Best MMA Gyms in the World 2021 (Top 10)
Having the best fighting skills and talent means nothing if you don’t train in some of the best MMA gyms in the world. You need the best coaches to get the most out of your talent, and great sparring partners to learn from each other. You don’t even have to be that skillful, being in a good MMA gym and working hard is often enough for success in MMA.
Don’t get us wrong, you can succeed by training hard in smaller gyms. But, there is a reason why most UFC champs usually come from the best MMA gyms in the world. And these gyms are not just about the best coaches and elite fighters. They also have a lot of contacts in the MMA business, nutritionists, state of the art gear, and all else one needs to succeed.
Without further ado, let’s dive into the top 10 best MMA gyms in the world.
10. Alliance MMA
Location: San Diego, CA
In 2007, UFC fighter Brandon Vera and coach Lloyd Irvin have founded Alliance MMA in San Diego, California. For many years now, this gym has been the home of some of the best fighters in the world. Many elite fighters from ONE FC, UFC, Bellator, or Invicta FC are preparing for their bouts in Alliance MMA.
Even though Vera no longer runs the gym, the head coach Eric Del Fierro made sure the gym never stops growing. Over the years, Alliance MMA came up with some great champions like Jan Blachowicz and Dominick Cruz. In fact, Cruz was the one who really put this gym on the map and helped it grow.
According to Cruz, Alliance MMA is the best if you are looking to improve your BJJ game.
9. LAW MMA — Longo and Weidman MMA
Location: Long Island, New York
Owned by the famous striking coach Ray Longo and UFC fighter Chris Weidman, it seems like Law MMA is not getting enough respect. Located in Long Island, New York, it is one of the best gyms in the eastern part of the US. And it is growing really fast.
The gym was initially run by the UFC legend, Matt Serra who stay with the gym to some extend. Despite the changes in ownership, the quality of their work has only improved. We can see more and more elite fighters joining their team.
Some of the most famous fighters training at Law MMA are:
- Chris Weidman
- Aljamain Sterling
- Al Iaquinta
8. Roufusport MMA Academy
Location:
Roufusport gym is among the most respected MMA academies around the world. In MMA circles, it is widely known as a gym in which you can learn the best striking skills. The founder and head coach Duke Roufus is the former champion in kickboxing/Muay Thai and a man who certainly knows how to pass on his valuable knowledge.
During the beginning, Roufus worked with some of the best fighters in Alan Belcher and Pat Berry. But his gym started to rise when their promising fighter, Anthony Pettis, won the UFC title in 2013. In fact, Pettis became one of the striking coaches along Duke Roufus. This gives you a great insight into why some of the best strikers in MMA train in this gym.
Here are some of the biggest UFC names who train at Roufusports:
- Maycee Barber
- Paul Felder
- Brothers Sergio and Anthony Pettis
7. Nova Uniao
Location: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
For many years now, Nova Uniao has been the most famous Brazilian MMA gym and home of many great champions. Founded in 2008, the gym became famous through the rise of its fighters like Jose Aldo and Renan Barao. Even the famous BJ Penn went on to train with them when he was in his prime.
Nova Uniao is not just a gym that consists of the best coaches and fighters, it is also a very strong brand. It is well spread all around the world with gyms in over 40 countries. Even though the gym went through some tough times, they were always able to produce new stars and champions. And for many, this is a secret behind their success.
Best fighters:
- Jose Aldo
- Claudia Gadelha
- Jussier Formiga
6.Kings MMA
Location: Huntington Beach, California
Rafael Cordeiro started Kings MMA after leaving the famous Chute Boxe gym in Brazil. Located in California, Kings MMA is home to many fighters who moved out of Brazil to train in the US. Their head coach and founder, Rafael Cordeiro is perhaps the most famous striking coach in MMA. He won the “Coach of the Year Award” two times in 2012 and 2016.
The rise of Kings MMA exploded when Raphael Dos Anjos had won the UFC title in 2015. Soon after, MMA legend Fabricio Werdum would do the same and come to be second world champ coming out of Kings MMA.
Both Werdum and Dos Anjos are great instances of how good Cordeiro is. Before training with him, their game was grappling only. When they won the title, they were well-rounded fighters with very good striking skills.
