Why were old boxing gyms so cheap and modern MMA gyms so expensive?

[superpunch]

I wonder why modern MMA gyms were able to follow this path of development, for better or worse, but old boxing gyms weren’t?

There are tons of boxing gyms that cost $150+ a month. So many did follow that development. Those are your 'cardio' boxing gyms.

The MMA gym I used as an example, the one that was run by a wrestler in an industrial warehouse in the bad part of town for $20 that is now a huge modern gym in the rich part of town for $200.. The "classes" at the $20 gym were you go in and get your ass kicked on day 1. The beginner and intermediate classes at the $200 gym are much more toned down in beatdown intensity until you get to do the "pro classes". That's how most gyms work. There is a cardio element to the beginner classes to keep people coming in with the money.

MANY boxing gyms follow the same model now, actually. Many gyms are 1/3 real boxing classes for the "pro (competition) team" and 2/3 cardio classes (beginner).

That hole in the wall in the ghetto boxing gym model is actually dying out and being replaced by the MMA gym model. Go actually try to find a boxing gym like that; there are only like 3-4 per state. They still exist but they're dying out.

edit:

Someone that ran a gym once posted about insurance and it was very interesting.

To get affordable insurance, MMA gyms have to classify themselves as a karate gym or something recreational like that where hard sparring and fighting doesn't happen. If they classify themselves as "fighting gym" their insurance jumps up like 100x. So that has to be a huge, not often thought of reason why MMA gyms are the way they are. Boxing gym culture evolved before the modern lawsuit culture and everyone needs insurance culture. I have to think that most hole in the wall ghetto boxing gyms are 1 ambulance chaser away from closing down and converting to the 1/3 pro team 2/3 cardio class model.

 

[Bowel-forged Stool]

Boxing gyms in Mexico is cheap because dey chins is good

 

[FinalConflict2005]

this is where you learn that you are not special

 

[elwani]

There are tons of boxing gyms that cost $150+ a month. So many did follow that development. Those are your 'cardio' boxing gyms.

The MMA gym I used as an example, the one that was run by a wrestler in an industrial warehouse in the bad part of town for $20 that is now a huge modern gym in the rich part of town for $200.. The "classes" at the $20 gym were you go in and get your ass kicked on day 1. The beginner and intermediate classes at the $200 gym are much more toned down in beatdown intensity until you get to do the "pro classes". That's how most gyms work. There is a cardio element to the beginner classes to keep people coming in with the money.

MANY boxing gyms follow the same model now, actually. Many gyms are 1/3 real boxing classes for the "pro (competition) team" and 2/3 cardio classes (beginner).

That hole in the wall in the ghetto boxing gym model is actually dying out and being replaced by the MMA gym model. Go actually try to find a boxing gym like that; there are only like 3-4 per state. They still exist but they're dying out.

edit:

Someone that ran a gym once posted about insurance and it was very interesting.

To get affordable insurance, MMA gyms have to classify themselves as a karate gym or something recreational like that where hard sparring and fighting doesn't happen. If they classify themselves as "fighting gym" their insurance jumps up like 100x. So that has to be a huge, not often thought of reason why MMA gyms are the way they are. Boxing gym culture evolved before the modern lawsuit culture and everyone needs insurance culture. I have to think that most hole in the wall ghetto boxing gyms are 1 ambulance chaser away from closing down and converting to the 1/3 pro team 2/3 cardio class model.

A sad consequence of this is that old boxing gyms use to provide a place to go for kids who had nothing and were probably headed for trouble, and now at 200 a month probably not so much.

 

[superpunch]

A sad consequence of this is that old boxing gyms use to provide a place to go for kids who had nothing and were probably headed for trouble, and now at 200 a month probably not so much.

It's kind of absurd. Now that I'm thinking of it, the guy that ran the $20 MMA gym was risking having his life ruined if any one of us ever decided to be a scumbag ambulance chaser. Luckily none of us were and now he runs a big $200 a month gym that definitely has proper liability insurance. And to get that insurance, he probably has to separate pro classes from beginner classes and run the beginner classes like cardio classes so he can qualify for affordable insurance policies.

Lots of those smaller 4-5 ghetto boxing gyms per state still have "youth classes" like that. It feels like a community service now though.

 

[DamonX]

I wonder why modern MMA gyms were able to follow this path of development, for better or worse, but old boxing gyms weren’t?

