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Most believe in order to be successful at a sport like MMA, you have to get in early. Although there are quite a few fighters that have proven that this isn’t always the case.

Here is a list of the best MMA fighters that started late in their career. Detailing when they got into MMA and the accolades they earned within the sport.

Who are some of the best MMA fighters that started late? There are many great fighters that got a late start in their MMA career. Just a few names on our lists include: Randy Couture, Mark Hunt, Kimbo Slice, Brock Lesnar,  Francis Ngnannou, and Daniel Cormier.

Randy Couture

The MMA legend, Randy “The Natural” Couture got into MMA at the age of 34. Having his first two MMA bouts in 1997.

Couture would go on to win the UFC heavyweight title twice and the light heavyweight title twice. He would then retire for a short period of time before coming out of retirement and winning the heavyweight title again. All after the age of 40 and retiring at the age of 48.

Mark Hunt

Mark Hunt is a fan favorite that got into MMA late after spending years fighting in kickboxing. The Super Samoan made his MMA debut at Pride Critical Countdown 2004 in a losing effort against Hidehiko Yoshida.

Hunt would bounce back,beating legends Wanderlei Silva and Cro Cop on a five fight win streak before losing five fights. He entered the UFC at 39 with a losing record, but became a fan favorite with multiple highlight reel knockouts.

Brock Lesnar

Brock Lesnar spent most of his twenties working on top in the WWE. He would make his MMA debut at nearly 30 and enter the UFC in just his second pro bout.

Lesnar proved to be a once in a lifetime athlete and became the UFC heavyweight champion in 2008. The same year he joined the promotion and earned a record of 5-3 during his career.

Daniel Cormier

Daniel Cormier was considered one of the best amateur wrestlers of his era. Unfortunately he had kidney failure during a weight cut during his second Olympic appearance.

This would lead him to transitioning to MMA at the late age of thirty. Cormier would become one of the all time great fighters winning titles in two divisions and an impressive 22-3 record.

Kimbo Slice

The famous streetfighter from Miami made his name for years fighting self proclaimed tough guys that were put on Youtube. Slice would have his first pro MMA bout at the age of 33 for EliteXC.

He would then make an appearance on The Ultimate Fighter and fight twice for the promotion afterwards. While fighting MMA, Kimbo also fought in boxing and had his last MMA bout in 2016 against Dada 5000.

Francis Ngannou

Francis Ngannou spent most of his life working in a diamond mine in Cameroon. After successfully migrating to Europe, he came into contact with an MMA gym in France.

Ngannou would have his first pro fight at 26 with less than a year of MMA training. From there, the rest is history and Ngannou is now the most dominant heavyweight fighter in MMA.

Chuck Liddell

Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell was one of the first MMA superstars in the sport. He got into the sport late having his first MMA bout at the age of 29.

Liddell would go on to have an amazing career and won the UFC light heavyweight title and defended it four times. Ending his career with a 21-9 record and being inducted into the UFC hall of fame.

Matt Mitrione

After a career as a professional football player, Matt Mitrione got into MMA and had his first pro fight at 30. He started his career in the UFC and would stay in the promotion for the first seven years of his career.

Mitrione would move on to Bellator and as of now has a record of 13-9 and one no contest overall.

Yoel Romero 

Yoel Romero spent years as one of the best amateur wrestlers in the world. After successfully defecting to the US, Romero would transition to MMA at the age of 31.

Romero would become one of the most feared fighters in the UFC middleweight division into his forties. At 45, Romero is still actively fighting and is currently under contract with Bellator MMA.

Jimi Manuwa 

Jimi Manuwa turned pro in MMA at the age of 28. Even though Manuwa had a late start, he would go undefeated in his first eleven fights.

After eleven years as a pro fighter, Manuwa would retire in 2019 with a record of 17-6.

Shane Carwin 

Shane Carwin was one of the most feared fighters in the heavyweight division during his career. He got into MMA when he was 30, but the late start was no problem for Carwin.

Finishing his opponents in all twelve of his wins and only losing twice during his career.

Holly Holm 

Holly Holm was one of the greatest female boxers in the world before transitioning to MMA at 29. Holm would be dominant, beating her first nine opponents before beating Ronda Rousey by head kick.

She has continued to be one of the best fighters in her division and at forty is still going strong in the sport.

Hidehiko Yoshida 

Hidehiko Yoshida was one of the most accomplished judokas in the history of Japan. He would transition to MMA at the age of 32 and was known for fighting his patented judo gi.

Yoshida fought some of the best in the sport and ended his career with a record of 9-8.

