Top 10 MMA gyms in the world ranked

#5. Tiger Muay Thai

A gym that caters to both MMA and Muay Thai, Tiger Muay Thai has only recently gained prominence in MMA circles due to the breadth of talented strikers it has produced.

Located in Phuket, Thailand, Tiger Muay Thai has a breathtaking roster and was responsible for former bantamweight title-holder Petr Yan's dominant striking performance against José Aldo in a bout that earned the Russian the UFC bantamweight championship.

Alongside Petr Yan is Rafael Fiziev, who is currently riding a six-fight win streak and sits as the No. 7-ranked UFC lightweight in the world. Among the fighters who have recently trained at the gym are current UFC women's flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko, former UFC strawweight champion Zhang Weili, and undefeated welterweight phenom Khamzat Chimaev.

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#4. City Kickboxing

Based in Auckland, New Zealand, City Kickboxing was founded in 2007 and is headed by Eugene Bareman. The MMA gym is currently home to reigning UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya and current UFC featherweight kingpin Alexander Volkanovski.

Neither fighter seems capable of losing at the moment, with Volkanovski in particular improving at a breathtaking rate.

Besides its champions, City Kickboxing also boasts the likes of Kai-Kara France, who recently fought for the UFC flyweight championship at UFC 277 against Brandon Moreno in a spirited but ultimately unsuccessful effort.

Other fighters from the gym include Dan Hooker and Brad Riddell, who, while currently on losing streaks, remain divisional staples at lightweight.

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#3. Kill Cliff FC

Previously known as Combat Club and later Hard Knocks 365 and Sanford MMA, the gym currently branded as Kill Cliff FC is helmed by Henri Hooft and legendary collegiate wrestler Greg Jones. A fairly new gym, Kill Cliff FC was founded only in 2017 but quickly marked its stamp on the MMA landscape.

Reigning UFC welterweight champion and the pound-for-pound No. 1 fighter in the world, Kamaru Usman is the gym's most well-known fighter. While Usman made a brief departure from Kill Cliff FC due to his previous matchup with teammate Gilbert Burns, he has since returned to prepare for his upcoming bout with Leon Edwards at UFC 278.

Besides Usman, the gym plays host to the aforementioned Gilbert Burns, who sits as the No. 4-ranked welterweight in the UFC. Both men are joined by top-ranked fighters in Derek Brunson and Michael Chandler, as well as former ONE double champion Aung La Nsang.

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#2. American Kickboxing Academy (AKA)

The American Kickboxing Academy is one of the most successful MMA gyms in recent years. Unfortunately, it is also among the most injury-ridden training facilities, perhaps due to the sheer intensity of the sparring sessions that it hosts.

Historically, AKA has produced UFC champions in four different divisions, with former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez, former UFC heavyweight champion and former light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier, former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold and former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov.

While Cormier, Velasquez, and Nurmagomedov are no longer active fighters, Rockhold hopes to recapture his former glory while Islam Makhachev is scheduled to challenge Charles Oliveira at UFC 280 for the UFC lightweight championship once held by childhood friend Nurmagomedov.

Other roster members include reigning ONE heavyweight champion Arjan Bhullar, No. 3-ranked UFC heavyweight Tai Tuivasa and undefeated UFC bantamweight Umar Nurmagomedov.

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#1. American Top Team (ATT)

Among the largest MMA gyms in the world, the American Top Team features such a depth of coaching talent that it is one of the few gyms without a distinct style that can be associated with it. Except for its exceptional use of wall-walking as a means of takedown defense and anti-wrestling.

Former ATT fighters include former UFC interim welterweight champion Colby Covington, current UFC women's double champion Amanda Nunes, former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley, and former UFC strawweight champion Joanna Jędrzejczyk.

The gym's current fighters are two-time UFC lightweight title challenger Dustin Poirier, top-ranked UFC heavyweight Jairzinho Rozenstruik, and top-ranked UFC lightweight Mateusz Gamrot, who recently defeated Arman Tsarukyan.

They're joined by reigning PFL women's lightweight champion Kayla Harrison, BMF champion Jorge Masvidal and the current two-time Rizin bantamweight champion Kyoji Horiguchi.