American Kickboxing Academy
The American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) is a mixed martial arts gym based in San Jose, California. It is one of the pioneering schools of mixed martial arts (MMA). In 2014, AKA opened the ''AKA Thailand'' gym in Phuket, Thailand. Prominent trainers include Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu master Leandro Vieira, Bob Cook, Derek Yuen, Javier Mendez, and Andy Fong. Within the facility, Muay Thai, kickboxing, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, wrestling and boxing classes are taught. Additional programs include conditioning and circuit training with TRX Suspension and Combat Circuit. The AKA is one of the top professional MMA training camps. Dispute with the Ultimate Fighting Championship In 2008, the AKA was involved in a brief dispute with Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) President Dana White over the exclusive license rights for a UFC video game. Members of the AKA who were signed with the UFC, including Jon Fitch, Christian Wellisch, Josh Koscheck, and former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velas ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Javier Mendez (mixed Martial Arts Trainer)
Javier Mendez (born September 18, 1970) is a Mexican-American mixed martial arts (MMA) coach and founder of the MMA gym American Kickboxing Academy (AKA). He’s a former 2 time ISKA kickboxing world champion with a kickboxing record of 23-2. He is best known for being the coach and mentor to multiple MMA world champions, most famously Khabib Nurmagomedov, Islam Makhachev, Luke Rockhold, Frank Shamrock, Daniel Cormier and Cain Velasquez. History Javier Mendez was born in Mexico and moved to the United States with his family at the age of 6. He was raised in San Jose, California and attended Andrew Hill High School. His father spent most of his money on alcohol and gambling and told Mendez that he would never amount to anything which gave Mendez motivation to achieve success. Like most of his peers of his generation, Mendez grew up admiring the late Bruce Lee. Mendez started training in martial arts in 1978, studying the discipline of Tang Soo Do. From there, he went to West ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Mixed Martial Arts
Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact fighting combat sport, sport based on strike (attack), striking and grappling; incorporating techniques from various combat sports from around the world. In the early 20th century, various inter-stylistic contests took place throughout Japan and the countries of East Asia. At the same time, in Brazil there was a phenomenon called vale tudo, which became known for unrestricted fights between various styles such as judo, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, catch wrestling, luta livre, Muay Thai and capoeira. An early high-profile mixed bout was Masahiko Kimura vs. Hélio Gracie, Kimura vs Gracie in 1951. In mid-20th century Hong Kong, rooftop street fighting contests between different martial arts styles gave rise to Bruce Lee's hybrid martial arts style Jeet Kune Do. Another precursor to modern MMA was the 1976 Muhammad Ali vs. Antonio Inoki, Ali vs. Inoki exhibition bout, fought between boxer Muhammad Ali and wrestler Antonio Inoki in Japan, where ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Josh Koscheck
Josh Koscheck (born November 30, 1977) is an American retired mixed martial artist who fought at Welterweight for the UFC and Bellator MMA. Koscheck made his debut with the UFC on the first season of the reality television show, ''The Ultimate Fighter'' and fought for the company 25 times from 2005–2015, compiling a UFC record of 15–10. He was a runner up for the UFC Welterweight Title. Mixed martial arts career Ultimate Fighting Championship Prior to his MMA career, Koscheck was an accomplished wrestler at Waynesburg Central High School, graduating in 1997. He attended Edinboro University, where he won the 174-pound national championship in 2001 as a senior, and was a four-time NCAA Division 1 All-American collegiate wrestler. Koscheck appeared on the first season of The Ultimate Fighter as a middleweight fighter. He defeated Chris Leben via unanimous decision to advance to the semifinals, where he was defeated by Diego Sanchez via split decision. Koscheck had his ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Christian Wellisch
Christian Wellisch (born September 13, 1975) is a Hungarian-American former professional mixed martial artist. A professional competitor from 2001 until 2009, he competed for the Ultimate Fighting Championship, UFC, World Extreme Cagefighting, WEC, and King of the Cage. He was the first Hungarian fighter ever in the UFC. Early life Christian Wellisch was born in Budapest in 1975, and lived in Hungary for 12 years. Because of the political repressions at the time, his parents decided to leave Hungary and moved to America so that he and his siblings could have better opportunities abroad. One such opportunity was the chance to start a career in MMA. Mixed martial arts career Wellisch began his professional career in 2001 as a Heavyweight (MMA), Heavyweight fighting in smaller promotions. In 2006, he scored a stoppage victory over the undefeated Dan Evensen. With a record of 6–2, Wellisch made his Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) debut against Cheick Kongo at ''UFC 62''. He ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Dana White
Dana Frederick White Jr. (born July 28, 1969) is an American businessman who is the CEO and president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), a global mixed martial arts organization. In August 2019, White's net worth was estimated at . Outside of the UFC, he is the owner of Power Slap, a slap fighting promotion he founded in 2022. Meta Platforms elected White to its board of directors in 2025. Early life and education White was born in Manchester, Connecticut, to June and Dana White Sr. on July 28, 1969. He is an Irish American. White spent many of his early years residing in Ware, Massachusetts. White and his sister, Kelly, were raised by their mother and her family for the majority of their childhoods. White's mother was a nurse, and the family moved to Las Vegas when White was in third grade, as Vegas offered higher wages for nurses. White attended Bishop Gorman High School, where he first met Lorenzo Fertitta, although they did not become close friends until yea ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Ultimate Fighting Championship
