Meet your MMA Coaches

George Hickman, Head MMA Coach

​​George began his combat sports journey at age 5 in Wilmington, North Carolina. He became a 3x State Champion in high school wrestling and competed at the Division 1 level at Bloomsburg University. After transitioning to MMA, George fought globally before retiring to pursue coaching. He spent over seven years in Phuket as the Head MMA Coach at Tiger Muay Thai, where he trained fighters for top organizations like the UFC and Bellator. George has worked with elite athletes, including Alex Volkanovski, Petr Yan, and Tai Tuivasa.

Frank Hickman, Head Wrestling Coach

Frank began wrestling at age 5, following his brother George's path. He had a successful high school career and went on to wrestle at Bloomsburg University, becoming a 3x Division 1 National Qualifier and an All-American in freestyle wrestling. After coaching at Appalachian State University, he moved to Thailand to join his brother at Tiger Muay Thai, where they developed a top-tier wrestling and MMA program. Frank has been instrumental in coaching elite fighters, including UFC champions Israel Adesanya and Alex Volkanovski.

Brad "Quake" Riddell, Head Kickboxing Coach

Brad “Quake” Riddell is the head kickboxing coach at Bangtao Muay Thai & MMA and a former UFC Lightweight contender. With a deep background in Kickboxing and Muay Thai, Brad made his mark in the UFC Lightweight division, gaining recognition for his explosive striking. He has trained alongside and coached elite fighters such as Israel Adesanya and Alexander Volkanovski, contributing to their championship successes. Brad has been based in Thailand for several years, now sharing his expertise and professional experience with fighters of all levels at Bangtao Muay Thai & MMA.

Alex Schild, Head BJJ Coach

Alex is a jiu jitsu blackbelt under world champion Josh Hinger. Alex has been living, fighting, and coaching in Phuket for the last 10 years. During this time he has spent an extensive amount of time developing and teaching a fundamentals BJJ program for beginners. He has also worked with some of the highest level fighters from all over the world including Petr Yan and Valentina Schevchenko. Alex has fought and competed in jiu jitsu, Muay Thai, and MMA. In addition to coaching and fighting, he also owns and operates one of the largest jiu jitsu tournaments in Thailand and SE Asia; Siam Sub Series.

Andrew Wood (Woody), Head Strength and Conditioning Coach

Andrew Wood, otherwise known as Woody is a renowned strength and conditioning coach with over a decade of experience in the fitness industry, has trained elite athletes worldwide, including UFC and PFL champions. He has developed leading combat sports training programmes, used by the top fighters across all the worlds best organizations and has recently been nominated for ‘Trainer of the year” at the World MMA Awards. Woody appeared on The Ultimate fighter as a coach for Team Volkanovski and worked with the Azerbaijan Olympic wrestling squad for the 2016 games. He is the head of Strength and Conditioning at Bangtao.

Anwar, Mobility Coach

Anwar is a dedicated and dynamic fitness coach and trainer with over 20 years of experience in the industry. His expertise lies in training high-profile athletes to achieve elite performance levels. With a relentless commitment to continuous learning, he has studied under renowned coaches and performance specialists worldwide, incorporating their cutting-edge techniques into his training programs. He has a strong emphasis on injury prevention and rehabilitation, seamlessly integrating manual therapy with movement to ensure clients not only reach their performance goals but also maintain optimal physical well-being. By combining his extensive knowledge of biomechanics and sports-specific training with a deep understanding of manual therapy techniques, he provides a comprehensive approach that enhances performance, prevents injuries, and expedites the rehabilitation process, allowing athletes to perform at their best, on and off the field.