As a former employee of a UFC Gym, I have put together this review for anyone asking whether or not UFC Gym is good for BJJ.
UFC Gym is a good option for learning BJJ because they teach a structured Jiu-Jitsu program including both Gi and No-Gi. UFC Gym also have a variety of other grappling classes available which will help expand your Jiu-Jitsu training, including Judo and Wrestling.
To help you decide whether or not the UFC Gym is a good fit for you, I have put together this review, including:
- BJJ & Grappling available at UFC Gym
- Types of training partners you’ll have
- And a UFC Gym fake black belt exposed
“UFC Gym Review: discover more about the UFC Gym and what to expect in our article: UFC Gym: Honest Review by Ex-Employee (Is It Good?)“
UFC Gym for BJJ
The UFC Gym is a franchise of the UFC’s multi-billion-dollar brand and they have been popping up all over the world.
I personally was lucky enough to work for a UFC Gym for six months while I was living abroad.
During which time I was able to get day-to-day hands-on experience of their BJJ and grappling training which will hopefully help you in this review.
Grappling at UFC Gym
As you would expect from a world famous Mixed Martial Arts brand like the UFC – the UFC Gym offers a variety of grappling classes, including:
- BJJ Gi training
- BJJ No-Gi training
- Judo
- And Wrestling
The instructors of each class where I worked were world class, high level instructors with a wealth of experience – each focused and dedicated to the learning and progression of their students.
The UFC Gym I worked for had a timetable which included grappling both in the mornings and in the evenings to cater to everyone’s work schedule.
If you’re doing the Gi training though you might have to buy a UFC Gym Gi from the gym’s onsite store as you progress in training.
Not all of the gyms do this – but some don’t like you wearing a non-UFC Gym Gi and will require you to buy one of their branded Gis.
This does not just happen at UFC Gyms, to learn more about BJJ Gi colors and branding, check out our article: BJJ: About Gi Colors
Having these other grappling options available to you as part of your UFC Gym membership is a great way of mixing up your day-to-day training and improving in all aspects of your grappling.
However, if you’re someone who is just looking for pure Jiu-Jitsu training and are not interested in any of the other things on offer at UFC Gym – then choosing a pure Jiu-Jitsu gym will probably be a better option for you.
Training Partners
As you can imagine from a high-profile brand like the UFC – it brings in a lot of attention from all kinds of people.
Some who just want to look around and see what UFC Gym offers.
And others who are dedicated to learning martial arts, including BJJ.
When these people sign up for a membership and join the gym – they become your training partners.
In my experience, there are two types of training partners which you will meet on the Jiu-Jitsu mats.
Jiu-Jitsu Focused Training Partners
The first type of training partner you can expect to meet are others, just like you, who are there to learn Jiu-Jitsu and who want to progress in their training.
These guys and gals understand that they are there to learn Jiu-Jitsu and not trying out for the UFC with an MMA mindset.
Then there’s the other type you’re likely to encounter.
Trial Members with MMA Mindset
One thing I noticed at my UFC Gym, which seems to be less of an issue at other gyms, is a high volume of trail members.
The UFC brand brings in a lot of attention from UFC fans who just want to come in to the gyms and have a look around.
At the UFC Gym I worked for, their policy was everyone who walks in the door is a potential member and should be offered a free trail to try out the classes before joining and signing a membership.
Free trails at gyms are a great way to try out before you join.
However, I noticed that this made for a high turnover of trial members who came in for one or two lessons and were never seen again.
They normally just wanted to learn what they’d seen in the UFC – how to do an armbar or how to do a triangle choke – but had no interest in learning the fundamentals of Jiu-Jitsu.
It is not ideal to have loads of this type of training partner – but in the eyes of the UFC Gym, they wanted as many new members as possible and their classes full.
Fake Black Belt Exposed
There is a video on YouTube of a BJJ black belt being exposed as a fake at a UFC Gym somewhere in the US.
The video does not make it 100% clear what the fake black belt’s employment status is within the gym.
Is he the head coach, assistant coach? It’s doesn’t say.
But it seems like he is a UFC Gym employee because you can see and hear what appears to be the manager or owner of the gym talking to the man with the camera who has just exposed the fake black belt.
It is important to note that the UFC Gym is a franchise of the UFC.
Meaning, although the UFC own the UFC Gym brand, they are not responsible for running it.
The UFC do not handle the day-to-day management or recruitment of staff.
This responsibility is of the person in charge of the gym itself (the franchisee) – and anyone can buy into a UFC Gym franchise, if they have the money to do so.
More often than not, the owner who buys into the franchise is not a martial arts person, but instead a business person.
And it is their job to recruit their staff.
Clearly in the situation in the video, the owner or manager had not done a good enough job in checking who the man claiming to be a BJJ black belt really was when they hired him.
This is a real problem for both the UFC brand and for the students of that particular UFC Gym.
But, this type of thing is rare.
And I can say with 100% certainty, that the coaches and assistant coaches at the UFC Gym where I worked, were genuine, world class, highly experienced Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belts.
Its just a shame that one dishonest guy can give UFC Gym and all their real coaches a bad reputation.
Conclusion
If you are looking for just pure Jiu-Jitsu training with like-minded BJJ focused training partners, then I personally would recommend a pure BJJ gym like Gracie Academy or Gracie Barra.
You can check out more about Gracie Barra in our article: Gracie Barra Review: Is It Good? Plus, 6 Reasons To Join.
However, if you are looking to mix it up – with Judo, Wrestling, and maybe even striking, Yoga, weight lifting and all the other classes UFC Gym offer – then UFC Gym is a great option for you.