Muhammed Lawal

Muhammaed Lawal was an accomplished collegiate wrestler before transitioning to MMA at the age of 28. At the beginning, Lawal found a lot of success going undefeated in his first seven fights.

Lawal would become the Strikeforce light heavyweight champion and later fight for Bellator for six years. Retiring at the end of 2019 with a respectable record of 21-10.

Pat Barry

Pat Barry was considered one of the best kickboxers in the world before he transitioned to MMA at 28. Barry would find some success in the UFC and end his MMA career with a record of 8-7

Rich Franklin

Originally, Rich Franklin was a school teacher and didn’t have thought about fighting in MMA. He got into the sport at the age of 24 with no formal training beforehand.

Despite the late start, Franklin would go on to become the UFC middleweight champion. Ending his career with a record of 29-7.

Dan Henderson

Dan Henderson would get into MMA at the age of 27 after a successful career as an amateur wrestler. He would have an even more successful career as an MMA fighter and become one of the all time greats.

Holding the Pride welterweight and middleweight titles simultaneously and having some of the best fights in MMA history. Henderson would end his career with a record of 32-15 and become a UFC hall of famer.

Stipe Miocic

The former UFC heavyweight champion, Stipe Miocic got into MMA at the age of 27. He originally wanted to get into boxing, but was convinced to try MMA by his coach.

It turned out to be the right choice, because Miocic would become a 2x UFC heavyweight champion. Miocic currently has a record of 20-4 and is looking to regain his title.

Some people dream of being MMA fighters and others dream of being MMA referees. Being right in the middle of the action and keeping the fighters safe.

Those that are curious about wanting to be an MMA ref often look into how to become one. We’re here to help you out and tell you all you need to know to become a certified MMA referee.

Going through the certification process and detail how to be a good MMA ref.

How to become a certified MMA referee? To become a certified MMA referee, you have to go through a certification program or course. Once you’ve completed the MMA referee course, you then can apply for a state license in whichever state(s) you wish.

How was MMA Referee Certification Established 

Before MMA refs were certified it was basically chaos. Especially before there were rules implemented within MMA.

Referees were basically there to prevent fighters from killing each other and didn’t enforce any rules. Even when rules were first implemented, the quality of officiating would be quite poor for many years.

State athletic commissions would basically put in anyone that was given a referee license. Whether they had any knowledge of MMA or not.

Most of the time, boxing refs would be put in charge of MMA bouts with no knowledge of the sport.

Big John McCarthy Helps Implement Referee Certification

Big John McCarthy is an MMA icon and considered the best MMA ref of all time. McCarthy saw early on that the quality of MMA referees needed to be improved in order for the sport to grow.

He was one of the first people in MMA to push for a certification program for MMA referees and judges. John would work closely with different commissions from Nevada, California, and New Jersey.

After years of work, the Association of Boxing and Combat Sports(ABC) created a referee certification program. The most in depth MMA referee training program that is available in the US.

All state athletic commissions in the US recognize this certification whenever candidates apply for referee licenses.

MMA Referee Certification Programs 

There are now various MMA referee certification programs, but by far the best are the ABC approved programs. You can take certification courses from the most known and respected MMA referees in the world.

MMA refs that provide their own training courses under the guidelines of the ABC includes.

• Big John McCarthy
• Herb Dean

COMMAND(Big john) 

https://www.mmareferee.com/?q=courses

Big John offers his own MMA referee training course called C.O.M.M.A.N.D. A company that provides training to aspiring MMA referees and judges.

COMMAND runs a handful of certification seminars annually. Three days for the referee course and two days for the MMA judge course.

The referee course consists of four sections that you go over during the three days.

1. Going over basic MMA techniques in a classroom setting.
2. A written test covering everything you went over on your first day of class.
3. Officiate a mock fight to show that you have the ability to work a fight.
4. A mock pre fight rules meeting where you explain the rules to fighters and answer questions.

In order to pass this certification, you must pass all three tests with a grade of 90% or above. If you score lower than 90% in any part, you will have to go through certification training again.

Herb Dean’s Course

https://www.herbdean.com/service-page/mma-referee-judge-certification-course

Herb Dean also has his own MMA referee training course that he makes available annually. Just like Big John’s course, Dean’s is a three day workshop that goes through everything about being a ref.

Dean follows the guidelines of the ABC unified rules and is broken down into three different tests. A written, video, and technique class.

In Dean’s course, there is a technique test where you must demonstrate that you know different MMA techniques. You will not be passed if you cannot execute the MMA techniques that you’re asked to demonstrate.

Then just like in Big John’s course, you will be put in the cage put through a mock fight. Being put through different situations and taught how to properly react. 

