15 of the Best MMA Gyms in the UK to Train At

The standard of MMA gyms in the UK has developed enormously over the past two decades.

British fighters are now competing throughout the UFC and other major international promotions, supported by an increasingly sophisticated network of MMA gyms, coaches and fight teams across the country.

Through my work with Warrior Collective, I've spent years travelling around Britain visiting, training and filming inside many of these gyms.

Some have produced generations of professional fighters. Others stand out because of their coaching methodology, Wrestling, BJJ or striking programmes, while several have developed training environments capable of taking complete beginners all the way through to international-level MMA competition.

I don't want this to become a collection of the most famous MMA gyms in UK history.

I want it to represent gyms that I think are genuinely worth visiting now.

I've also considered something much harder to measure:

What could you actually learn by spending time there?

This isn't a ranking from first to fifteenth.

Different gyms have different strengths, and the right gym for an aspiring professional isn't necessarily the right gym for somebody taking their first MMA class.

But if you want to experience some of the best MMA training environments Britain currently has to offer, these are 15 UK MMA gyms I think should be on your radar.

 

 

15 of the Best MMA Gyms in the UK

1. AVT MMA – Leeds

2. SBG UK

3. Higher Level MMA - Bathgate

4. HAMMA – St Helens

5. Great Britain Top Team – London

6. Next Generation MMA - Liverpool

7. London Shootfighters - London

8. Team Renegade - Birmingham

9. TFT MMA - Seaham

10. Middlesbrough Fight Academy - Middlesbrough

11. Team Crossface - Watford

12. Shore MMA - Abertillery

13. Fight Academy Ireland - Belfast

14. Aspire Combat Sports Academy - Liverpool

15. Manchester Top Team - Manchester

There is no single “best” MMA gym in the UK for everyone. Your ideal choice depends on where you live (and how far you are willing to travel), your experience, whether you want to fight and what aspect of your MMA game you want to develop.

 

How I Chose These 15 UK MMA Gyms

I haven't simply looked at which gyms currently have the most famous UFC fighter.

I've considered several factors alongside my own personal experience with the gyms, fighters and coaches.

Coaching

Does the gym have coaches with genuine experience developing MMA athletes?

Fighter Development

Does it actually produce fighters?

That's different from attracting athletes who were already successful elsewhere.

Current Competitive Relevance

Are athletes from the gym competing successfully now?

Training Partners

Is there enough depth in the room for serious fighters to improve?

Complete MMA Training

Can athletes develop striking, Wrestling, Grappling and the transitions between them?

Facilities

Does the environment support serious MMA training?

Development Pathway

Can somebody realistically progress from:

Beginner → Amateur → Professional?

Longevity

Has the gym demonstrated sustained development rather than simply experiencing one brief period of success?

No gym needs to be perfect in every category.

But those are the questions I think matter.

 

AVT MMA – Leeds

AVT has been part of the UK MMA landscape for years and remains one of the country's most established MMA academies.

At the centre of it is former UFC fighter Danny 'Cheesecake' Mitchell.

Danny competed extensively himself before increasingly turning his attention towards coaching and fighter development.

And that's an important distinction.

When I look at an MMA gym, I'm not simply interested in whether successful fighters occasionally train there.

I'm interested in whether the gym can actually develop fighters.

AVT has built an environment specifically around doing that.

Modern MMA requires athletes to connect:

Striking

Wrestling

Cage work

Jiu Jitsu

Ground-and-pound

and the transitions between them.

AVT has spent years developing athletes around those demands.

I've personally filmed with Danny numerous times through Warrior Collective and have always been impressed by both his technical knowledge and willingness to explore different approaches to MMA training.

 

Why Visit AVT MMA?

AVT is particularly interesting if you want:

• An established UK MMA team

• Experienced MMA-specific coaching

• Strong Grappling and Wrestling

• A dedicated full-time training environment

• Access to experienced competitive athletes

 

WATCH: DANNY MITCHELL MMA COACHING

 

 

→ Visit AVT MMA

 

SBG UK

SBG occupies a slightly unusual position on this list because it isn't simply one gym.

