12 of the Best MMA & Martial Arts Gyms in the World to Visit

Finding the best MMA & Martial Arts gyms in the world isn't simply about looking at which facilities have produced the most UFC champions.

Over the past two decades, my work with Warrior Collective has given me the opportunity to travel extensively, visiting and filming inside some of the world's leading MMA, Muay Thai, Kickboxing, BJJ and Martial Arts gyms.

Some have incredible coaching teams. Others have produced generations of world-class fighters. Some have extraordinary facilities, while others have created training environments that attract professional fighters and Martial Arts enthusiasts from across the world.

A small number manage to combine all of those things.

These are what I think of as Martial Arts super gyms.

This isn't intended to be a definitive ranking from number one to twelve. Instead, these are 12 of the best MMA and Martial Arts gyms I've visited, trained at, filmed at or experienced through Warrior Collective – and the reasons I believe they're worth adding to your own training bucket list.

 

12 of the Best MMA & Martial Arts Gyms in the World

1. Diaz Combat Sports – Vancouver, Canada
2. SBG Ireland – Dublin, Ireland
3. Mjölnir – Reykjavík, Iceland
4. Evolve MMA – Singapore
5. Jackson Wink MMA – Albuquerque, USA
6. Fairtex Training Center – Pattaya, Thailand
7. CSA Gym – Dublin, California, USA
8. Higher Level MMA – Scotland
9. Tiger Muay Thai – Phuket, Thailand
10. Tristar Gym – Montreal, Canada
11. Bangtao Muay Thai & MMA – Phuket, Thailand
12. Kill Cliff FC - Florida, USA

Each gym offers something different, so the best choice depends on whether you're looking for elite MMA, Muay Thai, BJJ, Wrestling, striking, professional fight preparation or simply an unforgettable Martial Arts training experience.

 

What Makes a Great Martial Arts Gym?

There are thousands of excellent Martial Arts gyms around the world.

So what makes somewhere worthy of being described as a Martial Arts super gym?

For this guide I've considered factors including:

• Quality and depth of coaching

• Competitive history

• Fighters developed by the gym

• Range of Martial Arts available

• Standard of training partners

• Facilities

• Strength & Conditioning provision

• Training opportunities for visitors

• Location

• History and reputation

• Overall training environment

• My own experiences where I have personally visited

Size alone isn't enough.

A huge facility with expensive equipment doesn't automatically produce great fighters.

Equally, some of the world's most effective fight teams operate from relatively straightforward facilities because the coaching methodology, training environment and people on the mats are what really matter.

That's one reason the gyms in this guide are so different from one another.

Some are enormous.

Some aren't.

But every one has something worth studying.

 

Diaz Combat Sports – Vancouver, Canada

A Complete Martial Arts Academy Built by Ryan Diaz

There aren't many gyms around the world I've spent more time visiting than Diaz Combat Sports.

And there are good reasons I keep going back.

Based in Vancouver, Canada, DCS has grown under founder and head coach Ryan Diaz into a major multi-discipline Martial Arts academy offering Muay Thai, Kickboxing, Boxing, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and physical conditioning.

Ryan's own background is unusually broad.

Before becoming known primarily as a coach and gym owner, he accumulated more than 50 professional fights across MMA and striking competition, competing internationally in organisations and events including ONE Championship, Strikeforce, Shooto Japan and ADCC.

That experience across different combat sports is reflected in the way he approaches MMA training.

 

 

Why Visit Diaz Combat Sports?

One of the things that has always impressed me about DCS is the sheer volume of people training.

I've had the opportunity to coach there myself on more than one occasion.

Having around 50 people on the mats in my own session would have been impressive enough.

What really struck me was that other large sessions were taking place elsewhere in the building at exactly the same time.

That gives DCS an atmosphere that is difficult to appreciate from photographs alone.

It isn't simply a beautiful facility.

It's a genuinely busy Martial Arts academy.

Ryan has also built a substantial coaching team around him, meaning students can develop across striking, grappling and physical preparation without having to leave the gym.

 

 

Diaz Combat Sports is particularly worth considering if you:

• Want access to several Martial Arts under one roof

• Train MMA

• Want high-level striking coaching

• Want access to a large training community

• Are visiting Vancouver

• Want to train in a modern full-time Martial Arts academy

 

 

Learn Ryan Diaz's MMA Striking System

One of the advantages of Warrior Collective's relationship with DCS is that you don't have to travel to Vancouver to begin learning from Ryan.