ABC MMA Referee Training Course

https://www.abcboxing.com/MMA_REFEREE_AND_JUDGE_TRAINING_OUTLINE.pdf

The organization, ABC also runs referee training seminars throughout the US. Each one of those seminars are run by some of the best MMA referees in the world.

The list of certified coaches that run ABC seminars for potential MMA refs includes:

• Big John McCarthy
• Herb Dean
• Kevin McDonald
• Jerin Valel
• Blake Grice
• Rob Hinds

To become a certified MMA ref under the ABC, you must have a long list of experience in MMA. Including five years as a MMA ref, proof of grappling experience, as well as knowledge or experience in other martial arts.

It isn’t easy to become certified by the ABC and it shouldn’t be easy. This list of prerequisites helps weed out those that are unfit to officiate fights.

IMMAF Referee Course

https://immaf.org/get-involved/officials-area/#referee-judges

The International MMA Federation(IMMAF) runs courses for those that live outside of the US or want to work internationally. This organization’s MMA ref certification program is run by UFC referee, Marc Goddard.

Their website doesn’t show much about what all their ref course entails. It states that they’ll consider candidates that can prove they have experience as a ref within their country. If you’re interested in this course, Marc Goddard’s email is available on the website.

They also offer class A, B, and C licenses if you wish to be a certified IMMAF cutman.

How to Acquire a State License to Work as an MMA Referee 

Acquiring a state license to work as an MMA referee is pretty straightforward. Once you acquire your MMA referee certification you can then apply for a state license to work as a ref.

Each state will make you pay a fee in order to receive your state referee license. On top of your license fee, some states may also make you take a physical in order to be approved.

This is a good practice, because if you aren’t physically fit, then you shouldn’t be allowed to be an MMA ref. Once your referee license expires you will have to do this process all over again.

Other Prerequisites To Be An MMA Referee 

Aside from having a recognized MMA referee certification and license, there are other prerequisites for becoming an MMA referee. Particularly two things that will really help you in becoming a good MMA referee.

1. Experience training in martial arts or particularly MMA
2. Fighting Experience

A good MMA referee should have experience in one or both of these prerequisites. They will make you a better referee and more respected by the fighters and state commissions.

Chase Your Dream and Protect the Fighters

Being an MMA referee is an incredibly important job. You are there to protect the fighters and potentially even save their lives.

The sport of MMA is in dire need of more good MMA. If you think you have the dedication to be a good referee, then chase your dream and help grow the sport.

In the history of MMA, there have been numerous Olympic medalists that have transitioned to the sport. That’s why we’ve made a complete list of every Olympic medalist that has competed in MMA.

Below is a list of every gold, silver, and bronze medalist that competed in MMA with short bios of each one.

How many Olympic medalists have fought in MMA? There have been nearly 40 MMA athletes who won Olympic medals in the history of the sport.

Bronze Medalist MMA Fighters

Randi Miller

Randi Miller was a bronze medalist in freestyle wrestling at the 2008 Olympics. Miller transitioned to MMA in 2012 and won her only fight in the sport by TKO in the third round.

Vladimir Tchanturia

Vladimir Tchanturia was a Georgian native that won a bronze medal in boxing at the 2000 Olympic games. He fought a young Alistair Overeem and lost by RNC in his only MMA bout. Tchanturia would move to pro boxing and have a short career.

Ben Spijkers

Ben Spijkers was a judoka that won a bronze medal at the 1988 Olympic games. He had a poor run in MMA, going 0-2 and famously losing to Renzo Gracie for the World Combat Championship promotion.

Eldari Kurtanidze

Eldari Kurtanidze was a two time bronze medalist in freestyle wrestling, winning at the ‘96 and 2000 Olympics. Kurtanidze only had one MMA fight which was a loss to Kazuyuki Fujita at Pride Shockwave: 2006.

Damian Janikowski

Damian Janikowski is a Polish wrestler that won a bronze medal in Greco-Roman wrestling at the 2012 games. Janikowski has actively fought for the last decade in the Polish promotion KSW, where he’s earned a record of 7-4.

Alexis Vila

Alexis Vila was a 2x freestyle wrestling world champion, along with winning a bronze medal at the ‘96 Olympics. Nine years later, Vila would transition into MMA. In his MMA career, Vila would go 15-7 and fight in Bellator, WSOF, and Titan FC.

Ronda Rousey

Ronda Rousey was a bronze medalist in Judo at the 2008 Olympics. She was a pioneer of women’s MMA and responsible for its rise in popularity. Ronda was the inaugural women’s bantamweight champion in the UFC and went 12-2 in her career before transitioning to pro wrestling.

