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MMA Fighters are only as good as the gym in which they train. Since the dawn of mixed martial arts, fighters from every corner of the world have been in need of coaches to develop gameplans and guide them through those.
They also need teammates with whom to spar, so their skills are as sharp as can be come fight night.
From the Lion's Den, founded by UFC Hall of Famer Ken Shamrock, to Jackson Wink MMA, which was once home to the likes of former UFC light heavyweight champions Jon Jones and Rashad Evans, MMA gyms have emerged to cater to the needs of fighters across the globe.
While the days of Black House MMA dominating the UFC alongside Jackson Wink MMA are over, a new crop of gyms have risen to battle for supremacy. This list details the greatest gyms of the present era, organizing them into a top 10 ranking to determine the best of the best based on the aggregate success of their fighters.
#10. Xtreme Couture Mixed Martial Arts
A product from the mind of former UFC heavyweight and light heavyweight champion Randy Couture, Xtreme Couture benefits from the legendary heavyweight's well-known instinct for gameplanning.
Although the depth of talent the gym boasts does not compare to the rosters held by the other gyms on this list, Xtreme Couture features a keen eye for gameplanning that even former UFC women's bantamweight champion Miesha Tate hoped to use.
Instead, it was Francis Ngannou who showcased the strength of Xtreme Couture's gameplanning. In his rematch with Stipe Miocic for the UFC heavyweight championship, 'The Predator' was able to thoroughly dominate a foe who had dealt him a truly lopsided loss in their initial matchup despite his former gym's attempts at preparing him for the bout.
Furthermore, his new coaches were able to guide him to victory against dynamic heavyweight striker Ciryl Gane despite Ngannou's knee injury in his first title defense at UFC 270.
#9. Serra-Longo Fight Team
Headed by Ray Longo and Matt Serra, the Serra-Longo Fight Team is an oft-forgotten gym. Perhaps its greatest accomplishment was priming Chris Weidman to end Anderson Silva's legendary 17-fight win streak, capturing the Brazilian's UFC middleweight championship in the process.
Alas, Weidman lost the championship after successfully mounting three title defenses before tumbling down the pound-for-pound rankings with a 2-6 run that culminated in a devastating leg break.
The Serra-Longo Fight Team, however, persevered, guiding Aljamain Sterling to a UFC bantamweight championship, while steering Merab Dvalishvili through a 7-fight win streak that earned him a No. 6 ranking in the UFC bantamweight rankings.
#8. Team Alpha Male
Founded by former WEC featherweight champion Urijah Faber in 2004, Team Alpha Male is home to a breadth of fighters. One of the longest-standing gyms in the sport, Team Alpha Male is responsible for snapping Dominick Cruz's streak of bantamweight dominance via Cody Garbrandt's capture of UFC gold.
While 'No Love' appears to be on the decline, having gone 1-5 since defeating Cruz, Team Alpha still plays host to surging UFC featherweight Josh Emmett, whose five-fight win streak has earned him a No. 4 ranking in the division; No. 10-ranked bantamweight Song Yadong, who sits on a three-fight win streak; and the 15-3 Yan Xiaonan.
#7. Alliance MMA
When former UFC light heavyweight and former ONE heavyweight champion Brandon Vera founded Alliance MMA in 2007, few could have predicted just how successful the gym would grow to be.
Yet, it is now home to a plethora of successful mixed martial artists in two of MMA's most prominent promotions: the UFC and Bellator.
Alliance MMA hosts a range of former world champions like Jan Błachowicz and Dominick Cruz, both of whom captured UFC gold and are in current contention with the top 10 fighters in their respective divisions.
Furthermore, the gym also features former Bellator title-holders like Phil Davis, who last year defeated former UFC title challenger Yoel Romero.
#6. Kings MMA
Perhaps no gym is greater at instilling solid striking fundamentals in grapplers than Kings MMA. Under the tutelage of Rafael Cordeiro, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu specialists Fabricio Werdum and Rafael dos Anjos both developed a devastating Muay Thai skill-set that enabled them to capture UFC gold.
While Fabricio Werdum is no longer an elite mixed martial artist and Rafael dos Anjos has been on a win-loss run for years, Kings MMA currently consists of current Bellator women's featherweight champion and former UFC women's featherweight champion Cris Cyborg, and top UFC contenders Yair Rodriguez, Giga Chikadze, Beneil Dariush, Kelvin Gastelum, and Marvin Vettori.