It's a network.

The late Karl Tanswell was one of the genuine pioneers of British MMA and established SBG Manchester—often known as SBG Mainline—as one of the country's most respected academies.

Karl's influence extended considerably beyond Manchester.

The wider UK SBG network has included coaches such as Matt Inman, Martin Stapleton, Alex Enlund, Jason Tan and others who have contributed significantly to British MMA.

What has always interested me about SBG is its emphasis on coaching methodology.

Rather than viewing MMA as simply:

Boxing + Wrestling + BJJ

the better MMA coaches look at how those disciplines actually interact.

How does your stance change when somebody can take you down?

How does Wrestling change when punches are involved?

How does Grappling change when your opponent can strike?

How do you design training that develops decision-making rather than simply memorising techniques?

That's where MMA coaching becomes particularly interesting.

 

Why Visit SBG?

SBG is particularly relevant for athletes and coaches interested in:

• Integrated MMA training

• Coaching methodology

• Grappling for MMA

• Live training and problem-solving

• Access to a wider coaching network

I've filmed with numerous SBG coaches over the years through Warrior Collective, and those sessions have consistently produced outstanding material.

 

WATCH: KARL TANSWELL MMA COACHING

 

 

→ Visit SBG UK

 

Higher Level MMA – Bathgate, Scotland

Higher Level MMA remains one of the easiest inclusions on this updated list.

At its centre is James Doolan.

James is a BJJ black belt, former professional MMA fighter and one of the most "fight smart" MMA coaches I've spent time with.

What makes Higher Level particularly interesting isn't simply its competitive success.

It's how James thinks about coaching.

Rather than viewing MMA as a collection of techniques, his approach increasingly revolves around:

Decision-making

Problem-solving

Chaining attacks

Creating reactions

Pressure

Transitions

and developing fighters capable of adapting rather than simply reproducing predetermined combinations.

Higher Level has produced athletes capable of competing at UFC and other major international levels while maintaining a strong development pathway underneath its professional team.

I've filmed extensively with James, and the evolution of his Warrior Collective material mirrors the development of modern MMA coaching itself.

 

Why Visit Higher Level MMA?

Higher Level MMA is particularly worth considering if you:

• Are an MMA fighter

• Coach MMA

• Want to understand integrated MMA training

• Are interested in fighter development

• Want high-level training partners

• Prefer a serious training environment over a destination resort

• Are interested in modern coaching methodology and skill acquisition

What has always stood out is the way James looks beyond individual techniques and instead focuses on how different areas of the fight connect together.

Higher Level has developed fighters from grassroots level through to the highest levels of professional MMA, and James's ability to build an effective game around the individual athlete rather than forcing everyone into the same style makes the gym a particularly brilliant example of modern MMA coaching.

 

Learn MMA with James Doolan

James' Warrior Collective instructionals include:

MMA Drills for Elite Level Fighters – Chaining Attacks

MMA Striking Drills for Fighters – The Higher Level System

The Twisting Body Lock System – Higher Level MMA Training

MMA Pressure Striking for Fighters – The Higher Level Counter System

Together they provide a fascinating look at how an elite MMA coach structures training rather than simply teaching isolated techniques.

→ Explore James Doolan's Complete Collection

 

WATCH: JAMES DOOLAN MMA COACHING

 

 

→ Visit Higher Level MMA

 

HAMMA – St Helens

HAMMA remains one of the most consistently great developmental gyms in UK MMA.

Head coach Sean Martin has spent years building fighters from the ground up.

That's something I think deserves more recognition.

It's relatively easy for an established gym to attract talented fighters once it becomes successful.

Producing them yourself is different.

HAMMA's youth programme has repeatedly developed young athletes who progress through junior and amateur MMA before moving into senior competition.

That creates a genuine development pipeline.

I've known Sean for many years and have filmed with him through Warrior Collective on a number of occasions.

His enthusiasm for developing young fighters has always stood out.

 

Why Visit HAMMA?