Silver Medalist MMA Fighters

Sara McMann

 Sara McMann was the second female Olympian to fight within the Ultimate Fighting Championship(Ronda Rousey being the first.). She was also the very first woman to win an Olympic silver medal in the 2004 Olympics in Athens. McMann is still active in MMA and is currently fighting in the UFC with a record of 13-6.

Yoel Romero 

The ageless wonder, Yoel Romero was a freestyle wrestler that one a silver medal at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. After defecting to the US years later, Romero transitioned to MMA. He is currently signed with Bellator MMA where he fights at light heavyweight and currently holds a record of 13-6.

Matt Lindland 

Matt “The Law” Lindland actually began his MMA career before earning a spot on the 2000 US Olympic team. Lindland would win a silver medal in Greco-Roman wrestling before moving back to MMA full-time. He would earn a record of 22-9 and fight in every major MMA promotion.

Townsend Saunders 

Townsend Saunders was a silver medalist in freestyle wrestling at the ‘96 Olympic games in Atlanta. He would try to transition to MMA, but would lose both bouts that took place within the UFC in  1997.

Naoya Ogawa 

Naoya Ogawa was a world champion Judoka that earned a silver medal at the ‘92 Olympic Games in Barcelona. Ogawa would first transition to pro wrestling and then into MMA, which was encouraged by former pro wrestling promoter Antonio Inoki. He would go 7-2 in his career and notably fought Fedor Emilianenko, who gave him his first loss.

Matt Ghaffari 

Matt Ghaffari was a Greco-Roman wrestler that earned a silver medal at the ‘96 Olympic games in Atlanta. He would have one MMA fight against another Olympic medalist Naoya Ogawa that he lost by first round TKO.

Dennis Hall 

Dennis Hall is a Greco-Roman wrestler that earned a silver medal at the “96 Olympics in Atlanta. Hall fought only once in MMA for the Japanese promotion Shooto that he lost by submission.

Min Soo Kim 

Min Soo Kim is a Korean Judoka that won a silver medal at the Olympic games in 1996. Kim transitioned to MMA, but had poor results. Fighting ten times and earning a losing record of 3-7.

Aleksei Medvedev 

Aleksei Medvedev is a Belarussian freestyle wrestler that earned a silver medal at the ‘96 Olympics. Medvedez only fought one time in MMA, which was a TKO loss to Semm Schilt for the promotions 2H2H.

Bu Kyung Jung 

Bu Kyung Jung is a Korean judoka that won a silver medal at the Olympic Games in Sydney. Jung would have an unsuccessful transition to MMA that resulted in a record of 0-4.

Katsuhiko Nagata 

Katsuhiko Nagata is a Japanese Greco-Roman wrestler that won a silver medal in 2000 at the Sydney Olympics. Nagata would fight in 13 MMA bouts and earned a record of 6-7 before retiring.

Stephen Abas 

Stephen Abas is an American freestyle wrestler that won a silver medal at the 2004 Olympics in Athens. He would go undefeated in MMA with a 3-0 record before moving on to be a full-time wrestling coach.

Hiroshi Izumi 

Hiroshi Izumi is a Japanese judoka that won a silver medal at the 2004 Olympics in Athens. Izumi was an active MMA fighter from 2009 to 2011. In that time, he earned a record of 4-2 and notably fought reigning Bellator champion Gegard Mousasi in his last bout.

Mark Madsen

Mark Madsen is a Danish Greco-Roman wrestler that won a silver medal at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Madsen is currently undefeated as an MMA fighter with a record of 12-0. He is currently under contract with the UFC and fighting his way up the ranks. 

Gold Medalist MMA Fighters

Kenny Monday 

Kenny Monday was one of the first Olympic gold medalists to transition to MMA. He only fought one time in 1997, which was a TKO win over John Lewis. Monday would then transition to being a wrestling coach and also a long time wrestling coach for MMA fighters.

Kevin Jackson 

Kevin Jackson was another one of the first Olympic gold medalists that transitioned to MMA. Jackson was also the first Olympian to fight in the UFC. Earning a record of 4-2 before retiring and becoming a full-time wrestling coach, which included being the Olympic wrestling coach.

Ray Mercer 

Ray Mercer is a gold medalist in boxing before becoming a multiple time world champion in the sport. Mercer had one MMA fight in 2009 against former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia. 

In the fight, Mercer said that Sylvia agreed to no kicks, but then leg kicked Mercer. He then knocked out Sylvia with one punch after being hit with the leg kick.

Makoto Takimoto 

Makoto Takimoto is a Japanese judoka that won a gold medal at the 2000 Olympic games in Sydney. As a MMA fighter, Takimoto went 6-5 and notably fough most of his career in Pride.

