Top 5 MMA gyms with a star-studded roster
MMA gyms play a crucial role in molding fighters and getting them ready to beat the best in the world. While there are tons of MMA gyms across the globe, only a few have earned a reputation for being the absolute best. Some gyms have been in the sport for years and even decades, feeding top-tier athletes to top-ranked MMA promotions in the world.
The easiest way to determine whether an MMA gym is good is to look for the renowned coaching staff and fighters present there.
Some MMA gyms have figured out the formula for success and they continue to be a factory for manufacturing skilled MMA athletes and the go-to place for established combat sports superstars.
Here, we look at the top five MMA gyms with a star-studded roster:
#5. Alliance MMA
The Alliance MMA gym is one of the top-ranked MMA coaching institutes in the world. Located in San Diego, California, it is home to several athletes who have found success in top MMA promotions such as the UFC, WEC, Invicta FC, and Bellator. The Alliance MMA gym was founded in 2007 by former ONE heavyweight champion Brandon Vera and Brazilian jiu-jitsu coach Lloyd Irvin.
Brandon Vera is a former UFC fighter and a former WEC heavyweight grand prix champion. He no longer runs the gym, and is currently signed with ONE Championship. Lloyd Irvin, the co-founder of The Alliance MMA gym, is a fourth-degree black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and a former World No-Gi Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Champion.
Alliance MMA is home to some of the top-ranked mixed martial artists in the world. Currently run by head coach Eric Del Fierro, the gym houses top-tier athletes. UFC light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz, former UFC, WEC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz, MMA legend Phil Davis, former light heavyweight contender Alexander Gustafsson, and Bellator fighter Cat Zingano all train at Alliance MMA.
Two-time former UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz believes Alliance MMA is one of the best gyms in the world and that it helped make San Diego a hot spot for jiu-jitsu. He said:
"More than anything, jiu-jitsu is the culture out here that probably really grew and built. People crossed over from the jiu-jitsu world into mixed martial arts and kind of seeped into the sport."