His full-length Warrior Collective instructional:

MMA Striking Drills – Dominating the Stand Up Game

breaks down the training methods and striking concepts Ryan uses when developing MMA fighters.

I've also filmed extensively with Ryan at DCS over the years.

 

WATCH: RYAN DIAZ MMA TRAINING

 

 

WATCH: INSIDE DIAZ COMBAT SPORTS

 

 

 → Visit Diaz Combat Sports

 

SBG Ireland – Dublin, Ireland

One of Europe's Most Recognisable MMA Academies

Few MMA gyms in Europe are as internationally recognisable as SBG Ireland.

Based in Inchicore, Dublin, SBG Ireland is headed by John Kavanagh, one of the major figures in the development of both Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Mixed Martial Arts in Ireland.

The gym's best-known athlete is obviously Conor McGregor, but focusing entirely on McGregor misses a large part of the story.

SBG Ireland has spent decades developing a complete Martial Arts programme encompassing MMA, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and striking while simultaneously catering for everyone from recreational beginners to professional fighters.

Its Dublin headquarters is a huge purpose-built Martial Arts facility of around 16,000 square feet.

 

 

My Experience at SBG Ireland

I've visited John and SBG Ireland numerous times over the years.

What has always impressed me isn't simply the scale of the facility or the famous fighters associated with it.

It's John's continued involvement in coaching.

Every time I've visited, I've seen him on the mats working with athletes, analysing problems and continuing to develop his approach.

That matters.

A famous gym can easily become a brand where the person responsible for its reputation is rarely seen.

SBG Ireland has always felt like a working Martial Arts academy.

 

SBG Ireland is particularly worth considering if you:

• Want to experience one of Europe's most established MMA academies

• Train MMA or Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

• Want access to a large full-time facility

• Are visiting Dublin

• Want beginner-friendly training within a gym also associated with elite competition

• Are interested in the history and development of Irish MMA

 

 

WATCH: JOHN KAVANAGH COACHING

 

 

WATCH: INSIDE SBG IRELAND

 

 

→ Visit SBG Ireland

 

Mjölnir – Reykjavík, Iceland

One of Europe's Most Impressive Martial Arts Facilities

Mjölnir in Reykjavík remains one of the gyms on this list I would particularly like to spend more time experiencing in person.

The Icelandic Martial Arts academy has developed an international reputation through both its facilities and competitive athletes.

Perhaps its most internationally recognised fighter is UFC veteran and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt Gunnar Nelson, but Mjölnir has developed a much wider combat sports community around MMA, grappling, striking and physical preparation.

Its current MMA programme includes beginner MMA, more advanced training and dedicated competition-team sessions, demonstrating that the gym isn't designed solely for established fighters.

 

 

Why Mjölnir Stands Out

The facility itself is part of the attraction.

This isn't simply a room with mats and a few heavy bags.

Mjölnir has been designed as a broad performance and Martial Arts environment with dedicated training areas alongside strength training and recovery facilities.

And then there's Reykjavík itself.

Few gyms on this list offer quite the same combination of Martial Arts training and destination.

If you're going to build a training trip around visiting a gym, Iceland gives you a fairly spectacular place to spend the hours when you aren't on the mats.

 

Mjölnir is particularly worth considering if you:

• Train MMA or grappling

• Want a large dedicated Martial Arts facility

• Want beginner through to competition-level training

• Value Strength & Conditioning and recovery facilities

• Want to combine a training trip with visiting Iceland

 

 

WATCH: TRAINING AT MJÖLNIR

 

 

→ Visit Mjölnir 

 

Evolve MMA – Singapore / Thailand

World-Class Coaching Across Multiple Martial Arts

If the depth of the coaching roster is one of your main criteria, Evolve MMA has an obvious claim to your attention.

Based across multiple locations in Singapore and a more recent addition in Thailand, Evolve has built its reputation around bringing together highly experienced coaches from numerous combat sports.

Its programmes include Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Boxing, Wrestling, MMA and other forms of combat training.

Rather than being one giant fight camp, Evolve operates several modern academies around Singapore and one in Bangkok, Thailand.

That makes it somewhat different from most of the gyms on this list.

 

 

Why Train at Evolve MMA?

I've visited Evolve multiple times over the years and the professionalism of the operation is immediately apparent.

Facilities are modern.

Classes are highly structured.

There is an enormous amount of training available.

But the biggest attraction remains the coaching.

Evolve has built its identity around providing students access to instructors with extensive elite competitive experience.