HAMMA is particularly interesting for:

• Amateur fighter development

• Youth MMA

• Long-term athlete development

• Competitive MMA

• A strong team environment

 

WATCH: SEAN MARTIN MMA COACHING

 

 

→ Visit HAMMA

 

Great Britain Top Team – London

Great Britain Top Team was not founded when this original guide was produced.  It more than deserves its own place in this updated article.

Built around former UFC fighter Brad Pickett, GBTT has developed into one of Britain's most prominent professional MMA teams.

The important thing isn't simply having established professional fighters in the room.

It's continuing to develop new ones.

That combination is what makes an MMA gym sustainable.

You need elite athletes at the top.

But you also need another generation progressing underneath them.

GBTT has developed considerable strength across:

MMA Wrestling

Grappling

Striking

Cage work

and the transitions connecting them.

 

Why Great Britain Top Team?

Great Britain Top Team is particularly worth visiting for:

• High Level MMA

• Wrestling and Grappling for MMA

• Professional and amateur fighter development

• Coaching shaped by experience at the highest level of the sport

• Integrating takedowns, controls and submissions into MMA

• Developing the transitions between striking, wrestling and grappling

I've known Brad Pickett for many years through Warrior Collective and have had the opportunity to film extensively with him, both during and after his own career competing at the highest level of MMA.

What makes Great Britain Top Team particularly interesting is the experience Brad and the wider coaching team can bring to developing fighters. Brad's own background gives him a first-hand understanding of what actually works under the pressure of elite MMA competition, but that knowledge is now being passed on to the next generation of British fighters.

 

Learn with Brad Pickett

Brad's full-length instructional:

Wrestling for MMA – The Front Headlock System

The front headlock is one of the most important transitional positions in modern MMA, connecting Wrestling, submissions, positional control and striking opportunities.

 

WATCH: BRAD PICKETT MMA COACHING

 

 

→ Visit Great Britain Top Team

 

Next Generation MMA – Liverpool

Next Generation remains an automatic inclusion.

Head coach Paul Rimmer has spent decades developing one of Britain's strongest MMA teams.

Although the gym has become internationally more known recently through fighters such as Paddy Pimblett and Molly McCann, concentrating only on those names actually undersells what Next Gen has achieved.

The more impressive story is the continued production of elite fighters of every age.

That's what separates a genuinely successful fight gym from a gym that happens to produce one exceptional athlete.

I've visited Next Generation numerous times and filmed extensively with Paul, Ellis and Paddy.

The combination of high-level BJJ, MMA coaching and an extremely competitive training room makes it one of the most valuable places to experience in British MMA.

 

Why Visit Next Generation?

Particularly strong for:

• MMA Grappling

• BJJ for MMA

• Fighter development

• High-level training partners

• Amateur-to-professional progression

 

Learn with Paul Rimmer & Ellis Hampson

I've also filmed a full length instructional with Next Generation MMA coaches Paul Rimmer and Ellis Hampson for Warrior Collective:

High Percentage MMA - The Next Generation Fighting System

The instructional explores the training methods and systems used at Next Generation, with Paul and Ellis demonstrating how striking, Wrestling and Grappling can be connected specifically for MMA rather than trained as completely separate disciplines.

It's a great example of the kind of integrated MMA coaching that has helped Next Generation develop fighters from grassroots level through to elite professional competition.

 

WATCH: PAUL RIMMER MMA COACHING

 

 

→ Visit Next Generation MMA

 

London Shootfighters – London

Few gyms are as closely connected with the development of British MMA as London Shootfighters.

It has existed through multiple generations of the sport.

And it continues producing elite fighters.

That's extremely difficult.

Some gyms experience a brilliant five-year period.

Very few remain relevant across decades.

London Shootfighters has.

The gym has produced and trained athletes competing across virtually every major MMA organisation, with Michael 'Venom' Page among its most internationally recognised fighters.

Its training environment has traditionally combined:

Elite Wrestling

MMA Grappling

High-level striking

Physical conditioning

and an extremely deep pool of competitive athletes.

The important point for this updated article is that Shootfighters isn't here simply because of its history.

It remains competitively relevant.

 

Why Visit London Shootfighters?

For experienced fighters, the depth of training partners alone makes Shootfighters particularly interesting.

