American Kickboxing Academy

❧

Wikipedia

American Kickboxing Academy
Est.1985; 41 years ago (1985)
Founded byJavier Mendez[1]
Primary ownersJavier Mendez
Primary trainersJavier Mendez
Bob Cook
Rosendo Sanchez
Leandro Vieira
Daniel Cormier
Prominent fightersDaniel Cormier
Khabib Nurmagomedov
Islam Makhachev
Usman Nurmagomedov
B.J. Penn
Cain Velasquez
Luke Rockhold
Josh Thomson
Jon Fitch
Mike Swick
Training facilitiesSan Jose, California, U.S.
Phuket, Thailand
Websitewww.akakickbox.com

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.[2] Members of the AKA who were signed with the UFC, including Jon Fitch, Christian Wellisch, Josh Koscheck, and former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez, refused to sign an exclusive lifetime contract for their video game licenses over to the UFC, causing them to be cut from the UFC's roster. Within 24 hours, the dispute was resolved and all fighters signed back into the organization.[3]

AKA has also been criticized by MMA fans and journalists, as well as by Dana White, for what is perceived as an excessively high rate of training injuries leading to fight cancellations among its stable of fighters.[4]

Notable fighters

Mixed martial artists

Current

Notable alumni

Kickboxers

  • Travis Johnson

Boxers

Wrestlers

Awards

  • MMAJunkie.com
    • 2015 Gym of the Year[5]
  • CombatPress.com
    • 2018 Gym of the Year[6]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "About". American Kickboxing Academy. Retrieved February 20, 2020.
  2. ↑ "Jon Fitch, Christian Wellisch and possibly others cut by UFC". MMAMania.com. November 19, 2008. Retrieved February 10, 2009.
  3. ↑ Martin, Damon (November 20, 2008). "24 Hours Later; Jon Fitch Back with UFC". MMAWeekly.com. Archived from the original on April 29, 2009. Retrieved February 10, 2009.
  4. ↑ "A Gym Culture of Injury? American Kickboxing Academy (AKA)". mmalatestnews.com. May 1, 2015. Archived from the original on November 26, 2016. Retrieved November 25, 2016.
  5. ↑ "2015 Gym of the Year". Mmajunkie. December 28, 2015. Retrieved December 28, 2015.
  6. ↑ Matthew Petela. "AKA founder and head trainer Javier Mendez put together a run in 2018 that clearly established the American Kickboxing Academy as the premier MMA gym in 2018". CombatPress.com. Retrieved January 18, 2019.