For someone who wants to visit Singapore and train several Martial Arts during the same trip, that's an attractive proposition.

 

Evolve MMA is particularly worth considering if you:

• Want access to high-level coaches from multiple disciplines

• Train Muay Thai or BJJ

• Want a highly professional modern academy

• Prefer structured classes

• Are visiting Singapore

• Want plenty of training options throughout the week

 

 

WATCH: TRAINING AT EVOLVE MMA

 

 

 → Visit Evolve MMA

 

Jackson Wink MMA – Albuquerque, New Mexico

A Gym Embedded in Modern MMA History

Walk into Jackson Wink MMA and you're entering a gym that has played a major role in modern MMA history.

Based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the academy is led by Greg Jackson and Mike Winkeljohn.

Its list of associated fighters over the years has included some of the most recognisable names in MMA, with athletes such as Jon Jones, Holly Holm and Carlos Condit having trained under the Jackson-Wink coaching system.

I have had the opportunity to visit the academy and spend time there myself a few times now, and each time I am always blown away by the scale of the gym they have there.

The current main facility covers approximately 30,000 square feet, including two full-size MMA cages, wrestling mats, heavy bags, Strength & Conditioning equipment and on-site accommodation.

 

 

More Than a Professional Fight Team

One thing worth making clear is that Jackson Wink isn't exclusively for UFC fighters.

The academy currently offers professional MMA, amateur MMA, Wrestling, teen programmes, junior programmes and private coaching.

So while its reputation was built at the very highest levels of MMA competition, there are routes into the academy for people at very different stages of development.

 

Jackson Wink MMA is particularly worth considering if you:

• Are serious about MMA

• Want to experience one of the sport's historically important camps

• Are an amateur or professional fighter

• Want access to MMA-specific Wrestling and striking

• Want to undertake a longer training camp

• Are visiting Albuquerque

 

 

WATCH: WARRIOR COLLECTIVE AT JACKSON WINK MMA

 

WATCH: INSIDE JACKSON WINK

 

→ Visit Jackson Wink MMA

 

Fairtex Training Center – Pattaya, Thailand

One of Muay Thai's Great International Training Camps

Few names in Muay Thai carry the history of Fairtex.

Fairtex has been developing fighters for decades, with champions including Yodsanklai Fairtex among the names associated with its history and a newer generation continuing that competitive tradition.

The Pattaya Training Center is a huge facility.

Its current facilities include nine full-size Muay Thai rings, multiple bag areas, an air-conditioned BJJ room, swimming pool, fitness room, dedicated Strength & Conditioning area, sauna and hot/cold recovery facilities.

The gym is also connected with Fairtex accommodation, making it particularly practical for anyone travelling specifically for a training camp.

 

 

My Experience at Fairtex

When I visited Fairtex, one of the things that struck me was the scale.

You walk through the complex and keep discovering another training space.

And another.

And another.

Yet despite the size and international reputation, Muay Thai remains central to what Fairtex is.

Its standard programme gives both students and fighters direct work with trainers, and the gym welcomes everyone from beginners through to professional competitors.

 

Fairtex is particularly worth considering if you:

• Want to train Muay Thai in Thailand

• Want access to a large team of Thai trainers

• Are a serious fighter

• Are a beginner making your first training trip

• Want accommodation and training in the same complex

• Want access to BJJ and physical preparation alongside Muay Thai

• Want to experience one of Muay Thai's internationally recognised brands

 

 

WATCH: WARRIOR COLLECTIVE AT FAIRTEX

 

WATCH: INSIDE FAIRTEX TRAINING CENTER

 

→ Visit Fairtex Training Center

 

CSA Gym – Dublin, California

Elite Striking and Combat Sports Coaching in California

Combat Sports Academy — better known as CSA Gym — is located in Dublin, California, near San Francisco.

It is headed by Kirian Fitzgibbons, a coach who has played an important role in the development of high-level American Muay Thai and combat sports athletes.

Kirian's athletes have won titles across multiple combat sports, and fighters associated with his coaching include names such as Kevin Ross, Gaston Bolaños, Zoila Frausto and Henry Cejudo.

I've been fortunate enough to visit CSA and spend time with Kirian myself.

And this is another gym where the combination of coaching expertise and facility is particularly impressive.

 

 

Inside CSA

The gym brings together large mat areas, a cage, Boxing ring, bags and extensive Strength & Conditioning facilities.

