How's the MMA gym scene in your area in 2017?

[Italianissimo]

Here in Italy it seems there is more interest about MMA, but the whole scenario is very depressing.
MMAThey are now better known, but the number of people involved is always decreasing. Even the amateur classes have very low numbers.
Shows have always poor attendance and after 3 fights we have youngsters who think to be chanmpions.
Now all about BJJ and, since a few years, CrossFit, that stole a big number of people to Fighting Sports.

 

[manboy<3]

good to see the MMA fad dying

it got so bad that housewives and former accountants were getting into it to lose weight and fighting for titles

I liked MMA when it was underground like in the 90s, only people who were meant to be pro fighters actually were pro fighters

 

[caged_mma]

Derek Brunson has a gym here in Wilmington and he is at a lot of the local shows to corner his guys (I have yet to approach him, as he is very busy and active in his cornering), and his gym has been putting out a lot of regional contenders.

I'll say this: the South East has been very active in combat sports. There is a local show here in Wilmington that puts on great fights (Battle in the South), there is a yearly boxing tournament for the Azalea Festival that is absolutely free of charge, and its a short drive to Raleigh to see an excellent regional show (Next Level Fight Club) and a kickboxing event. I'm very happy with my regional saturation of local shows to go to.

 

[Darwinambrosius]

Pretty good. A fair number of wrestlers turn to it after their high school or collegiate careers end, which is exactly what I did.

 

[Italianissimo]

I do not see the same enthusiasm and hype there was 6/7 years ago. From what is told me by gyms' managers MMA is strongly declining. Little numbers, small purses and not many chances to fight regularly are the cause of this situation from what they say me.

 

[Kassitus]

I don't train at an MMA gym, but just based on my interactions with people MMA is less popular and tennis is more popular. People talk about tennis players like I am expected to know who they are. If I bring up MMA people say "have you heard of this McGregor guy?"

 

[skylolow]

In my area for sure it has died down but in a good way. Every other little kickboxing/jazzercise class started using "MMA" to attract customers. Same could be said for other martial arts like Karate or TKD who all started advertising themselves by saying MMA training. All they'd do is hire some guy that chances are had no business teaching a little JJ. Now its back to the true MMA gyms and true other martial arts centers. I rarely see anyone outside of MMA gyms using the MMA acronym to attract business today.


From a fan standpoint I can tell the popularity of catching every MMA /UFC event has gone down. Bars that use to carry every UFC event don't now or cherry pick events. Bars that do carry every event a majority of events you can walk in half hour before PPV start time or at the start and get a great seat. 8 years ago forget about it. You needed to be there at least an hour n half before. But the last PPV is was packed like the old days and this was true for other venues also in the area. I knew then the PPV buys were going to be much higher than most thought.

 

[Mitch Thompson]

Utah has been struggling the past 3 years or so. The Pit Elevated closed awhile back and so has a chunk of the local promotions. There's still a few good gyms with Jeremy Horn's place and Absolute among a couple others. It has definitely been on a downward trend though.