ARMED SERVICE MEMBERS
This former member of the French military, specifically the French Special Forces, served as an operator in the 1st Marine Infantry Paratroopers Regiment—a unit of the French Army Special Forces Command. He was deployed to Mali and West Africa for counter-terrorism operations before leaving the military in 2019 to pursue a career in MMA.
Benoit St. Denis
This two-division champion recently defended the UFC’s most prominent belt against Stipe Miocic last November.
Jon Jones
The Future
Ian Machado Garry
From Mir to Condit to Jones, this gym now looks to pass the torch down to Steve Garcia.
Jackson Wink MMA Academy
W by S DEC 3/1/2025 vs. Esteban Ribovic
W by S DEC 6/22/2024 vs. Jared Gordon
W by KO 12/9/2023 vs. Jamie Mullarkey
W by U DEC 9/9/2023 vs. Landon Quinones
W by U DEC 9/3/2022 vs. John Makdessi
Nasrat Haqparast
This former title challenger is a killer who served in the US Army for three years before testing positive for weed. He was known for his appreciation of guerrilla warfare.
Jared Cannonier
This Moldovan fighter has lost three of his last four contests but, despite the division’s overall depth, remains firmly in the mix.
Sergei Spivac
Due to his long hair, this King of the Cage alumnus was dubbed the nickname “Tarzan,” which he has since gotten rid of.
Sean Strickland
Known for its champions and legacy, this gym houses plenty of highly touted prospects such as Edman Shabazayan and Mairon Santos.
Xtreme Cotoure
L by U DEC 5/18/2024 vs. Lerrone Murphy
W by U DEC 10/14/2023 vs. Sodiq Yusuff
W by KO 4/15/2023 vs. Billy Quarantillo
L by U DEC 3/5/2022 vs. Bryce Mitchell
L by KO 8/28/2021 vs. Giga Chikadze
Edson Barbosa
This United States Army Reserve officer steamrolled his way into big stage fights in the UFC’s lightweight division.
Matt Frevola
This fighter successfully conquered The Ultimate Fighter Season 29 crown with a submission win over Gabriel Urbina. Since then, he’s rattled off seven of eight wins, including a submission over AJ Fletcher.
Bryan Battle
This fighter shares a nickname with a champion from a country that has the same name as the state he's from. It’s okay if you can’t figure out the name above—you can also call him Walla.
Malcom "The Machine" Wellmaker
Number one–ranked flyweight Joshua Van, along with Dana White’s Contender Series alumnus Michael Aswell, are among many who train at this Texas-based gym.
4oz Fight Club
W by U DEC 3/9/2024 vs. Kaitlin Cerminara
W by KO 6/24/2023 vs. Amanda Ribas
W by S DEC 3/25/2023 vs. Andrea Lee
W by U DEC 7/2/2022 vs. Jessica Eye
W by U DEC 4/23/2022 vs. Montana De La Rosa
Maycee Barber
This featherweight prospect had to take a gap in his UFC career to complete his nation’s military service requirement. He racked up two wins by finish in 2024 and is scheduled to fight Daniel Santos in Perth.
Doo Ho Choi
This fighter recently derailed Matheus Camilo, a step in the right direction after losses to Ian Garry and D’Rod.
Gabe Green
This UFC veteran never really went by his first name, Donald, and was instead famously known by this six-letter name.
Cowboy
Former undisputed women’s flyweight champion Alexa Grasso and top featherweight contender Diego Lopes train here.
Lobo MMA
W by KO 12/14/24 vs. Ottman Azaitar
W by U DEC 2/10/24 vs. Darius Flowers
L by KO 5/20/2023 vs. Diego Ferreira
W by U DEC 12/3/2022 vs. Mark Diakiese
L by S DEC 7/9/2022 vs. Jamie Mullarkey
Michael Johnson
This UFC record holder served in the Illinois National Guard as a mechanic in 2014. He holds wins over Robbie Lawler, Carlos Condit, Kelvin Gastelum, and Geoff Neal.
Neil Magny
This fighter was knocked out earlier this year by one of the top prospects in the sport, Jacobe Smith.
Preston Parsons
After taking care of the ever-so-dangerous Welshman not so long ago, the Korean Tyson looks to grab himself another win in one of the UFC’s top divisions.
Seok Hyeon Ko
If you want entertaining striking, this gym has plenty of it. Just look at Jose Delgado… or another former champion who put this gym on the map.
The MMA Lab
W by U DEC 4/26/2025 vs. Gage Young
W by SUB 7/13/2024 vs. Darius Flowers
W by U DEC 7/15/2023 vs. Genaro Valdez
L by TKO DOC STOP 2/18/2023 vs. Nazim Sadykhov
L by U DEC 4/23/2022 v Preston Parsons
Evan Elder