That creates an environment capable of supporting Muay Thai, MMA and general combat sports development without physical preparation feeling like an afterthought.

For striking coaches in particular, CSA is an interesting gym to study because of the breadth of athletes Kirian has worked with across different rulesets.

 

 

CSA Gym is particularly worth considering if you:

• Are serious about Muay Thai or striking

• Train MMA

• Want access to an established American combat sports team

• Are interested in high-level fighter development

• Want extensive Strength & Conditioning facilities

• Are visiting the San Francisco Bay Area

 

 

WATCH: KIRIAN FITZGIBBONS COACHING

 

 

WATCH: INSIDE CSA GYM

 

 

→ Visit CSA Gym

 

Higher Level MMA – Scotland

One of the UK's Most Dynamic MMA Coaching Environments

Higher Level is a very different type of gym from some of the enormous destination facilities featured in this article.

And that's exactly why it belongs here.

The real reason to visit Higher Level MMA isn't luxury.

It isn't hundreds of pieces of fitness equipment.

And it isn't because you're looking for a Martial Arts resort.

It's the coaching environment.

Founder and head coach James Doolan has spent years developing fighters through an increasingly systemised approach to MMA training.

A former professional fighter himself, James has gone on to coach athletes competing at the highest levels of the sport and has built Higher Level into one of Scotland's most respected MMA teams.

 

 

A Gym Built Around Developing MMA Fighters

Higher Level has developed athletes who have progressed into major international promotions.

But the value of the gym isn't simply a list of names.

It's the methodology behind them.

James approaches MMA as an interconnected sport rather than teaching Boxing, Muay Thai, Wrestling and BJJ as completely separate subjects and hoping that athletes somehow connect everything together themselves.

That makes Higher Level particularly interesting for MMA coaches, not just fighters.

 

 

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

 

 

Learn the Higher Level MMA System with James Doolan

Warrior Collective has an extensive series of full-length instructionals with James.

Rather than each volume being an unrelated collection of techniques, together they provide an increasingly detailed look at how he develops MMA fighters.

 

Volume 1 – MMA Drills for Elite Level Fighters: Chaining Attacks

Learn how James connects striking, Wrestling, takedowns, mat returns and ground control through progressive MMA training.

 

Volume 2 – MMA Striking Drills for Fighters: The Higher Level System

Study the foundations of James's MMA-specific striking approach, including movement, distance, kicking, defence and cage positioning.

 

Volume 3 – The Twisting Body Lock System

Develop body locks, cage Wrestling, chained takedowns, back exposure, mat control and leg riding as one connected MMA Wrestling system.

 

Volume 4 – MMA Pressure Striking for Fighters: The Higher Level Counter System

Learn how James uses pressure to create reactions and develops counters, second-phase attacks, body shots, calf kicks and finishing opportunities.

 

And the series is continuing.

A forthcoming Warrior Collective volume goes even deeper into James's evolving coaching methodology through his use of the Constraints Led Approach (CLA) for MMA, examining how representative training environments and carefully designed constraints can be used to develop more adaptable fighters.

 → Explore the Complete James Doolan Collection

 

WATCH: JAMES DOOLAN COACHING

 

 

WATCH: INSIDE HIGHER LEVEL MMA

 

 

→ Visit Higher Level MMA

 

Tiger Muay Thai – Phuket, Thailand

One of the World's Most Recognisable Destination Fight Camps

Tiger Muay Thai has played a major role in turning Phuket into an international combat sports training destination.

Based on Soi Ta-iad in Chalong — now known throughout the combat sports world simply as “The Soi” — Tiger attracts everyone from first-time Muay Thai students to established UFC fighters.

What started primarily around Muay Thai has developed into an enormous multi-discipline training operation.

Its current schedule includes Muay Thai, MMA, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Wrestling, Boxing, K-1 Kickboxing, Strength & Conditioning, fitness, Yoga, Muay Boran and Krabi Krabong.

 

Training at Tiger Muay Thai

I've visited Tiger myself, and the scale is difficult to appreciate until you're there.

Different parts of the camp can simultaneously have Muay Thai, BJJ, MMA, Boxing and physical training taking place.

The Muay Thai programme itself is divided by experience, with separate beginner, intermediate and advanced/pro training.

That is important in a gym attracting such a huge range of visitors.

A person trying Muay Thai for the first time shouldn't necessarily be training in exactly the same environment as a professional fighter preparing for competition.

Tiger provides pathways for both.

 

 

The Soi

Part of the appeal is everything that has developed around the gym.

