Ranking the 10 Best Camps in MMA Right Now | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors
Andrew Mckinney Reign MMA
Led by active middleweight contender Mark Munoz, Reign MMA is one of the most rapidly developing camps in MMA right now.
Already home to Munoz and Jake Ellenberger, Reign MMA also recently welcomed Chael Sonnen to its team. No. 1 heavyweight contender Fabricio Werdum has also trained at the camp, which is located in Southern California.
Munoz appears to be a natural coach. Considering he has taken the gym this far while competing, Munoz could turn Reign MMA into one of the top gyms in the sport should he continue instructing following his MMA career.
With Benson Henderson losing the lightweight championship, MMA Lab's stock has fallen. Still, the Arizona-based gym is among the strongest in MMA.
Coach John Crouch has led Henderson and John Moraga to recent title bouts. He's also aided in the development of rising bantamweight Alex Caceres and the resurrection of Jamie Varner's career.
As long as they have Henderson, MMA Lab will be a championship-caliber gym, and sometimes that's all that's needed to keep the talent coming.
Tristar Gym
Not many months ago, Tristar Gym in Montreal, Canada, might have been among the top five gyms in MMA. However, Georges St-Pierre's exit from competition has revealed the team might not be quite as strong as it once appeared.
Currently, Rory MacDonald and Francis Carmont are the camp's only ranked UFC fighters. Rick Hawn, Ivan Menjivar, Yves Jabouin, