From intensive film breakdowns to what they call “play sparring” – essentially, repeated simulation of opponent-specific scenarios – Fight Ready MMA distinguishes themselves on methodical and intelligent work.
“I’m actually shocked when other fighters come in, how much they don’t know in certain areas on a technical basis,” Defranco said. “We got a lot of people who are phenomenal fighters that are coming in, and we’re going, ‘How in the heck did you get this far?’ A lot of it is off of toughness and natural ability, and now we’re adding a lot of technical things in, which I don’t think, maybe, not a lot of other gyms have seen. I think we’re very unique in a lot of things we do, but specifically the fighters haven’t seen these techniques, so we’re able to really add some minor technical changes to these fighters’ camps and training regimens, and that’s making huge differences in the camps.”
Through trial and error, the Fight Ready crew seems to have found a recipe that works for them. They still host team-wide practices for their stable of fighters, which include Mark O. Madsen, Tracy Cortez and Kelvin Gastelum, but when it’s time for a main event or championship fight, things get a bit more intense. When someone comes in to prep for a title fight, they construct a custom-made camp for that fighter against that opponent, something they’ve taken to calling a “supercamp,” which is an all-hands-on-deck, holistic approach to an upcoming bout.
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“They are concerned with all the areas that fighters need,” featherweight contender Chan Sung Jung said. “Of course, striking, wrestling, jiu jitsu are the basics. And they care about the mental aspect, including caring and health. The most important part is I can trust them. They use methods to build champions. I can become the champ if I do the same.”
Ask any fighter in the building, and you’ll find them echoing the sentiments from “The Korean Zombie.” The team’s reputation is one built on winning fights and, crucially, winning belts.