#5. Tiger Muay Thai
A gym that caters to both MMA and Muay Thai, Tiger Muay Thai has only recently gained prominence in MMA circles due to the breadth of talented strikers it has produced.
Located in Phuket, Thailand, Tiger Muay Thai has a breathtaking roster and was responsible for former bantamweight title-holder Petr Yan's dominant striking performance against José Aldo in a bout that earned the Russian the UFC bantamweight championship.
Alongside Petr Yan is Rafael Fiziev, who is currently riding a six-fight win streak and sits as the No. 7-ranked UFC lightweight in the world. Among the fighters who have recently trained at the gym are current UFC women's flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko, former UFC strawweight champion Zhang Weili, and undefeated welterweight phenom Khamzat Chimaev.
#4. City Kickboxing
Based in Auckland, New Zealand, City Kickboxing was founded in 2007 and is headed by Eugene Bareman. The MMA gym is currently home to reigning UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya and current UFC featherweight kingpin Alexander Volkanovski.
Neither fighter seems capable of losing at the moment, with Volkanovski in particular improving at a breathtaking rate.
Besides its champions, City Kickboxing also boasts the likes of Kai-Kara France, who recently fought for the UFC flyweight championship at UFC 277 against Brandon Moreno in a spirited but ultimately unsuccessful effort.
Other fighters from the gym include Dan Hooker and Brad Riddell, who, while currently on losing streaks, remain divisional staples at lightweight.
#3. Kill Cliff FC
Previously known as Combat Club and later Hard Knocks 365 and Sanford MMA, the gym currently branded as Kill Cliff FC is helmed by Henri Hooft and legendary collegiate wrestler Greg Jones. A fairly new gym, Kill Cliff FC was founded only in 2017 but quickly marked its stamp on the MMA landscape.
Reigning UFC welterweight champion and the pound-for-pound No. 1 fighter in the world, Kamaru Usman is the gym's most well-known fighter. While Usman made a brief departure from Kill Cliff FC due to his previous matchup with teammate Gilbert Burns, he has since returned to prepare for his upcoming bout with Leon Edwards at UFC 278.
Besides Usman, the gym plays host to the aforementioned Gilbert Burns, who sits as the No. 4-ranked welterweight in the UFC. Both men are joined by top-ranked fighters in Derek Brunson and Michael Chandler, as well as former ONE double champion Aung La Nsang.
#2. American Kickboxing Academy (AKA)
The American Kickboxing Academy is one of the most successful MMA gyms in recent years. Unfortunately, it is also among the most injury-ridden training facilities, perhaps due to the sheer intensity of the sparring sessions that it hosts.
Historically, AKA has produced UFC champions in four different divisions, with former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez, former UFC heavyweight champion and former light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier, former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold and former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov.
While Cormier, Velasquez, and Nurmagomedov are no longer active fighters, Rockhold hopes to recapture his former glory while Islam Makhachev is scheduled to challenge Charles Oliveira at UFC 280 for the UFC lightweight championship once held by childhood friend Nurmagomedov.
Other roster members include reigning ONE heavyweight champion Arjan Bhullar, No. 3-ranked UFC heavyweight Tai Tuivasa and undefeated UFC bantamweight Umar Nurmagomedov.
#1. American Top Team (ATT)
Among the largest MMA gyms in the world, the American Top Team features such a depth of coaching talent that it is one of the few gyms without a distinct style that can be associated with it. Except for its exceptional use of wall-walking as a means of takedown defense and anti-wrestling.
Former ATT fighters include former UFC interim welterweight champion Colby Covington, current UFC women's double champion Amanda Nunes, former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley, and former UFC strawweight champion Joanna Jędrzejczyk.
The gym's current fighters are two-time UFC lightweight title challenger Dustin Poirier, top-ranked UFC heavyweight Jairzinho Rozenstruik, and top-ranked UFC lightweight Mateusz Gamrot, who recently defeated Arman Tsarukyan.
They're joined by reigning PFL women's lightweight champion Kayla Harrison, BMF champion Jorge Masvidal and the current two-time Rizin bantamweight champion Kyoji Horiguchi.