Istvan Majoros 

Istvan Majoros is a Hungarian wrestler that won a gold medal in Greco-Roman wrestling at the 2004 Olympics. Majoros would fight one time in MMA for K-1 Dynamite, where he lost by TKO to the late Norifumi Yamamoto.

Karam Gaber

Karam Gaber is an Egyptian wrestler that won a gold medal in the 2004 Olympics in Athens. In the same year, he would have an unsuccessful transition to MMA. Losing his only MMA bout by TKO against Kazuyuki Fujita at K-1 Dynamite 2004.

Mark Schultz

The legendary American wrestler Mark Schultz won an Olympic gold medal in 1984. In 1996, Schultz came in as a replacement to fight MMA vet Gary Goodridge at UFC 9. Schultz would win the bout by TKO and return to coaching wrestling. 

Rulon Gardner 

Rulon Gardner is an American wrestler that specialized in Greco-Roman wrestling. He famously beat wrestling legend Alexandr Karelin in the finals. Gardner would fight one time in MMA beating fellow Olympic gold medalist Hidehiko Yoshida at Pride Shockwave 2004.

Alexandr Karelin 

Alexandr Karelin is considered the greatest Greco-Roman wrestler of all time. Only losing one time in two decades of competition. Karelin fought in one mixed rules event in 1999 that he won by decision.

Hidehiko Yoshida 

Hidehiko Yoshida is a Japanese judoka and MMA legend in Japan. He would go 9-8 as a pro MMA fighter that mostly took place in Pride.

Satoshi Ishii 

Satoshi Ishii is another Japanese judoka that won an Olympic gold medal at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Ishii is still active in MMA, where he has earned a record of 25-12 and has fought around the world.

Kayla Harrison 

Kayla Harrison was the very first American woman to win Olympic gold in Judo. Harrison has successfully transitioned to MMA and currently holds an undefeated record of 15-0. She is currently signed with PFL and is lobbying for a fight with Cyborg Santos.

Henry Cejudo

Henry Cejudo is considered one of the greatest combat sports athletes of all time. Cejudo earned a gold medal at the Olympic games in Beijing. He would go on to become the first MMA fighter to successfully hold the UFC flyweight and bantamweight titles simultaneously.

More Olympian Fighters To Come

Olympic medalist combat sports athletes are always tempted to make the transition to MMA to chase fame and fortune. The number of MMA athletes who won Olympic medals will no doubt increase as time goes on.

When new MMA viewers tune in to watch a fight, they will often hear fight lingo that they don’t understand. One common thing they’ll hear is that a fighter needs to start checking kicks.

We’re going to explain to you exactly what a checked kick is in MMA. Going over where the move was developed and explaining how to properly check leg kicks.

What is a checked kick in MMA? A checked kick is a defensive maneuver, where an MMA fighter blocks a leg kick with their shin. It was adopted from Muay Thai and used often within MMA.

What Martial Art Started Started Checking Kicks

The defensive move of checking kicks comes from the art of Muay Thai. In Muay Thai, fighters throw a wide variety of kicks.

One of the most common and popular is the leg kick. A power kick that can completely devastate an opponent’s legs. Muay Thai practitioners had to develop a way to defend against this kick.

What they developed is what we in English call the check. This is where you block an opponent’s leg kick by turning your shin into their leg.

The shin bone is better equipped to absorb kicks than your leg muscles, because obviously it’s a bone. It’s hard and developed to take more impact than your leg muscles.

Checked Kicks Adopted Into MMA

When the sport of MMA was developed, fighters with a background in Muay Thai brought leg kicks with them. After fighters were getting their legs destroyed with leg kicks, they figured out that they needed to learn checks.

Checking leg kicks have become a must know defensive technique that you must know to be successful in MMA.

What Happens When A Fighter Does Not Check Kicks?

The short answer is severe pain. Failing to check kicks in a fight can devastate a fighter in various ways.

Human legs are not meant to be battered repeatedly with leg kicks. Eventually a fighter’s legs will be black, blue, and purple, and they won’t be able to stand anymore.

Notable MMA Fights Where Checker Were Used 

When a check is properly executed, they will dissuade an opponent from throwing more kicks. Mainly from the danger of damaging their shins. Here are some notable fights where leg checks were properly used.

Anderson Silva vs Chris Weidman 

Chris Weidman successfully used leg kicks in his rematch with Anderson Silva. Silva would damage his leg on one of the first leg kick attempts.

Weidman would check the next leg kick by Silva that would shatter his leg. One of the most hideous injuries in MMA history.

