Do MMA Promoters Prefer Gym Trained Fighters or Fighters That Train at Home?

Do MMA Promoters Prefer Gym Trained Fighters or Fighters That Train at Home?

We asked promoters and matchmakers from all over the country this question, and below are their answers.

If you would like to join in on this discussion or have questions, please feel free to post your comments.


Question:

Do MMA promoters prefer gym trained fighters or fighters that train at home?

Answer: “Ideally, everyone would train at a gym, but that is not always possible for amateurs with jobs, families and etc.. I know some promoters/matchmakers do not like to use independent fighters.

"I believe everyone deserves a chance and has to start somewhere. I will book them, but the key is to match them up with another independent fighter.

If I find a talented independent fighter, I try to help them get into a gym, assist them with equipment and etc..”

Mike Camp

XFO
King of the Cage
Legends of Fighting
North American Fighting Championship


Answer: “I prefer fighters that train at a gym. If a fighter is training at home, I ask to see video or tape of the fighter prior to considering them for my fight card.

If a fighter does not have any video of themselves, I tell the fighter to fight for a different promotion first, and then bring me their video. This allows me to evaluate the fighter's performance.

My goal is to make sure my audience gets the highest quality fights possible. People know when they come to one of my events, they are going to see the the best fights.

Taking a chance on a fighter that trains from home, most importantly risks the fighter's health and my promotion's reputation. That is a risk I'm not willing to take.”

Joseph Donofrio
Donofrio MMA


Answer: “Locally, either a gym or home trained fighter is fine. We have had great fighters start out from both. When looking to fly someone in from a different state, I tend to deal with gyms that have a good reputation or that are highly referred by friends or associates.

Reason being that backyard/home gym fighters have a higher ratio of dropouts for us than bigger known gyms. Additionally, the costs of travel are high and in most cases non-refundable. It's a great risk we choose to minimize.”

Jay Bolos
Destiny MMA


Answer: “I am semi-retired from promoting & training, but I do have first hand knowledge of this particular issue. I promoted/co-promoted several amatuer kickboxing & mma events from 2006-2011.

I quickly learned that I could only depend on fighters who trained in gyms. The reason for this is simple, a fighter from a gym is part of a team. Therefore he stands a far greater chance of showing up, because he has moral support and obligations.

Self trainers chicken out all the time, not just novice ones. A team usually means more fighters from the same location, and that means more tickets!

5 fighters from a big gym can sell 300 tickets easily between his or her friends, friends of the other fighters, and people from the gym. When I ran my own gym, I sold many tickets to many shows to people in my self defense and fitness classes.

A fighter from a decent sized gym will always get matched first. He is more dependable and will make the promoter more money.”

Michael Eley
Semi-Retired Promoter


Answer: “As a promoter it is much easier to just deal with a trainer, for several fighters at one time. However, we try to be open minded and allow independent fighters to fight.

Many fighters can’t afford gym fees or do not live close to a gym, so we make it a point to allow a few independent fighters on each fight card. We try not to miss out on any really good fighters in the MMA community.

That is actually why I started using MMARecruiter.com. We wanted to make sure everyone had an opportunity to fight.”

Glen Coleman
Sugar Creek Showdown


Answer: “Either is fine as long as they have a manager or a coach. So there is another point of contact; someone else accountable and responsible for helping to take care of their fighter's best interest.”

Monica Sanford
SemperFights


Answer: “We prefer fighters that train at Gym's that provide appropriately safe training environments and teachers. We've seen "Gyms" that are "hole in the wall" establishments, with damp mats, that obviously have not been cleaned in a while. We would not let fighters fight because training in dirty and damp environments can be detrimental to their health.

By the same token, we will take Pros that have established a training team and regimen in a proper environment in their home. This isn't really a black and white question.

Would we let a fighter that trains him/herself fight? No. Would we take a fighter, with proper training partners, in a proper environment, that happens to be their home? Yes.”