It's also valuable for coaches interested in how a gym can remain successful through multiple generations of MMA.

 

WATCH: LONDON SHOOTFIGHTERS MMA COACHING

 

 

→ Visit London Shootfighters

Team Renegade – Birmingham

Team Renegade stays on this updated list.

And there's an important reason why.

Renegade provides an interesting example of a slightly different MMA coaching environment.

Rather than everything being centred around one dominant head coach, the gym developed a much more collaborative model where experienced fighters and specialists contribute knowledge to the room.

That environment played an important role in the development of former UFC Welterweight World Champion Leon Edwards and continues to support elite-level fighters including Fabian Edwards.

Fabian remains officially associated with Team Renegade while competing at international level.

But Renegade's significance goes beyond individual names.

It demonstrates something increasingly important within modern MMA:

No single person needs to know everything.

Instead, you create an environment where specialists solve different parts of the MMA problem together.

 

Why Visit Team Renegade?

Particularly interesting for:

• High-level MMA

• BJJ and Grappling

• Collaborative coaching

• Experienced professional training partners

• Understanding a less traditional MMA team structure

 

WATCH: TEAM RENEGADE MMA COACHING

 

 

→ Visit Team Renegade 

 

TFT MMA – Seaham

One of the clearest additions to the updated list is TFT MMA.

Originally known as The Fish Tank, TFT was founded by professional fighter and coach Andrew Fisher.

Based in Seaham in the North East, the gym has developed an increasingly impressive competitive team.

TFT athletes now compete across organisations including:

UFC

ONE Championship

PFL

KSW

Cage Warriors

and OKTAGON MMA.

That tells you something about the level of the training room.

But what makes TFT particularly interesting to me is the development structure underneath it.

Andrew and Katrina Fisher have built programmes extending from junior development through amateur competition and into elite professional MMA.

That's exactly the type of pathway I look for when updating an article like this.

A successful MMA gym shouldn't simply have good fighters today.

It should be creating the fighters who will replace them tomorrow.

Why Visit TFT MMA?

TFT is particularly interesting for:

• A genuine fighter-development pathway

• Strong North East MMA

• Experienced professional coaching

• Wrestling, Grappling and striking under one roof

• Access to active international-level fighters

 

→ Visit TFT MMA

Middlesbrough Fight Academy – Middlesbrough

Another North East gym that deserves inclusion is Middlesbrough Fight Academy.

The academy has become increasingly prominent through the success of fighters including brothers George and Harry Hardwick. Both of whom I have spent time with and filmed in the past.

Behind them sits an established coaching environment with significant MMA and Wrestling experience.

George Hardwick established himself as one of Britain's leading lightweights through Cage Warriors, while Harry after competed equally successfully at a high level is now on the UFC roster.

That gives Middlesbrough Fight Academy something extremely valuable:

Current elite competitive experience inside the training room.

For developing fighters, that matters enormously.

You're not learning MMA in theory.

You're sharing the mat with people actively solving the problems presented by modern professional MMA.

Why Visit Middlesbrough Fight Academy?

Particularly worth considering for:

• Wrestling for MMA

• MMA striking

• High-level professional training partners

• Cage Warriors-level experience

• Fighter development in the North East

 

→ Visit Middlesbrough Fight Academy

Team CrossFace – Watford

Team CrossFace is another gym that deserves recognition in an updated list.

Based in Watford and led by experienced coach David Lee, CrossFace brings together:

MMA

Combat Submission Wrestling

BJJ

Muay Thai

Kickboxing

and Wrestling-based training.

One of the strongest current examples of its competitive level is Sam Patterson, who has progressed into the UFC while representing Team CrossFace.

That matters.

It's evidence that the environment can support fighters operating at the highest level of the sport.

Why Visit Team CrossFace?

Particularly relevant for:

• MMA in Southern England outside central London

• Submission Wrestling

• MMA Grappling

• Striking

• Training alongside active professional fighters

 

→ Visit Team Crossface

Shore MMA – Abertillery, Wales

Wales deserves representation in a genuinely UK-wide article, and Shore MMA earns that position through its fighter-development record.

