Sherdog’s Top 10: Training Camps

Patrick WymanApr 22, 2015
Jon Jones serves as the centerpiece of the Jackson-Wink MMA camp. | Photo: D. Mandel/Sherdog.com



1. Jackson-Wink MMA


Albuquerque, N.M., is a scrappy city, and it is fitting that a place with a long tradition of combat sports excellence -- and one located a mile above sea level -- would be home to one of MMA’s finest gyms. Greg Jackson and Mike Winklejohn have formed one of the sport’s most productive partnerships. The two coaches balance each other perfectly, formulating picture-perfect game plans while playing good cop and bad cop to some of the biggest egos and greatest talents to ever strap on a pair of four-ounce gloves.

Strong wrestling, good top control and unorthodox striking form the basis of the Jackson-Wink MMA formula, topped off with a strong dose of excellent strategic thinking. Their subsidiary coaches, including Brandon Gibson and the crew at Donald Cerrone’s ranch, do an excellent job of filling in with the extensive roster that populates the team.

Jackson-Wink is a massive team. It spans several locations and boasts dozens of fighters on the roster at any given time. UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones is the centerpiece, of course, but it also includes Cerrone, Andrei Arlovski, Alistair Overeem, Cub Swanson, Michelle Waterson, Holly Holm and many, many more.

With recent expansions into new facilities and the acquisition of proper living facilities for visiting fighters, Jackson-Wink MMA will likely remain at the top for a long time to come.

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HONORABLE MENTIONS: Evolve MMA, Black House, Xtreme Couture, AMC Pankration, MMA Lab, Chute Boxe, Team Takedown, SBG Ireland, Allstars Training Center, Reign MMA, Roufusport, Team Nogueira

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