This is a list of notable present professional training camps and gyms in mixed martial arts (MMA). [1] [2] [3] [4]
Most professional MMA fighters in the UFC, Bellator and other MMA promotions join a professional fight camp or training gym to help them prepare for fights. Training at a top camp can be a big advantage to fighters, as not only do they have access to multi-disciplinary coaching, but they can also train against the other top fighters at the camp and nominate members of the camp as corner men. By training a group of elite fighters together, they will all learn from each other's skill sets and can support each other living the disciplined fighter lifestyle. Before a fight, a fighter will undergo an intensive training regime of several weeks, often culminating in a dramatic weight cut to make the required fighting weight, and the other members in the fighting camp are an important part of this process. [5]
There are rivalries between the top fighting camps and their fighters. Occasionally there will be a high-profile split or conflict between members of a camp, particularly when two closely matched fighters are in the same weight class. For example, one of the current top MMA teams the Blackzillians was formed [6] when former UFC light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans left Jackson-Wink MMA, in an acrimonious split relating to head coach Greg Jackson's support for up and coming contender Jon Jones' title shot when Evans was injured. [7]
Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorporating techniques from various combat sports from around the world. The first documented use of the term mixed martial arts was in a review of UFC 1 by television critic Howard Rosenberg in 1993.
Pound for pound is a ranking used in combat sports, such as boxing, wrestling, or mixed martial arts, of who the better fighters are irrespective of their weight, i.e. adjusted to compensate for weight class. As these fighters do not compete directly, judging the best fighter pound for pound is subjective, and ratings vary.
Duane Paul Ludwig is an American mixed martial arts coach, retired professional kickboxer and mixed martial artist.
The Chute Boxe Academy is a Brazilian martial arts academy. It opened as a Muay Thai academy in 1978 in Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil. Head trainer Rudimar Fedrigo later expanded the program in 1991 to include other aspects of modern mixed martial arts, such as wrestling and submission grappling. By 1995, the Chute Boxe team was considered a prime training ground for Vale Tudo fighters. In 2004, an American branch, Chute Boxe USA, was established in Los Angeles, California.
Marco Antônio de Lima Ruas is a Brazilian former mixed martial arts fighter, submission wrestler, kickboxer and instructor. Ruas was the UFC 7 Tournament Champion, and also competed for the World Vale Tudo Championship (WVC), PRIDE Fighting Championships and the International Fight League, where he head-coached the Southern California Condors.
Rashad Evans is an American mixed martial artist who currently competes in the Light Heavyweight division of Eagle Fighting Championship. Evans started his professional career in 2003, he was the Heavyweight winner of The Ultimate Fighter 2 and is also a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, and a 2019 inductee of the UFC Hall of Fame.
Stephan Patrick Bonnar was an American mixed martial artist and professional wrestler. Bonnar competed as a Light Heavyweight in the UFC for most of his career. Bonnar was the runner-up on The Ultimate Fighter 1; his TUF Ultimate Finale loss to Forrest Griffin is widely considered to be the most important fight in the history of the UFC.
Maurício Rua, also known as Shogun, is a Brazilian former professional mixed martial artist. He competed in the Light Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He is a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. A professional competitor since 2002, Rua is also the 2005 PRIDE Middleweight Grand Prix Champion.
Glover Lucas Teixeira is a Brazilian-American retired professional mixed martial artist. He competed in the Light Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. Teixeira is a former member of the Brazilian National Wrestling Team and has competed in the WEC, Impact FC, PFC and Shooto. He is the second oldest UFC champion in history behind Randy Couture and the oldest first time champion in UFC history.
Gregory Jackson is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) trainer who co-owns Jackson Wink MMA Academy in Albuquerque, New Mexico, widely considered one of the top MMA training centers in the world. Jackson has trained many successful fighters, including current UFC Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones, former UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St-Pierre, former UFC Women's Bantamweight Champion Holly Holm, former Light Heavyweight Champion Rashad Evans, and a roster of other UFC contenders and World Extreme Cagefighting champions.
James Adam McSweeney is a retired British kickboxer and retired mixed martial artist. A professional MMA competitor since 2005, McSweeney is well known for being a cast member of Spike TV's The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights and competing in the UFC, but he has also competed in major European promotions such as KSW, Cage Rage and BAMMA.
Evolve Mixed Martial Arts is a chain of martial arts academies. Founded by Chatri Sityodtong, it opened in January 2009. The gym includes several former and reigning UFC and ONE Championship champions, including Demetrious Johnson, Rafael Dos Anjos, Shinya Aoki, Angela Lee, Marcus Almeida and more, on its roster.
Joanna Jędrzejczyk is a Polish former professional mixed martial artist and Muay Thai kickboxer. She has been called the greatest female strawweight mixed martial artist of all time, including by Daniel Cormier, who credited her with putting the weight class "on the map". Jędrzejczyk holds several records in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where she is a former UFC Women's Strawweight Champion, including most successful strawweight title defenses (5), most consecutive wins at strawweight (8), and is the first Polish champion and first female European champion.
Miko Eric Oliver Enkamp is a Swedish mixed martial artist who competes in the Welterweight division of the Bellator MMA.
Zhang Weili is a Chinese professional mixed martial artist. She currently competes in the women's Strawweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where she is the current and two-time UFC Women's Strawweight Champion. A professional competitor since 2013, Zhang formerly competed for Kunlun Fight (KLF), where she was the KLF Women's Strawweight Champion. As of September 5, 2023, she is #2 in the UFC women's pound-for-pound rankings.
Suphisara Konlak, best known professionally as Loma Lookboonmee, is a Thai martial artist who has competed in Muay Thai, boxing, kickboxing, and mixed martial arts. In boxing she has fought under the names Kanda Por Muangpetch and Kanda Kokietgym. She is currently signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship, being the first Thai fighter to sign with the organization.
Rafael Fiziev is an Azerbaijani professional mixed martial artist and Muay Thai fighter. He currently competes in the Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As of December 5, 2023, he is #8 in the UFC lightweight rankings.
Jackson Wink MMA Academy is a mixed martial arts gym based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The gym has been featured in several sports documentaries and has been called one of the best MMA gyms in the world by various MMA magazines.
Kill Cliff FC, officially known as Kill Cliff Fight Club is a mixed martial arts gym based in Deerfield Beach, Florida. It was originally founded in 2017 by Henri Hooft and Greg Jones as Combat Club and later Hard Knocks 365 before being rebranded to Sanford MMA in 2019 after obtaining a sponsorship deal with Sanford Health. In July 2022, the gym rebranded to Kill Cliff FC.
Firas Zahabi is a Canadian martial artist who is the owner and head coach at Tristar Gym. Zahabi is known for his work with mixed martial artist Georges St-Pierre.