One of the byproducts of Trevor Whitman’s experience on this season of “The Ultimate Fighter” was a feeling that the level of athleticism will continue to rise as mixed martial arts continues the trek towards true mainstream status.

Who is Whitman, you ask? Whitman heads up the Grudge Training Center near Denver -- home to the likes of Shane Carwin, Brendan Schaub and Eliot Marshall, among others. He just spent six weeks working as the striking coach for the team of heavyweights headed by one of his star pupils, Rashad Evans.

On our recent trip to the Rocky Mountain state, Whitman discussed his experience on the Spike TV reality series, which reaffirmed his belief that the caliber of athlete will keep trending upward.

“All I can say is watch out for some of these NFL guys,” said Whitman, who also works as part of the team Greg Jackson has assembled. “Marcus Jones is something special, and I can’t wait to see how he develops.”

Jones, a former NFL first-round draft pick, is an athletic cut above the normal heavyweight mixed martial artist. At 36 years of age, Jones may not have the time to advance his MMA career to a championship level, but Whitman is still excited to see how far he can go.

Another former football player who caught the eye of Whitman was Matt Mitrione. He claimed Mitrione looked like Muhammad Ali when he got in the cage and began to move. The only limitation he saw for Mitrione was the immaturity he displayed away from the cage.

“This guy is something special athletically, too,” Whitman said, “but he will be limited unless he can harness that ability. He told me the reason he wasn’t still playing football was because his coaches couldn’t put up with him anymore.”

Brock Lesnar may have been the first big, fast and athletic heavyweight to cross over to MMA, but if the money in the sport -- and particularly the UFC -- keeps climbing toward equality with other major sports, the trickle may soon turn to a flood of superior talent.