Chris Weidman vs Uriah Hall

In Chris Weidman’s last fight against Uriah Hall, he would suffer the same fate as Anderson Silva. Uriah would check the very first kick from Weidman and Chris’s leg shattered.

Notable MMA Fights Where Checks Were NOT Used

When fighters decide to not use leg kicks in their fight, this will lead to drastic consequences. Here are some notable fights, where MMA fighters decided to not check any leg kicks.

Pete Spratt vs Robbie Lawler

At UFC 42, a young fan favorite Robbie Lawler went up against a relatively unknown Pete Spratt. Lawler had already knocked out multiple opponents, but Spratt exposed  flaws in his style.

Robbie was very heavy footed in order to land powerful shots and did not defend leg kicks. Spratt proceeded to evade Lawler’s powerful punches and land nasty leg kicks.

By the second round, Lawler couldn’t stand and was submitted. After the fight, Lawler’s doctor discovered that the leg kicks tore his hip flexor.

Jose Aldo vs Urijah Faber

At WEC 48 in 2010, Jose Aldo faced Urijah Faber for the promotion’s featherweight title. What fight fans would witness was a devastating barrage of leg kicks delivered by Aldo.

For 25 minutes, Aldo would land nonstop kicks to Faber’s left leg on his way to a decision win. After the fight, Faber posted a picture of his left leg after the fight.

His leg was completely purple. Faber was quoted as saying it was the most pain he’d ever felt from fighting.

How to Check a kick in MMA

There’s various techniques for checking leg kicks, but we’re just going to list important details for doing. Read below to see the most important details for checking leg kicks in MMA.

Lift Your Leg Up

The first step for checking a kick is to lift your leg up. Some trainers will tell you to lift it high, while  others will tell you to lift it to a moderate level. To check a leg kick, you only have to lift your leg slightly up. 

Turn Your Leg Out

The first detail to remember when checking kicks is to turn your leg outward. Putting your shin bone in the path of your opponent’s kick.

Which Part of the Shin do I Use?

A very good question and important to know when checking kicks. When you throw a kick, you aim to land with the bottom of your shin.

For a check, you’re actually going to use the top of your shin. This is the strongest part of your shin bone, which makes it the best part to use for checks.. 

Drive Shin Forward

A check isn’t just lifting your leg up and blocking a kick with your shin. To do a good check you drive your shin slightly forward when your opponent throws their leg kick. This bit of force forward to meet your opponent’s shin makes your check extra hard.

Base Foot

Your back foot is your base and it must be planted firmly on the ground when doing leg kicks. If it’s not, the power of an opponent’s kick can throw you off balance and open to follow up strikes.

The Toe Placement Debate

There has been an ongoing debate about how you should hold your toes when checking kicks. One camp believes that your toes should be down and the other thinks your toes should be up.

Toes Down

Those that think your toes should be down when checking kicks think this for two reasons.

The first is because they think pointing your toes up could have a higher possibility of breaking your toes. They also believe by pointing your toes down it covers for surface area.

Toes Up

Then there are those that think you should have your toes up when checking a kick. This group thinks lifting your toes up makes your check stronger. 

The Reality 

The truth is that it doesn’t matter how you hold your toes when checking a kick. You can break your toes whether you hold them up or down and holding them up doesn’t make your check stronger. What is important is that you block the kick.

Always Remember To Check Leg Kicks

Learning to check leg kicks is an important defensive technique that you must know in MMA. Always remember to check leg kicks if you don’t want to have a purple leg like Urijah Faber had.

Many young MMA fans aspire to be fighters from the first moment they watch a fight. They want to become an MMA fighter, but don’t know where to begin.

If you’ve ever wanted to know how to become an MMA fighter, this is your chance. We’ve put together a full guide of everything you need to know to begin your journey as an MMA fighter.

Buy MMA Gear

Before you can start training to be an MMA fighter, you’re going to need training gear. Most MMA gyms sell gear, but if you want to be prepared, you should buy your gear beforehand.

You’ll need:

• MMA Gear Bag
• MMA Gloves(6-8oz)
• Boxing Gloves
• Shin Pads
• Hand Wraps
• Rash Guards
• MMA Shorts
• Water Bottle

MMA Gear Recommendations

If you need some MMA gear recommendations, we can help you out with that. Here are some gear recommendations for you to buy before you start training.

RDX MMA Gloves: RDX makes a great pair of value MMA gloves that are great to pick up when you’re just beginning your MMA training. They have the look of high priced gloves while having the qualities of one. Offering great wrist and knuckle protection along with an open palm design that won’t overheat your hands.

Venum Contender Boxing Gloves 2.0: These boxing gloves from Venum are a great choice and will last you a long time. They are comfortable semi-leather gloves that give a perfect fit and make you feel like you’re a fighter.’

