"Lot of issues going on with some of the youth" - Kyle Nelson shares what motivated him to open up a gym in Muskoka

Kyle Nelson recently opened up about his motivation to open up an MMA gym in his local area in Muskoka, Ontario, Canada.

During his appearance on Vibe 105.5FM Toronto, Nelson reflected on how he got into MMA and the travel that went into it, as there weren't many MMA gyms in his local area. He mentioned that one of the main reasons he decided to open up one now was to provide an outlet for troubled youth, and help steer them on a more postive direction in their lives:

"I know there's a lot of issues going on with some of the youth just not having a postive outlet, so they're getting into trouble and stuff like that. And so, I think the perfect cure for that is mixed martial arts. I think getting our young kids into a constructive disciplined martial arts, where they're gonna learn honor, respect, all that stuff. " [8:32 - 8:59]

'The Monster' noted that he was hesitant at first because opening a gym and coaching was something he envisioned for after he retires. He mentioned he will offer young kids a safe space to learn and build a lasting friendships rather than getting themselves involved with the crowd, saying:

"They're gonna get a chance to work off other energy and stuff. They're gonna have a safe place to do it and they're not just kinda aimlessely roaming through town getting in trouble and stuff. So, that was something I always wanted to do and again, I was hesitant to do it before I retired." [9:01 - 9:17]

Nelson opening up a gym in Muskoka, Ontario is a positive venture as he is a notable figure in the area, especially through his UFC career.

Check out the full interview:

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Kyle Nelson reflects on competing in Canada at UFC 289

It was a great night for Canadian MMA this past Saturday at UFC 289 as all the Canadian fighters won their respective bouts. The Canadians that fought and won included Kyle Nelson, Mike Malott, and Diana Belbita.

During the affromentioned interview, 'The Monster' reflected on competing in his home country and what it was like getting a win. He mentioned that it was a great feeling to have the Vancouver crowd rallying behind him and getting the win made it more memorable, saying:

"Yeah, it felt amazing. You know, obviously Canadian MMA fans wanted the UFC to come back...It was a packed house, a ton of Canadians on the card - we had 6 Canadians fighting...and then yeah, to walk out there and get the victory was kinda like the icing on top."