Soi Ta-iad has become an entire ecosystem built around combat sports and fitness.

Accommodation.

Healthy restaurants.

Equipment shops.

Recovery services.

Strength gyms.

Other Martial Arts academies.

Everything is within a relatively small area.

That makes Tiger one of the easiest places in the world to build your entire day around training.

 

Tiger Muay Thai is particularly worth considering if you:

• Want a dedicated Martial Arts training holiday

• Want to train Muay Thai in Thailand

• Train MMA or BJJ

• Want multiple sessions available each day

• Are a complete beginner

• Are an experienced or professional fighter

• Want to immerse yourself in an entire combat sports community

 

 

I had my last visit and stay at Tiger Muay Thai organised by the amazing Muay Thai Holidays.  They took care of everything from the flights through to transfers and training packages.  I cannot recommend them enough! 

→ Visit Muay Thai Holidays

 

WATCH: TRAINING AT TIGER MUAY THAI

 

 

→ Visit Tiger Muay Thai

 

Tristar Gym – Montreal, Canada

The Home of Firas Zahabi's MMA System

Few coaches are as closely associated with intelligent MMA strategy as Firas Zahabi.

And Tristar Gym in Montreal is where that coaching philosophy has been developed with generations of fighters.

The name most obviously associated with Tristar is Georges St-Pierre, but the gym's influence extends considerably further than one athlete.

Today Tristar continues to offer MMA, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Wrestling, MMA striking, Muay Thai and Boxing.

Its coaching team remains headed by Firas, while GSP is listed by the gym as an occasional instructor.

 

 

Why Tristar Is Worth Visiting

What makes Tristar particularly interesting isn't simply its history.

It's the opportunity to train inside a gym associated with a very analytical approach to MMA.

For coaches and experienced fighters, that's arguably more interesting than simply visiting because famous athletes once trained there.

How is MMA structured?

How are different ranges connected?

How is strategy taught?

How do fighters develop decision-making?

Those are the questions that make a visit to a great MMA gym valuable.

 

Tristar is particularly worth considering if you:

• Train MMA

• Are interested in fight strategy

• Want access to high-level grappling and Wrestling

• Want to study MMA-specific striking

• Are visiting Montreal

• Want to experience one of Canada's historically important MMA academies

 

 

WATCH: FIRAS ZAHABI COACHING

 

 

→ Visit Tristar Gym

  

Bangtao Muay Thai & MMA – Phuket, Thailand

A Modern Combat Sports Training Destination

Bangtao Muay Thai & MMA is considerably younger than many of the gyms in this guide.

But it has developed incredibly quickly.

Located close to Bang Tao Beach in Phuket, the camp has become a major international destination for Muay Thai, MMA, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Wrestling and Strength & Conditioning.

The current facility includes multiple dedicated training spaces, two MMA/BJJ areas, a full-size MMA cage, separate Muay Thai areas and four full-size Muay Thai rings.

The senior coaching team is made up of George Hickman, Frank Hickman, Alex Schild and Andrew Wood, and is backed by a vast array of world class coaches across all of the disciplines the gym offers.

The camp continuously attracts large numbers of elite professional fighters from around the world alongside its ever increasing recreational visitors.

I have had the pleasure of visiting and staying at this gym a number of times now, and I always look forward to returning.

 

 

Why Bangtao Has Become So Popular

There are two obvious attractions.

The first is the training.

The second is the location.

Bangtao gives fighters access to high-level combat sports coaching while being situated in one of Phuket's most attractive areas.

That makes it possible to undertake a serious training camp without feeling as though your entire trip takes place inside an industrial building.

Like Tiger, Bangtao also understands that international visitors want more than a single Martial Art.

An MMA athlete can work on striking, Wrestling, grappling and physical preparation without having to travel between several unrelated facilities.

 

 

Bangtao is particularly worth considering if you:

• Train MMA

• Want high-level Wrestling

• Want to train Muay Thai in Thailand

• Train BJJ or submission grappling

• Want dedicated Strength & Conditioning

• Are a professional fighter

• Want a combat sports training holiday in Phuket

From personal experience, it's easy to understand why so many fighters have chosen to spend camps there.

 

 

 

→ Visit Muay Thai Holidays

 

WATCH: WARRIOR COLLECTIVE AT BANGTAO

 

 

WATCH: INSIDE BANGTAO MUAY THAI & MMA

 

 → Visit Bangtao Muay Thai & MMA