The gym is closely associated with the Shore family and has developed fighters capable of progressing all the way into the UFC.

Its best-known product is Jack Shore, while the team has also been associated with UFC-level competition through fighters such as Oban Elliott.

Producing athletes capable of competing internationally from a comparatively small regional talent pool says a lot about a coaching environment.

The gym's approach has also emphasised well-rounded MMA rather than treating striking and Grappling as completely disconnected disciplines.

Why Visit Shore MMA?

Worth considering for:

• MMA development in Wales

• Wrestling and Grappling integration

• Competitive fighter development

• A smaller-team environment with elite experience

 

→ Visit Shore MMA

Fight Academy Ireland – Belfast, Northern Ireland

If we're talking about the United Kingdom, Northern Ireland needs to be part of the conversation.

And Fight Academy Ireland provides a strong case for inclusion.

Based in Belfast, the academy has been associated with fighters including Paul Hughes, Rhys McKee and other athletes competing internationally.

The gym has also invested significantly in its training environment, creating the type of facility required for complete MMA preparation.

But facilities alone don't earn a place on this list.

Fighter development does.

Fight Academy Ireland has demonstrated that it can produce athletes capable of progressing from the domestic scene towards major international competition.

Why Visit Fight Academy Ireland?

Particularly interesting for:

• High-level competitive MMA

• Fighter development

• Wrestling and Grappling

• Amateur-to-professional progression

• Northern Ireland's MMA scene

 

→ Visit Fight Academy Ireland

Aspire Combat Sports Academy – Liverpool

Liverpool already has an extraordinary combat-sports culture.

And Aspire Combat Sports Academy provides another reason why the city continues producing so many fighters.

Founded by Dean Garnett and Phil Turner, Aspire has deliberately built itself as more than simply a professional fight room.

The academy combines:

MMA

BJJ

Kickboxing

Junior MMA

and beginner programmes within a purpose-built training environment.

Its coaching team includes multiple BJJ black belts alongside coaches and fighters with professional MMA experience.

That breadth is particularly interesting.

A great MMA gym shouldn't only work for the athlete who is already good.

There should be a pathway into the sport.

Aspire has consciously built both sides:

Beginner development

and

High-level competitive training.

It has been a number of years since I last filmed personally with Dean at Aspire but I am hugely looking forward to getting back there once again soon.

Why Visit Aspire?

Particularly relevant for:

• MMA in Liverpool

• BJJ and Grappling

• Structured beginner development

• Junior MMA

• Professional-level coaching

• A modern purpose-built facility

 

WATCH: DEAN GARNETT MMA COACHING

 

 

→ Visit Aspire Combat Sports Academy

Manchester Top Team – Manchester

Manchester Top Team deserves to be treated independently in this updated article.

In the previous version I grouped it together with GB Top Team.

That no longer makes sense since the founding of MTT’s physical location.

Under Carl Prince, Manchester Top Team has developed its own identity, coaching environment and increasingly impressive competitive roster.

The gym brings together:

Boxing

Muay Thai

Wrestling

Jiu Jitsu

Judo

and MMA-specific training.

But what makes it particularly relevant is the depth of athletes associated with the team.

The wider Manchester Top Team roster includes established and developing professional fighters competing at high levels of MMA, including the recent addition of MTT’s very own Callum Connor to the UFC roster.

It has also developed a clear pathway beneath the professional team, including junior and amateur development.

That's something I increasingly value when assessing a gym.

A room full of established professionals is impressive.

A system capable of continually creating new ones is more interesting.

 

Why Visit Manchester Top Team?

Manchester Top Team is particularly interesting for:

• High-level MMA

• Wrestling and Grappling

• Professional and amateur fighter development

• A deep competitive training room

• Integrated striking and Grappling

• Long-term athlete development

I've known Carl for many years (and he knows that I am a huge fan of his, both professionally and personally), and the rapid development of Manchester Top Team over recent years makes it a clear inclusion in this updated list.

 

WATCH: CARL PRINCE MMA COACHING

 

 

→ Visit Manchester Top Team