The Best States for Training to Become an MMA Fighter

Mixed martial arts has expanded as a sport internationally since the first Ultimate Fighting Championship pay-per-view event in 1993. As the sport has gained credibility and acceptance in the public and the media, more athletes are turning to MMA as a profession. Gyms and fight camps have arisen across the United States to help train and prepare fighters for a professional MMA career. Some states offer better training opportunities than others.

  1. California

    • California was considered one of the initial breeding grounds for MMA fighters as regional promotions such as King of the Cage arose there and utilized fighters from the various camps that had formed both in the northern and southern areas of the state. Well-respected MMA fighters such as Bas Rutten and Rickson Gracie have schools and gyms located there. San Jose is home to both Strikeforce -- another MMA promotion that was bought by the owners of the UFC in 2011 -- and Shamrock Mixed Martial Arts, a facility designed for MMA training owned and operated by former fighter Frank Shamrock. San Jose also houses the American Kickboxing Academy, which trains fighters such as Jon Fitch and Josh Koscheck.

    Nevada

    • Las Vegas hosts a number of UFC events every year and as a result, a number of gyms have formed there to assist UFC fighters and other mixed martial artists to prepare for upcoming fights. UFC hall-of-famer Randy Couture runs his very successful Xtreme Couture MMA gym out of Las Vegas and Wanderlei Silva also opened up his own gym called the Wand Fight Team. Longtime clothing company and MMA sponsors Tapout also opened the Tapout Training Center in Las Vegas as another alternative for fighters looking to improve their conditioning and technique.

    Colorado

    • Colorado offers several advantages for MMA fighters. First off, there are several respected MMA gyms that operate there and secondly, the high altitude available in Colorado is greatly beneficial to a fighter's overall conditioning since his body has to process oxygen more efficiently to prevent fatigue. The Grudge Training Center located in Wheat Ridge, Colorado hosts fighters such as Rashad Evans, Nate Marquardt and Shane Carwin, who train there regularly. The Grudge camp is also closely affiliated with the renowned Jackson's Martial Arts academy in New Mexico, sharing staff and instructors at times.

    Florida

    • Coconut Creek, Florida is home to the American Top Team, an MMA fight squad and gym that serves as the primary training center for fighters such as Thiago Alves and Mike Thomas Brown. MMA legends the Noguiera brothers and Anderson Silva also teamed up to open Nogueira and Silva Mixed Martial Arts Academy in Miami, offering instruction and training the various components of MMA such as Muay Thai, boxing and Brazilian jiu-jitsu.