Alex Rodriguez, Matchmaker
BlackedOut MMA
http://www.blackedoutmma.com


Answer: “I feel that training in a gym is essential. However, I believe there are some guys that put on a good show with no gym experience. For me, it is whatever makes a good fight, gym or not.”

Dave Lowe
Wyoming Mixed Martial Arts


Answer: “I prefer fighters that train at a gym, because they have access to sparring and instructors. Being around other fighters working out, also motivates each other. “

Tom Gaffney
FirePowerMMA


Answer: “Fighters who train in a gym have some sort of following. When they fight at a local show, they will bring a few more people, besides their family.”

Roy Englebrecht
Fight Club OC MMA Saturday Series


Answer: “I do not have a preference either way because I have seen so many fighters that were training out of their house, garage or friend's house.

The persona tied to that fighter is, that they cannot fight or will be some sort of "pushover". If you look up the percentage of wins on that type of fighter vs. a gym trained fighter, the numbers will speak for themselves.

Having started out in my own basement and building up a good fight team, which was later named, "House of Martial Arts". I welcome anyone that is willing to get in there and fight.

I believe it is more based upon the matchup, than sometimes the training.

Yes. My preference is to a gym trained fighter, but I would never take a man or woman off of a fight card that is self-trained.

I just ask a lot more questions, to get an idea of why they don't seek out a professional gym, where there are people to train and spar with.”

Steve Alley
President
Kick Down MMA
Universal Fight Alliance
Womens Fighting Championship
720-422-5154


Answer: “Yes. It is very important. I prefer MMA fighters that train at a gym... The reason, it gives promoters relief that the fighters are registered and have been trained by a qualified instructor, at a professional gym. Also, it helps with liability because an instructor can know if his student is ready or qualified to fight or not.

Additionally, I believe this is one of the angles that Dana White "UFC President" was getting at in a previous interview about amateur MMA fighting. There needs to be more regulations, etc...."

The problem with a fighter training from home, is that a promoter has no knowledge of his/her qualification(s). Therefore, it leaves the door open for anyone to just put on some gloves and shorts, take a photo of themselves, put it on websites like MMARecruiter.com and call themselves a Pro or Amateur MMA Fighter.

The risk is, the promoters do not know the proper information about a fighter, and it puts the event in danger. Also, creating a host of problems with the whole recruitment process. Combat Sports Commissions in different cities, are requesting certain criteria before a fighter can registered for an event.

I truly believe MMARecruiter.com is one of the most respectable and reliable sources for fighters and promoters.

It is important to booked qualified/registered gyms and their fighters. This will weed out wannabe fighters, and will force them to register with qualified gyms.”

Mr. Rodriguez Promotions
Rigo Rodriguez -President/CEO
MMA IN PARADISE 2012
www.mrrodriguezpromotions.com


Answer: “We prefer fighters that workout at a gym, for the simple fact that they bring a much bigger following.”

Arnold Vasquez
All Star Promotions


Answer: “I would have fighters on my card that train from a home gym or MMA gym, either one is fine. The fight commissioner keeps records of all fighters, so that's all I need. “

Earl Clark
Queen City Meltdown
Cincinnati, OH


Answer: “Gym trained fighters.”

Matt Vaught
Iron Warrior Fight League

as a fighter of amateur status. i feel going to the gym to get the basic bjj skills is needed. knowing how to defend against chokes and types of bars is critical. i self train at home for money reasons as i got five kids to support. i suggest if u do self train to test your skill join some grappling touny's. just have someone to go with u to take video - cause to most people - seeing is believing. good luck to all self trainer's

I am a self-trainee and haven't had the opportunity to find a gym due to financial reasons and location as well. I've red books and watched videos on what I have learned so far and dedicated myself to perfecting them. I live in a small town near San Antonio, Houston, and Austin so its hard to find a gym due to distances and finances. I've been doing this for 7 years and really want to pursue this as a career but don't know where or how to start having no legitimate training. What is the best approach to starting a career in amateur/pro mma with no proper training?

