ve seen him follow instructions to a T. 

I’ve also signed autographs with him at Xyience events and he makes every fan feel like his best friend.

This kid has style, his own style… Elbows, knees, spinning back-kicks, proper punching, great wrestling; Jon Jones has the whole package.

Which leads me to another top professional with discipline and style, cutman Leon Tabbs.

Just like Jones, Leon exudes professionalism.

I was honored to see the Godfather of cutmen work his magic at UFC 131: Carwin vs Dos Santos.

Leon had his work cut out as the night saw nine fighters receive cuts, some major (think Carwin). Leon worked on seven of them with precision. Never in all my years in the industry have I ever witnessed such a masterpiece.

Our job is to make sure these fighters have every opportunity to go one more round.

As bloody as it was, no fight at UFC 131 was stopped because of cuts. In order to have discipline you have to make sacrifices to improve your game, and then apply your skills during crunch time.

I have no doubt that Jon, like Leon, will be a superstar and continue to be the best. Why?

Because they give it their all and have the skills to go with it.

I’m always looking to improve my game and having guys like Leon and Jon Jones can provide inspiration. 

In answer to Jon’s question, I guess I got so famous by having discipline too. There are often times where I need to keep cool under pressure and fans always ask me what’s the worst cut I’ve ever worked on, and KJ Noons’ has to be up there. 

I just started working the Strikeforce shows with the Zuffa buyout, and was assigned to wrap KJ’s hands. I walked into the dressing room to find out he wraps his own hands.

Tito Ortiz is the only other fighter I know who wraps his own hands.

I gave KJ gauze and tape and wished him well. 

The fight with Jorge Masvidal didn’t go as planned. KJ received a knee to his forehead that created a major-league gash.

It ripped the same vein that gave Jay Hieron the bloodiest fight in history, so I knew I had my work cut out.

The cut was a three-inch gash, and I went to work on it immediately.

As I applied the vessel constrictor and Adrenaline Chloride 1-1000, I knew I could control the bleeding enough for him to continue. 

Discipline came into play as I fixed the cut.

I cleaned up KJ and at the same time finished applying my Vaseline-adrenaline mix. The doctor came over.

“Stitch, we have to evaluate this cut,” he said.

He continued to look at it. “I can see his skull, but you did a great job in controlling the bleeding.”

I confidently said that I’d slow the blood flow and keep it away from his eyes. I wanted to give KJ one more round, and there wasn’t concern for any nerve damage.

Later, KJ asked me how the cut was. I stretched the truth and told him it was fine. Going into the third round he received a giant hematoma to make matters worse. I had to contend with the cut and swelling.

After the fight, Rudy Hernandez who worked with Masvidal helped me with the swelling.

KJ lost a tough fight, but not because of the cut.

It’s moments like this when the discipline factor pays off. At that moment, like Leon Tabbs and Jon Jones, I did feel that, “God gave me style.”