Boxing has always relied on tradition rather than science.

Traditionally, boxing was always a means of making money for those of lower class and marginalized ethnic groups.

 

[Megatronlee]

Another thread got me thinking about this question. Seems kind of a stinky situation. You want at least one sport where the entrance price is how much blood and guts you have, not how much money.

That’s what boxing is

 

[Megatronlee]

But why weren’t they willing to pay boxing gyms?

Because they wanna do mma

 

[Legendary]

Because a lot of white collar asswipes are willing to pay alot of money to feel like a tough guy.

Yup

Boxing gyms weed out a lot of the "tough guys" when they get punched in the face.

 

[leto1776]

I see nobody has mentioned probably the most important aspect: real estate.

boxing requires a minimal amount of floor space. A single ring, some bags along a wall. Maybe some mirrors for shadow boxing (requiring zero floor space). That’s all you need to build champion boxers.

mMA gyms need a lot of floor space. You need a lot of room to grapple. You might need a ring. Either mats on the wall or a half cage at minimum. That’s a lot of square feet. Square feet = $$$ That’s why more mma gyms are in city outskirts or suburbs compared to boxing gyms.

 

[wufabufa]

Well people are paying CrossFit gyms to jump on boxes and run in the streets

150 bucks a month is a pretty good deal if you're looking to make some really annoying friends and a tear to your labrum. Kinda sounds like an MMA gym.

 

[ocean size]

Modern MMA gyms hire nutritionists, BJJ coaches, kickboxing coaches, boxing coaches, wrestling coaches, and have actual classes.

Old boxing "gyms" had none of that. They were just a room with some heavy bags and no coaches except the guy who owned the place. There were maybe not even any classes. You'd just show up and train on your own with other people there and if you showed promise, maybe the coach that owned the whole gym would help you a bit.

edit:

To put into perspective, most MMA gyms used to be like that prior to ~2010. The one I went to in college just had the wrestlers that owned it and it was a room with mats and heavy bags in an industrial warehouse. The same wrestler that owned it "taught" boxing, BJJ, and wrestling classes. It cost $20 a month.

The same guy now owns a "modern" MMA gym with a cage, a ring, a full time nutritionist, strength and conditioning coaches, muay thai coaches, actual BJJ coaches, etc. in a nice part of town and it costs $200 a month.

This a good point. The small monthly fee for the boxing gym would get you access to heavy bags and speed bags. If you wanted directed training your paid for each session.

 

[Randlewand]

I think it's also because training UFC is the new hip fad, like crossfit, and hence they can charge more per membership.

 

[kimocomplex]

What nobody has mentioned is that most Boxing gyms run as Non Profit Organizations

If the main coaches see potential in you that's when they actually coach, with the intention of getting you to the Olympics where they receive a nice little stipend

Then they can sell their promotional rights to say Golden Boy or Matchroom etc...

In conclusion, it's all about the money

 

[Rod Farva]

Supply and demand

 

[beaglepuss]

What nobody has mentioned is that most Boxing gyms run as Non Profit Organizations

If the main coaches see potential in you that's when they actually coach, with the intention of getting you to the Olympics where they receive a nice little stipend

Then they can sell their promotional rights to say Golden Boy or Matchroom etc...

In conclusion, it's all about the money

Boxing coaches don’t get a stipend if a boxer from their gym goes to the Olympics. They wouldn’t even be the one to coach them once they actually competed in the Olympics.

Additionally, there’s no such thing as “promotional rights” that are just innately given to the coach of a boxer. The coach and manager negotiate pay through a contract with the boxer.

While it might be about the money, everything you wrote is essentially bullshit.

 

[Ghostoftheville]

Additional equipment needed in mma.
Various coaches for their respective disciplines, which are going to be more expensive because they're "specialist".

 

[wolfss]

Is that a cause though, or a consequence? You may ask why boxing gyms did not develop the same way, to be full time, etc.

Boxing sucks. Nobody ever watches the undercard because it’s SO boring when Mexico stops producing boxers and buyers it will die completely! Mayweathers big ppv sales were against Mexican fighters and McGregor. When he fought other Americans sales were way down.

 

[gevoudane]

Depends on where you live.

 

[Blayt7hh]

Supply and demand. There was a lot of good boxing coaches. There’s still relatively few legitimate bjj instructors across the country, though more than there used to be