Price of Training With a UFC Fighter

Strap on the gloves and step into the squared circle

Mixed martial arts (MMA) was once a fringe sport, but has gone mainstream in a big way, and the interest in learning the style has increased greatly in the last few years. MMA is a hybrid of different fighting styles, most of which are not the ones we grew up watching in our favorite martial-arts films. Learning MMA means learning several different disciplines, and how to bring them together.

Styles

MMA comprises a mixture of striking and grappling while standing and while on the ground. In MMA, you must learn and be efficient in all of these areas. You must know how to punch, kick, wrestle, and apply and defend submissions all at the same time, and learning these different facets of fighting will take time. The main styles in MMA training are Brazilian jiu jitsu, boxing, muay thai/kickboxing and wrestling.

Types of School

Many people looking to learn MMA will have to split their training between a boxing /kickboxing gym and a grappling school, and then try to figure out themselves how to put it all together. However, due to the growing popularity of the sport, new training facilities teaching exclusively MMA are around. Some more accomplished fighters have opened gyms with their names to attract students. These gyms can be a bit more expensive, but the chance to train with the sport's elite can make it worth the extra money.

Locations

Schools are opening up everywhere. In Florida, American Top Team is the biggest, and has possibly the largest roster of active professional fighters, many of whom teach at the academy as well. In Las Vegas, there is Extreme Couture, an impressive facility that is famed for producing fighters. In New Mexico, Team Jackson is a highly respected gym that has its own roster of contenders and champions. More and more academies are opening, so a web search of your area will give you a start.

Price

The cost will depend on how much you want to train. Most MMA schools have a sliding scale for the amount of classes you are allowed to attend, ranging from limited to unlimited access. Some split classes between public and professional training sessions.

As of 2010, American Top Team charges $125 a month for unlimited classes. Extreme Couture offers month-to-month all-access memberships for $150 a month, or $100 a month for limited access of two days a week. Most are within the $100- to $200-a-month range.

Warnings

Since MMA is growing in popularity, a slew of "questionable" schools advertising high-level training have opened. Many traditional martial arts schools are now advertising “MMA training here!” Be wary of this. Ask if they train any amateur or professional fighters, as most legitimate schools would have a history of some sort of MMA competition, and will be proud of it.

References

• American Top Team
• Extreme Couture
• Jackson's MMA