Some of the best fighters training at Kings MMA are:
- Kelvin Gastelum
- Marvin Vettori
- Fabricio Werdum
5. Jackson-Wink MMA
Location: Alburquerque, New Mexico
Let’s be honest, the two things that come to our minds when we hear Alburquerque, New Mexico are:
- UFC Champ Jon Jones
- Jackson-Wink MMA Academy
Founded by head coaches Greg Jackson and Mike Winkeljohn, this gym has created some of the most skilled UFC fighters in history. The gym came into a huge spotlight with the rise of Jon Jones, Rashad Evans, and some other UFC fighters. Later on, the gym would get even more famous when their fighter Holly Holm KO’d the great Ronda Rousey.
During the fight promos, you can often hear fighters saying that Jackson-Wink success is not based just on the skills they teach. Both of the head coaches are masters in coming up with a great game plan and strategy. In fact, many believe this is their key competence and the reason why they always bring out so many great fighters:
- Jon Jones
- Holly Holm
- Carlos Condit
4. Elevation Fight Team
Location: Denver, Colorado
The roster of the Elevation Fight Team is getting stronger every year. Founded in 2013, this gym has been rising fast in the last couple of years. They have built a team of great coaches and fighters that, as a results are showing they have also found a winning formula.
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Apart from great coaches, the reason why fighters are joining this gym is the name “Elevation”. Located in Denver, Colorado, the gym sits at around 5,280 ft (one mile) above sea level. Due to the thinner air, training at such an altitude is great for conditioning, which plays a key role in MMA.
In recent years we have seen team Elevation coming up with some great UFC fighters like Curtis Blaydes and Cory Sandhagen. Even the veterans of this sport like Alistair Overeem and Neil Magny have joined the gym.
But in 2020, the news came out that Justin Gaethje would prepare for his title bout against Khabib Nurmagomedov at Elevation Fight Team. Looking at their roster, it’s clear that this gym is taking over the scene.
3.Sanford MMA
Location: Deerfield Beach, Florida
In 2017, Henry Hooft and Greg Jones founded Hard Knocks 365 in Florida and they enjoyed huge success. But in 2020, the news came that Sanford Health took over their Gym and they rebrand it to “Sanford MMA”. They built a new, state of the art gym in Florida that is three times the size of what it was.
Since Sanford is a health company, all of their fighters will have strong medical help in all fields. Their new 10,000 square foot gym includes two doze rooms fighters can use to recover or medical attention. Speaking of fighters, almost every fighter that trained at Hard Knocks 365 is now a part of the new gym. Here are some of their finest fighters:
- Kamaru Usman
- Michael Chandler
- Martin Nguyen
2. American Kickboxing Academy (AKA)
Location: San Jose, California
Founded by Javier Mendez in the 1980s, AKA was initially a kickboxing gym which its name suggests. It came to be MMA based gym during the 90s when the sport of MMA really started to rise. Some of the best fighters of that time like Frank Shamrock began coming into MMA to add striking skills on top of their wrestling base. Over the years, AKA has become the home of some of the best UFC fighters we have ever seen fight.
Located in San Jose, California, AKA is also known as a gym that turns wrestlers into great strikers. We don’t know how Mendez is doing it, but he is a true master in this. For instance, Daniel Cormier came into the gym as an elite wrestler. But in MMA, he is also known as a fighter with great kickboxing skills. And the same stands for many other fighters.
AKA has also become a home of elite Dagestan wrestlers who want to improve their standup skills. It all started with Khabib Nurmagomedov, who after becoming UFC star, brought a lot of elite wrestlers with him into AKA.
Best fighters:
- Luke Rockhold
- Islam Makachev
- Bethe Correia
1. American Top Team (ATT)
Location: Coconut Creek, Florida
American Top Team is, perhaps, the most famous and largest MMA gym in the world. Former fighter Dan Lambert founded ATT in 2001 along with some key members of the Brazilian Top Team. The gym has been around for over 2 decades now and it is by far the most successful one in the MMA world. The number of champions and elite fighters this ATT has built is simply absurd.
In present days, ATT is a very strong brand. There are more than 40 affiliates around the world but the main academy is in Coconut Creek, Florida. The main academy also includes a dorm where pro fighters from other countries can stay during their training camp.
Some of the most famous ATT coaches you have likely heard of are former UFC stars Din Thomas and Mike Brown. The key behind the success of ATT is surely longevity and the ability to continuously produce a new generation of great fighters.
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