Train like an MMA Fighter in Sacramento

Ultimate Fitness Caters to the Average Joe as Well as Professional Fighters

You watch The Ultimate Fighter reality series on Spike and read about Chuck Liddell in ESPN the Magazine. But, have you ever imagined training like an MMA fighter?

The world of Mixed Martial Arts is growing. Spike TV televises the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) and The Ultimate Fighter reality television series; Versus televises the WEC (World Extreme Cagefighting) and IFL (International Fight League); and Fox Sports televises the Pride Championships. MMA is the fastest growing sport in the country, yet many still have misconceptions about the sport.

Mixed Martial Arts combines various forms of hand-to-hand combat in one competition. Many professional MMA fighters have backgrounds in wrestling, boxing, kick boxing, jui-jitsu or Judo. However, in MMA, fighters must diversify their skills and master striking and the ground game.

Recently, espn.com began its coverage of Mixed Martial Arts and immediately started the boxing vs. MMA debate. Boxing aficionados claim MMA fighters do not master any of their disciplines and therefore are average fighters. However, MMA enthusiasts argue that it is much tougher to hit a person when you are worried about a roundhouse kick to the body or the opponent shooting for a double-leg takedown. Also, MMA enthusiasts point to professional MMA fighters who were NCAA National Champion wrestlers, Golden Gloves boxers, Jui-Jitsu Black Belts, professional Muay Thai Boxing fighters or Olympians in Judo. Many MMA fighters actually have mastered one discipline before moving to MMA to continue learning and challenging themselves personally and against other fighters.