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Martial arts gym in San Jose, California
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
Luke Rockhold (Former
UFC Middleweight Champion , former
Strikeforce Middleweight Champion)
Daniel Cormier (former
UFC Heavyweight Champion , former
UFC Light Heavyweight Champion , former
Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix Champion )
Khabib Nurmagomedov (former
UFC Lightweight Champion )
Cain Velasquez (former 2-time
UFC Heavyweight champion )
B.J. Penn (former
UFC Lightweight Champion , former
UFC Welterweight Champion )
Brian Johnston (1st
UFC Fighter from AKA,
Strikeforce ,
New Japan Pro Wrestling )
Leon Edwards (current
UFC Welterweight Champion )
Jon Fitch (
WSOF ,
UFC )
Josh Thomson (
UFC ,
Strikeforce )
Josh Koscheck (
UFC )
Frank Shamrock (
UFC ,
Strikeforce )
Cung Le (
UFC ,
Strikeforce )
Bobby Lashley (
Bellator ,
Strikeforce )
Sean Sherk (
UFC )
Daniel Puder (
Strikeforce )
Billy Evangelista (
WEC ,
Strikeforce )
Muhammed Lawal (
Bellator ,
Strikeforce )
Miesha Tate (
UFC ,
Strikeforce )
Bethe Correia (
UFC )
Mike Swick (
UFC )
Ron Keslar (
Bellator ,
Strikeforce )
Kyle Kingsbury (
UFC )
Andre Fialho (
UFC )
Tyson Griffin (
WSOF ,
UFC ,
Strikeforce )
Todd Duffee (
UFC )
Phil Baroni (
UFC ,
Bellator )
Gray Maynard (
UFC )
Lavar Johnson (
Bellator ,
UFC ,
WEC ,
Strikeforce )
Justin Wilcox (
Bellator ,
Strikeforce )
Mike Kyle (
WSOF ,
Strikeforce ,
UFC ,
WEC )
Trevor Prangley (
KOTC ,
WSOF ,
Strikeforce ,
UFC )
Herschel Walker (
Strikeforce )
Paul Buentello (
WSOF ,
Strikeforce ,
UFC ,
Bellator )
Nate Moore (
Strikeforce )
Rich Crunkilton (
WEC )
Christian Wellisch (
UFC ,
WEC )
Kickboxers
Boxers
Wrestlers
Awards
See also
References
^
"About" . American Kickboxing Academy . Retrieved February 20, 2020 .
^
"Jon Fitch, Christian Wellisch and possibly others cut by UFC" . MMAMania.com . November 19, 2008. Retrieved February 10, 2009 .
^ 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 .
^
"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 .
^
"2015 Gym of the Year" . Mmajunkie . Retrieved December 28, 2015 .
^ 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 .
External links
Americas
Asia
Europe
Oceania