@Daniel - How bad do you want MMA to be your career? The odds are stacked against you, not living close to a gym. There are a few options. Below are a couple suggestions.


1.) Find away to make additional income and travel to the closest gym. Get properly trained, take the proper fights and treat this like it is your career/business. A good coach should double as your manager throughout your amateur career. Helping you find fights, giving you the proper guidance and making sure you are prepared to compete.

2.) See if you can use the local high school wrestling room or some facility in your area. Find others in your community that want to train and practice like crazy. Try to locate a promoter that is willing to give you a shot.

3.) Continue to train at home and hope that a promoter will give you a shot on their fight card. This option is not advised.

You can watch as many videos and read as many books possible, but nothing will ever compare to training at a real MMA gym. It is impossible to compete at the highest levels of the sport, practicing moves and techniques by yourself.

Regardless of the option that you pick, at some point in your career you will need to join a real gym and get properly trained. Do this from the beginning, so you can eliminate bad habits and career mistakes.

Money is always going to be an issue for aspiring fighters. Look at some of the UFC success stories. There are guys that left everything they had, move to a city with a top notch gym, slept in their cars and worked their asses off. Obviously, these are extreme examples, but it shows the dedication it takes to achieve the goal of becoming a professional fighter.

Before ruling out not being able to afford training, take the time to physically visit a gym(s) and discuss your situation. Some gyms even offer free weekly classes. You never know what can be worked out, until you try.

Please also see this post that explains how to find fight and tips on how to get your career started.

http://www.mmarecruiter.com/index.php?do=/forum/be...

Feel free to message us with any questions.

How can I join right now

you have to fight several amateur fights in a fighting club/arena where you usually don't get paid any money even if you win. They usually won't even pay you for travel since some amateur fights occur only from time to time in each state.

If you start winning than you'll start getting noticed and famous and you're likely to be seen by a MMA manager or promoter that can get you prize money or into pride, ufc, mma. Of course if you win alot to an MMA manager it means that the will be making money also so if you're losing a lot its unlikely they'll give you a chance.

The amateur fighting clubs/arenas hosting the fights don't care if you know how to fight or if you know MMA so you are taking a big risk by fighting in amateur matches because if you don't know MMA you're going to get messed up or serious injured. They won't care because they are selling tickets.

So it doesn't matter how you learn MMA but if you had several matches where you won. You can e-mail some MMA managers doing a search on google but they don't respond back because that's not how it works.

Best suggestion would be to train with someone like your friend and see how you do against him/her. I know with tennis their are website where you can find people who are interested in playing and training together nearby. Maybe you can go to a mma gym for 30 day trail and try to make some training friends you can call and train with at home.

If you haven't ever thought in a MMA match i Suggest trying to fight someone outside the ring and seeing how you do against him/her.

@Ramese the Epic - There are multiple inaccuracies in your response. You are correct in the fact that amateur MMA fighters do not get paid, because they are amateurs. Many promoters do assist amateur fighters with travel expenses and lodging, as long as the fighter is in a reasonable driving distance. Additionally, some amateur promoters and athletic commissions will allow fighters the opportunity to sell tickets and make a percentage off the sales. Keep in mind that no two promotions or States are the same. Expenses and accommodations vary by the promotion and the state that the fighter is competing in.

To say, "The amateur fighting clubs/arenas hosting the fights don't care if you know how to fight" is inaccurate. Promoters/matchmakers do care about a fighter's well being. There will be mismatches from time-to-time, but for the most part the matchmakers do a good job. Many of the mismatches come from independent fighters overstating their abilities to the matchmaker or independent fighters taking fights they shouldn't. It is very difficult for a matchmaker to know if an independent fighter is properly trained. Many promoters are shying away from independent fighters because of this reason. Some promoters are willing to take a risk on independent fighters, just to give them a chance.