Elite Sports Shin Guards: Elite Sports Shin Guards are an Amazon’s Choice product that are affordable and have a clean look. They are versatile pieces of equipment that can be used for both kickboxing or MMA. Fully adjustable and designed to keep your shins fully protected.

Anthem Athletics MMA Shorts: Anthem Athletics make some of the best MMA shorts that are available on Amazon. They made their shorts with tear resistant fabric that is quick drying, so you don’t get weighed down during training.  These shorts are currently available in 9 styles and 10 sizes.

Find A Good MMA Gym

The first step to become an MMA fighter is to find an MMA gym. Not just any MMA gym, but one with a reputation for being a good school and producing fighters.

Don’t pick any random gym that’s near your home out of convenience. If you have to travel a little to go to the best gym, you’ll have to make that sacrifice.

Many of the best MMA fighters travel to train for their fight camps. It’s just part of the job.

Do Your Research

You’re going to have to do your research and see which are the best gyms in your area. Look into who the coaches are and what their backgrounds are.

The most known and respected coaches are easy to find on the internet. You can easily find their credentials online and see what their reputations are.

Schedule Visits

Once you’ve narrowed down the gyms you may like to train in, you should contact them and schedule visits. Go see the gyms and meet the coaches to see if you mesh well with them

While you’re there, you can get all of the information you need.

• Training Schedule
• What They Teach
• Prices
• Beginner Classes
• Does the gym sell MMA gear?

Try Free Classes

You don’t have to sign up at the first MMA gym you visit. See what gyms offer free trial classes and take advantage of them.

Trial classes are the best way to see if you like the gym and like the way the classes are run. If you train at one that you really like, then that’s the one you should sign up at.

What Discipline Should You Learn First? 

One of the biggest questions that aspiring fighters ask before they start training is which fighting discipline they should learn first. A very good question that has a different answer depending on who you ask.

Let’s go over the benefits of learning either grappling or striking first.

The Benefits Of Learning Striking First 

There are numerous benefits to learning striking first for MMA. The biggest of course being that you know how to strike.

Being proficient at using your fists, elbows, knees, kicks, and being able to mix them together in combos. As you learn striking, you’ll also have an understanding of different striking ranges.

Knowing these striking ranges will also make you able to defend against an opponent’s striking.

The Benefit Of Learning Grappling First 

Learning grappling first also has numerous benefits. As you’ve probably seen in the old UFC fights, straight grapplers almost always beat strikers.

When you put a striker on their back, this cancels out their striking ability. Knowing how to grapple can also open up your striking game and make you more well rounded.

The Real Answer

Either learning striking or grappling first does have their benefits, but neither is the right answer. The real answer is that if you’re in an MMA gym, you should be learning both aspects of the sport simultaneously.

You will need to learn both disciplines in order to be a good MMA fighter. Good modern MMA gyms have both high level striking and grappling coaches to help you learn the basics of the sport.

Learn both disciplines at the same time to become a more complete fighter.

What Techniques Should I Learn?

MMA consists of many different martial arts techniques that you will learn over the years to develop your skills. Here is an overview of all of the basics you should learn when first training to become an MMA Fighter.

Basic Striking

When it comes to learning striking, you of course have to start with the basics. You won’t be learning how to throw jump knees or 360 roundhouses right from the beginning.

The main elements of striking that you will need to learn first include:

• Stance
• Guards
• Proper Punching Mechanics
• Proper Kicking Mechanics

Everything starts with your stance and learning to keep your hands up. These are the foundations of a good striking game.

Once you learn how to hold a good stance and move in it, you can then learn basic striking combos. These skills won’t develop overnight, so be patient.

Basic Jiu Jitsu

Grappling is a large part of MMA, which is why you have to learn how to handle yourself on the ground. When you’re first learning Jiu Jitsu for MMA, there is one aspect that you should really focus on first. Your defense.

Begin developing your Jiu Jitsu game by developing a great defense. Focus on learning how to defend everything from submissions and escaping bad positions at the beginning.

After developing a great defense, you can then open up your game and not be afraid of anything your opponents try.

Basic Wrestling

Wrestling is arguably the most important aspect of MMA that you must learn. In modern MMA, almost all of the top fighters have a background in wrestling.

You will have to learn how to execute everything from:

• Single Leg Takedowns
• Double Leg Takedowns
• Sprawls
• Sit-outs

To go along with these wrestling basics, you will also have to learn to fight from the clinch. Knowing how to hand fight to defend takedowns and get in position to land takedowns.

