M2MMA adds Phil Daru to advisory board

M2MMA appointed combat-sports strength and conditioning coach Phil Daru to its advisory board to help shape M2Intel, the company’s AI-driven platform for athlete performance and safety. The move comes as M2Intel nears delivery and operational launch later this month.

Why it matters: - M2MMA is trying to turn combat-sports data into training and safety tools that coaches and athletes can use in real time. - Daru brings hands-on experience with elite fighters, recovery, injury risk, and performance preparation. - The appointment adds a practitioner’s perspective to a board that already includes medical and regulatory leadership.

What happened: - M2MMA appointed Phil Daru to its Advisory Board on Sept. 16, 2026. - Daru will advise on the development and application of M2MMA’s AI-driven infrastructure, including M2Intel OS. - M2MMA said Daru will help move the platform from research use to gym-floor application and sanctioned competition.

The details: - Daru is a former professional mixed martial artist and former Division I college football player. - He earned degrees in Sports Medicine and Exercise Science from Alabama State University. - Daru founded Daru Strong. - He is a five-time Trainer of the Year honoree, including World MMA Awards Trainer of the Year in 2019-20 and 2021. - Over nearly two decades, Daru has prepared more than 200 professional and Olympic-level athletes. - His roster has included Dustin Poirier, Joanna Jędrzejczyk, Amanda Nunes, and Colby Covington. - Daru has also worked with boxers, NFL players, and tactical professionals. - He has mentored more than 5,000 coaches across 16 countries. - M2Coach, built within M2Intel, is designed to turn training, medical, performance, recovery and financial data into guidance for coaches and athletes. - Daru’s input will help decide how that information is delivered so it can be used in live training environments. - His expertise will also support M2Lab research into the factors that affect performance and safety. - M2Lab is M2MMA’s research and development facility. - Daru will also advise on real-time impact monitoring and sensor-integrated equipment designed to capture metrics for M2MMA’s safety and performance algorithms. - M2MMA wants those tools to work in training and competition without changing how athletes move, train or compete.

Between the lines: - The appointment reflects M2MMA’s effort to blend elite coaching experience with medical, regulatory and technical oversight. - Daru’s own career ended after a concussion, which makes athlete brain health a personal issue for him. - M2MMA is also pushing athlete-facing information access through M2Coach, not just coach-facing analytics. - The company is positioning safety, recovery and load management as central parts of performance, not side issues.

What's next: - M2Intel is due to be delivered and operational with commissions later this month, according to M2MMA CEO Jeff Robinson. - Daru is expected to help shape how training data and safety insights are delivered to users. - M2MMA will continue building its research, monitoring and equipment ecosystem around combat-sports safety and performance.

The bottom line: - M2MMA is betting that elite coaching expertise can make its AI platform more useful, more practical and more credible in combat sports.