In addition to the matchmakers, the fights need to be approved by the State Athletic Commission (if the State has one). Fighters must be equally matched with a fighter that has a similar record and/or skill set. Many matchmakers try to match independent debut fighters with other independent debut fighters if possible. In most States, sanctioned fights are required to carry insurance for the event and fighters must undergo medical evaluations. A promoter cannot risk getting sued or a fighter getting seriously injured at their event. This is not good for the sport and/or the promotion.

Amateur MMA is far from perfect. New changes are being implemented to protect the fighters, but the fighters need to remember to protect themselves. If you are not properly trained, don't sell the matchmaker on your ability to fight. We see this happen everyday. Aspiring fighters are consistently claiming that they will fight anyone, anywhere. Most of these aspiring fighters have never sparred, rolled or even stepped foot into a gym. Countless aspiring fighters (not actual amateur fighters) say, "I just want to get in the cage, to see if I have what it takes.". This can easily be figured out with one training session at the gym. There is no need to actually compete and run the risk of getting injured, "To see if you have what it takes".

The most important thing an aspiring fighter can do, is get properly trained at a gym that trains fighters to compete. Fighters not doing this are at an extreme disadvantage. When a fighter is training at a legit gym, the coach looks out for their best interest. Making sure the fighter is ready to compete, properly trained, on weight and equally matched. Independent fighters do not have this support system, which is critical, if one is serious about making MMA into their career.

well you have to fight several fights and most of those fights are going to occur in another state. Only some will pay for fleight tickets though they should pay because they aren't paying anyone to fight.

None of these promoters/clubs will do a background check but will believe anything anyone tells them.

If a person does not now any MMA, they should not attempt to go to a MMA match because they will get seriously injured. Most of the time your not going to get knocked out but will end up taking a severe beating esp. to the face or a broken arm/leg. get their head kicked, legs bruised from sever kicking easily. If you do not learn any MMA, you will not last long.

You'll have to pay for your own medical bills.

Most people who attend MMA schools usually lack the skills to win a match and usually have to learn more and they should also take caution.

I for one took some MMA classes but I soon found out that they don't teach all the skills and fighting techiques needed to be a good fighter. They took to long, and didn't teach everything that needed to survive in a MMA ring or a real fight. I could pay for indepth classes in certain subjects like ju-jitsu, judo, muay-thai, wrestling and boxing but it would end up costing thousands of dollars so I trained with other people interested in MMA instead of just going to a gym. I learned more fighting skills quicker and wasn't on a schedule. I did take the basic a MMA course for 6 months but I just found it to basic.

@Ramese the Epic - Again, there are many inaccurate statements in your posting. It would be extremely rare for an amateur promotion to pay for fighters' plane tickets. Most amateur promotions (some pro promotions) run on very tight budgets. People are under the misconception that amateur promoters make tons of money off their events, because the fighters do not get paid. Smaller amateur promotions rely directly off ticket sales and sponsors. They do not have the network televised deals or PPV buys like the major promotions. There are drastic attendance/ticket price differences between major promotions and local amateur promotions.

If a promoter has 12 fights on a card, which is 24 fighters, do you think they will have the budget to fly all the fighters in and pay for their lodging? This is why most amateur promoters prefer fighters within driving distance. Depending on the event's location the promoter has to pay venue costs, city licensing fees, insurance premiums, athletic commission expenses, onsite doctor fees, advertising, etc.. In order for a promotion to stay in business, they have to make a profit.

Small local promotions are critical for the development of fighters. There are a lot of promotions out there that genuinely care about the fighters and the sport. Did you personally have a bad experience with a specific promotion or are you just making blanket statements?

Some fighters do travel to different States to compete, but it is not required. Most States that legalized MMA, have multiple promotions with in the State. If a fighter lives in one of these States, they can find fights, as long as they meet their athletic commission's requirements and the promoter's criteria.

Fighters training at a legitimate MMA gym, have a significantly higher chance of winning their fights. This does not guarantee that all the fighters training at a gym will win. There are many different factors involved when determining the outcome of a fight. Many of these factors are directly related to the fighter.