Business & Tech

UFC Gym Has Big Plans After Acquiring LA Boxing

As the general manager of UFC Gym in the Chicago area, Dave Nykiel has learned to fight—the gyms teach boxing,  jiu jitsu and more—but perhaps his greatest fight is against any misconceptions people might have before coming there.

“We’re a fitness gym, not a fighter’s gym,” said Nykiel, who manages the Orland Park location. “People turn on the TV, see UFC, and think they’ll get kicked in the face if they come here. Or, they think it’s strictly for moms doing a cardio-style kickboxing. But it’s for everybody.”

UFC, the Ultimate Fighting Championship, has seen its popularity skyrocket since the mid-2000’s, when the mixed martial arts company began to get new TV deals and more mainstream media coverage. Earlier this year it announced the purchase of all LA Boxing gyms nationwide, including those in Orland Park, Oak Lawn and Lake View.  

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Nykiel, a Tinley Park native, started as an LA Boxing member in 2012 and eventually became the manager there. He’s a former Division-I baseball player at Northern Illinois, so he’s done some heavy lifting and since had his spine fused. Instead of putting stress on his body with weight training, he said the UFC Gym’s style of conditioning has him in the best shape he’s ever been in.

The gym operates primarily with group classes in boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai,  jiu jitsu, self defense and more, though one-on-one training is available for more money. Members can come by the gym any time to join one of the group classes or to spar in the boxing ring, UFC-style hexagon ring and jiu jitsu mats. No classes require prior skill level, Nykiel said, and he added that it’s for all ages—the Orland Park gym’s youngest member is 6 and the oldest is 70.

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He also said that no one will hit you, unless you want to practice that. Many classes take place in the rows of punching bags, which Nykiel said is a positive way many people deal with stress.

“It’s fun. You get to hit something,” he said. “If you’re tired of walking on the treadmill or lifting weights, this is a change. We help a lot of people through a lot of different problems. Not just physical issues, but mental ones, too. They can come and relieve the stress in a constructive way."

The staff is also full of experience: former UFC welterweight fighters, a mixed martial arts fighter in the Philippines and more people bring their expertise but not their egos, Nykiel said. “They’ve got nothing to prove here. They’re the most humble people.”

Since the UFC acquisition, which transitioned locations across the country in 2013, he said the name recognition has been nice to have. There are currently five UFC Gym locations in the Chicago area, but a lot more are planned to open in 2014. Nykiel said even more classes and programs will be coming to the gyms next year and that they will feature UFC fitness DVDs as well. And, if the exercise isn’t enough and you want to train to fight like the budding stars we see on UFC events, the gym can help with that, too.

“It’s not something members will do immediately, but we’ll get you there,” Nykiel said. “It takes a lot of time and dedication and hard work. But whatever you want, we can get you there.”

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