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promoter (entertainment), promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority owned subsidiary of Endeavor (company), Endeavor Group Holdings. The largest MMA promotion in the world, the UFC has over List of current UFC fighters, 578 fighters contracted that fight across 11 Weight class, weight divisions (eight men's and three women's). The organization produces events worldwide and abides by the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts. , it had held List of UFC events, over 700 events. Dana White has been its president since 2001 and CEO since 2023. Under White's stewardship, it has grown into a global multi-billion-dollar enterprise. The UFC was founded by businessman Art Davie and Brazilian martial artist Rorion Gracie, and the UFC 1, first event was held in 1993 at McNichols Sports Arena in Denver, Colorado. The purpose of the UFC's early compet ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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List Of Top Professional MMA Training Camps
This is a list of notable present professional training camps and gyms in mixed martial arts (MMA). Most professional MMA fighters in the UFC, Bellator and other MMA promotions join a professional fight camp or training gym to help them prepare for fights. Training at a top camp can be a big advantage to fighters, as not only do they have access to multi-disciplinary coaching, but they can also train against the other top fighters at the camp and nominate members of the camp as corner men. By training a group of elite fighters together, they will all learn from each other's skill sets and can support each other living the disciplined fighter lifestyle. Before a fight, a fighter will undergo an intensive training regime of several weeks, often culminating in a dramatic weight cut to make the required fighting weight, and the other members in the fighting camp are an important part of this process. There are rivalries between the top fighting camps and their fighters. Occasionally t ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Boxing
Boxing is a combat sport and martial art. Taking place in a boxing ring, it involves two people – usually wearing protective equipment, such as boxing glove, protective gloves, hand wraps, and mouthguards – throwing Punch (combat), punches at each other for a predetermined amount of time. Although the term "boxing" is commonly attributed to western boxing, in which only fists are involved, it has developed in different ways in different geographical areas and cultures of the World. In global terms, "boxing" today is also a set of combat sports focused on Strike (attack), striking, in which two opponents face each other in a fight using at least their fists, and possibly involving other actions, such as kicks, Elbow (strike), elbow strikes, Knee (strike), knee strikes, and headbutts, depending on the rules. Some of these variants are the bare-knuckle boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, Lethwei, savate, and Sanda (sport), sanda. Boxing techniques have been incorporated into many ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Wrestling
Wrestling is a martial art, combat sport, and form of entertainment that involves grappling with an opponent and striving to obtain a position of advantage through different throws or techniques, within a given ruleset. Wrestling involves different grappling-type techniques, such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins, and other grappling holds. Many different wrestling techniques have been incorporated into martial arts, combat sports, and military systems. Wrestling comes in different forms, the most popular being professional wrestling, which is a form of athletic theatre. Other legitimateThe term "wrestling" is most often widely used to specifically refer to predetermined professional wrestling, which is very different from the legitimate (or real-life) wrestling combat predominantly detailed in this article. competitive forms include Greco-Roman, freestyle, judo, sambo, folkstyle, catch, shoot, luta livre, submission, sumo, pehl ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Kickboxing
Kickboxing ( ) is a full-contact hybrid Martial arts, martial art and Boxing (other), boxing type based on punch (combat), punching and kicking. Kickboxing originated in the 1950s to 1970s. The fight takes place in a boxing ring, normally with boxing gloves, mouth guards, shorts, and bare feet to favor the use of kicks. Kickboxing is practiced for self-defense, general physical fitness, fitness, or for competition. Some styles of kickboxing include: full contact karate, Muay Thai, Japanese kickboxing, Lethwei, Sanda (sport), Sanda, and Savate. Although since the dawn of humanity people have faced each other in hand-to-hand combat, the first documentation on the use of kicking and punching in sports combat is from ancient Greece and ancient India. But nevertheless, the term kickboxing originated in Japan, in the 1960s, and developed in the late 1950s from karate mixed with boxing, having some influence, with competitions held since then. American kickboxing originated i ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Muay Thai
Muay Thai or Muaythai (, , ), sometimes referred to as Thai boxing, the Art of Eight Limbs or the Science of Eight Limbs, is a Thai martial art and full-contact combat sport that uses stand-up striking, sweeps, and various clinch fighting, clinching techniques. The name “Art of Eight Limbs” refers to the combined use of fists, elbows, knees and Shinbone, shins. Muay Thai became widespread internationally in the late 20th to 21st century, when Westernised practitioners from Thailand began competing in kickboxing and mixed-rules matches as well as matches under Muay Thai rules around the world. The professional league is governed by the Professional Boxing Association of Thailand, sanctioned by the Sports Authority of Thailand. Muay Thai is related to other martial art styles of the Greater India, Indian cultural sphere such as Musti-yuddha, Muay Chaiya, Muay Boran, Lao boxing, Muay Lao, Lethwei, Benjang and Tomoi. A practitioner of Muay Thai is known as a ''Nak Muay''. West ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |