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There’s a five-year gap at the end of American Top Team head coach Conan Silveira’s resume. As he explains it, that was the time he was trying to figure out what to do with his life.

A veteran of the sport’s early days, Silveira had traveled all over the world and seen just about everything. He remembers men in Japanese suits waiting outside his dressing room while he was deciding whether or not to fight Kazushi Sakuraba a second time after a premature stoppage. He feared for his life if he didn’t.

A champion in the Extreme Fighting promotion, Silveira couldn’t walk in the days prior to a fight with Maurice Smith. But he didn’t think admitting injury was even an option, so he fought anyway and got knocked out by a head kick.

By 2002, Silveira knew his days were limited. That’s when he started looking for options. He decided to start a jiu-jitsu gym, modeled after the famed Brazilian Top Team in his native country. Then he found businessman Dan Lambert, and American Top Team was born. And the rest, they say, is history.

Now, Silveira oversees what’s undoubtedly the largest collection of current UFC fighters in the sport. The gym has spawned multiple champions and remains a destination for talent all over the world.

Thinking back, Silveira is glad he recognized the moment where he should stop (though he did give it one last go in 2007 and went out with a second-round TKO victory). He’s not sure others get the same message.

“I didn’t know we were going to grow as big as we are,” he told MMA Junkie Radio. “I do believe sometimes you need to see it’s good to stop. You don’t want damage. You don’t want to hurt everything you built.

“I think it would be good for fighters to realize that. That doesn’t mean you get away from the sport. You can apply your energy in different ways.”

Several of ATT’s fighters are now coaches in their own right. Early UFC standout Din Thomas works with dozens of champions and upcoming fighters. Former WEC champion Mike Brown won MMA Junkie’s “Coach of the Year.” Onetime UFC title challenger Thiago Alves is transitioning to full time coach.

And still, Silveira finds it hard to step on the gas when he’s in the gym.

“As much as I love my job, I never stopped thinking about fighting,” he said. “I think that’s fighters what we have in our system, it doesn’t die. As much as I try to keep the violence down, and say, hey, I’m too old, I’ve got another responsibility, I think about fighting every day. That didn’t die when I decided to stop.”

Most retired fighters will say the same thing. The ones who continue to grind, Silveira tries to be the big brother they never knew they had, adivising them to make the right moves after all the wrong ones he made. It’s a big job.

But he’s not fighting anymore, so he might as well do it.

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MMA Junkie Radio broadcasts Monday-Friday at 8 p.m. ET (5 p.m. PT) live from Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino’s Race & Sports Book. The show is hosted by “Gorgeous” George Garcia, Brian “Goze” Garcia and Dan Tom. For more information or to download past episodes, go to www.mmajunkie.com/radio. You can also check out www.siriusxm.com/siriusxmfightnation.