For some, it’s a destination gym.
It is 27,000 square feet of training, a place where a number of the biggest mixed martial arts fighters in the UFC are housed. It is a chance to hone skills and develop them — to get in a workout and rub elbows with the pros.
But for others, it’s a little different.
When BJ Jones enters Power MMA and Fitness, there are no cameras and no televisions. The only announcements are the sudden changes on the day’s in-house playlist.
Nobody has paid to come see him fight, and whether he wins or loses his next match has no bearing on his career.
Jones is here because he wants to be, because Power MMA and Fitness has become one of the stops on his path to recovery.
“All you have to do is look around,” general manager Ryan MacNeil said. “You have music pumping through this gym. You have guys who you watch as your friends — it’s not like these guys don’t talk to the members; they’re probably the most friendly, outgoing, caring group of guys I’ve ever met. They care about every person who comes through this door.”
At any other hour, CB Dollaway, Aaron Simpson and Ryan Bader, former ASU wrestlers who are now three rising MMA stars, are in the octagon. They are battling it out with their trainers or fighting for a chance at the title on television. Celebrities in their own right, they are dedicated to their sport.
But recently, they helped Jones out of his wheelchair and onto the mat. They took the time out of preparing for their fights to give this one-time wrestler an opportunity to grapple again.
Ten years ago, Jones was a NCAA Division II wrestler who walked away from sports to pursue his passion for art. After taking up residence in Alaska for four years, he came to Arizona.
That was when his life changed again.
Jones was involved in a car accident that put him in a coma and ultimately left him paralyzed.
“I believe in karma,” Jones said. “I believe in being nice, and these guys are nice. These guys have given me the chance to do something that I haven’t done in over five years. I feel very fortunate.”
But the story here is not one of sympathy, glory or accolades. This is a story about family.
“We want to have that family atmosphere, that tight bond in our gym,” Bader said. “We want the people who are involved in Power to be a big family. We want to be loyal to our customers and vice versa. When somebody signs up, we want them to stay with us forever, and I think that will happen. We have a group of great guys — a core group who has been waiting for this for a long time.”
But Power MMA and Fitness is not just for mixed martial arts, or those pursuing a career in the UFC. Though it boasts over 5,000 square feet of mat space, the gym is all-inclusive.
In addition to the full size octagon and boxing ring, there are free weights, turf for agility, specific elite training, cardio equipment and a full-size basketball court.
“As far as MMA gyms in the Valley, there are a ton of them,” Bader said. “They don’t have the amenities we have. We have a whole side of the gym that is just dedicated to fitness. It’s different because you can do cardio and instead of watching television you can look over and watch pros who you would see in the UFC sparring in the cage.”
And the staff has made it a point to make everyone feel welcome.
“I think that’s the thing with the family experience,” Dollaway said. “You’re going to come in here and you’re not going to be intimidated. A lot of people think of an MMA gym and they worry they’re going to have to go in and spar. You can come in here and just lift weights. You can box. It is as real as you want it to be.”
Power MMA and Fitness, scheduled to open in mid-February, offers members the opportunity to train with personnel responsible for the careers of Bader and Dollaway. Members can take classes instructed by the professionals themselves.
“You get to train with the best guys in the world, the best trainers,” Bader said. “We’ve been through it. We’ve been to different camps, we’ve been with different coaches and we’ve fought. A lot of us have over 15 fights. We know what it takes to win, what it takes to succeed. We have that part of it down.”
But they also are working toward perfecting the family atmosphere that goes with it. Their goal is not just about producing professional fighters; they want everyone to feel welcome.
“We’re opening up the gym,” Bader said. “We’re going to be the biggest, baddest gym in Arizona, with all the UFC guys and all the fighters that people can train alongside. But it’s more than that. We’re not just in and out. It’s a family oriented deal in here.
“Once you’re part of our team, it is all about loyalty and we’re going to make sure you have the most opportunity, for whatever your goals are, to fulfill them.”
Reach the reporter at emiley.darling@asu.edu