Conditioning 

You’re not only going to have to spend hours training, but also dedicate part of your week to doing conditioning. Every MMA fighter in any of the big organizations does some form of conditioning to build up their strength and endurance.

The options you have for conditioning training are literally endless, but here are some of the best options for you.

HIIT Training 

HIIT training is a go to style of conditioning for many top MMA athletes. The short rounds of explosive movements followed by brief recovery periods are perfect for the demands of MMA.

These types of workouts mimic how a real fight can really feel. Quick bursts of energy during attacks followed by brief rest periods when you’re setting up your next move.

Also one of the great things about HIIT training is that they aren’t time consuming. You can get in a great conditioning session in less than 30 minutes.

Circuit Training 

Circuit training is another great idea for conditioning that is similar to HIIT training. In circuit training, you can implement elements of MMA training into your workouts like bag work and ground and pound.

Mixing these in with a variation of light weights, plyometrics, and explosive movements like hitting a tire with a sledgehammer. Then just like with HIIT training, you have endless possibilities for your workouts that can be done in a short timeframe.

Roadwork & Weights

Then of course, there are the oldest methods of conditioning that include roadwork and lifting weights. Roadwork is the old boxing term for running.

Since combat sports became a profession, fighters have implemented running and weights into their routines. Going for 3-5 mile runs everyday and lifting weights every other day in between training.

These styles of conditioning have been proven effective, which is why fighters have used them for years.

Training Schedule 

If you really want to be an MMA fighter, you’re going to need to be dedicated. You are going to have to sacrifice almost all of your free time in order to become a fighter.

Everything you do will revolve around your training schedule. If you have a job or school schedule that allows it, you should be training just about every single day.

Five days per week is the minimum with each session being 2-3 hours per day. Training twice a day would be even better to help you get in shape and progress your skills.

On top of your training, you will also have to make time a few days a week to do conditioning workouts. This is the life of fighters, whether they’re training for a fight or just developing their skills.

A Really Important Thing To Remember When You’re Training

When you’re beginning your training, there is sort of an unwritten rule about telling your coach you want to be a fighter. They’ve heard thousands of people tell them they want to be fighters and next to none made it happen.

You can tell your coach that you want to be a fighter, but don’t tell them when you want to fight. They will know when it’s the right time to let you try an amateur MMA bout. 

Trust in your coaches and they will guide you in the right direction to become a fighter.

When Will I Be Able To Fight?

When you’ll be able to fight will depend on if you already have a base in another combat sport. If you already have a background in boxing, wrestling, or Jiu Jitsu, you will be able to fight soon.

For those that are starting from the ground up in MMA, you will have to wait much longer to fight. You will have to train at least two years before you can even think about getting an amateur fight.

But don’t stress about how long it will take for you to be able to fight. Just train and when your coach thinks you’re ready, you’ll fight.

What Type of Fighter Should I Be? 

The type of fighter will depend on what facet of MMA you are best at and your body type. For example, if you are gifted with power, then you’ll probably be more of a striker.

But in all honesty, you should strive to be a complete fighter. Being well versed in every area of MMA, so you can handle yourself wherever the fight may go.

Amateur Boxing, Kickboxing & BJJ 

To develop your skills as a young fighter, you should also take the opportunity to do other amateur combat sports. This includes amateur boxing, kickboxing, and BJJ competitions.

Amateur Boxing & Kickboxing

Testing your skills in amateur boxing and kickboxing competitions can really help sharpen up your striking games. Training for one of these competitions will help you develop better punching or kicking mechanics. 

They will also help you understand the two different striking ranges by fighting in both styles. It’ll also give you knowledge and experience if you ever wish to transition between different combat  sports.

BJJ Competitions

BJJ competitions might be the best thing that you can do to improve your grappling for MMA. The intensity is like a fight, except you’re not getting hit, which is a positive.

A lot of young fighters will routinely compete in grappling competitions to sharpen up their ground skills. There are also numerous BJJ competitions put on, so you can always be competing in between MMA fights.

Amateur MMA

If you have a good coach, when they think you’re ready they will sign you up for an amateur MMA fight. These are fights where wins and losses don’t mean anything.

You’re competing to gain experience and develop skills to maybe transition to pro if you’re good enough. Since amateur fights are about gaining experience, you should fight as much as possible.

Try to fight more than 10 fights during your time as an amateur. Then if your coach thinks you’re ready, you will go pro.

Be Patient & Train

The best piece of advice that we can give you is to just be patient and train. Training to become an MMA fighter is a marathon and not a sprint.

You have to take the time to develop your skills and make sure you’re ready to fight. If you are patient and take the time to train properly, then you’ll have a better chance at a fighting career.