American Kickboxing Academy
The American Kickboxing Academy is a mixed martial arts gym based in San Jose, California. It is one of the pioneering schools of mixed martial arts. 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 President Dana White over the exclusive license rights for a UFC video game. 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.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.
Notable fighters
Mixed martial artists
Current
- Islam Makhachev
- Usman Nurmagomedov
- Umar Nurmagomedov
- Tagir Ulanbekov
- Tai Tuivasa
- Arjan Bhullar
- Islam Mamedov
- Gabriel Benítez
- Zubaira Tukhugov
- Abubakar Nurmagomedov
- Kyle Crutchmer
- Enrique Barzola
- Blagoy Ivanov
Notable alumni
- Khabib Nurmagomedov
- Daniel Cormier
- Cain Velasquez
- Luke Rockhold
- Leon Edwards
- Germaine de Randamie
- Frank Shamrock
- Miesha Tate
- Sean Sherk
- Liam McGeary
- Muhammed Lawal
- Josh Thomson
- Cung Le
- Josh Koscheck
- Jon Fitch
- Mike Swick
- Gray Maynard
- Dan Ige
- Ed Ruth
- Alejandro Pérez
- Shawn Bunch
- Deron Winn
- Andre Fialho
- Ruslan Magomedov
- Phil Baroni
- Bobby Lashley
- Herschel Walker
- Paul Buentello
- Tyson Griffin
- Mike Kyle
- Trevor Prangley
- Justin Wilcox
- Lavar Johnson
- Billy Evangelista
- Ousmane Thomas Diagne
- Brianna Fortino
- Marius Žaromskis
- Brian Johnston
- Ron Keslar
- Kyle Kingsbury
- Daniel Puder
- Nate Moore
- Rich Crunkilton
- Christian Wellisch
- Tony Johnson
- Todd Duffee
Kickboxers
Boxers
Wrestlers
Awards
- MMAJunkie.com
- *2015 Gym of the Year
- CombatPress.com
- *2018 Gym of the Year