Borrowing from Dana White’s speech, “Do you want to be a fighter?” If your answer is yes, then you clicked on the right page! Whether you want to enter a striking, wrestling, or jiu-jitsu fighting style, the road to becoming a professional MMA fighter is the same.
This page discusses everything you need to know to fight pro, such as the excellent age to start, why you should train and compete in amateur fights, why you should join a gym to train, and why you should speak with sponsors and promoters.
When Is a Good Age To Start Training?
Ideally, it’s better to start training as soon as possible to become a professional MMA fighter. The reality is the human body can only take so much. And as a fighter, your body is your weapon. Our body ages with us as we age – regardless of anything we do with our bodies.
A FanDuel Sportsbook favorite like McGregor started boxing when he was 12 years old and later trained for professional MMA. When he was 18, he made his MMA debut in an amateur fight, where he won easily at that. With his talent, he immediately turned professional after his debut. It can hopefully take six years if you’re talented and popular like this fan favorite.
As you can see, starting young is helpful so that your body is already accustomed to the environment of the fights. Also, you must be at least 18 to compete in full-contact fights. So, if you want to compete as early as 18, the best age to start training is 14-16.
Train and Compete in Amateur Fights
Keep in mind that everyone’s learning aptitude isn’t the same as well as their physical prowess. There isn’t an exact amount of time to become a professional MMA fighter. However, you must train your mind and body regularly for approximately two years, at least five times a week. When you train with repetition, your body gets used to the moves; eventually, it can move without thinking about it.
After training for a reasonable amount of time, aspiring professional fighters can then compete in amateur fights to evaluate how well you did in training and how well you can fight against other fighters. Participating in amateur fights helps you and your trainer determine if you’re ready to become a professional MMA fighter or need further training.
Naturally, fighters would try to accumulate numerous amateur fights to gain experience and knowledge of the ring. You must compete in over ten matches and win a few amateur belts before proceeding to the pro level.
Join a MMA Gym
Now that you know the excellent age to start training and how long it can take to become a professional MMA fighter, it’s time to find a reputable gym to start making your way to pro. Before planning a professional career, you would need to start exercising and training to see how it goes. Training at a reputable gym helps you determine your current weakness and how you can improve on it.
You must understand that you need a dedicated MMA gym, even with prior martial arts experience. Changing your gym is necessary if you want to become a professional MMA fighter or fight in amateur competitions.
Find a MMA gym near you. Don’t sign up for just a year! Do your research first and check the coach’s credentials and background. Do their credentials align with your focus in MMA? Also, you can watch a training session to determine if a coach can help a fighter well.
To be successful in your journey, you have to have a good trainer and training partner where you can help each other grow. Remember that how you spend your training time is essential to your success.
Speak with Sponsors and Promoters
In amateur fights, sponsors and promoters would typically observe the “fresh meat” or the future of professional MMA fighting. If you find it challenging for a local business to support your MMA journey, then doing this method might be easier and more effective. Indeed, training, purchasing gear, and fights can be costly, and having a sponsor to support you can be accommodating.
Getting the sponsors’ approval to support you might be easier if you already have fans in the arena. Fans entail that you have the physical prowess to prove it and have fans to back you up when you become even more famous.
Once a sponsor or a promoter supports you, even if it’s by a small company, you must show loyalty by staying committed to the company and endorsing its products and services on social media through multiple posts.
Final Thoughts
The road to becoming a pro may be challenging and overwhelming, but with great determination and discipline, you can become the next Connor McGregor! The more time you spend training and improving your skills, the more you can win amateur fights and move to pro.
Colin spent the last 3 years writing for and with gym owners—from small martial arts schools in the Midwest to big fitness gyms in California. He has also worked with many small businesses over the past 10 years. He’s passionate about fitness, BJJ, reading, and dedicating every spare second to writing for fun. He wants to help business owners tackle the logistics of running a business so they can focus more on their passions too.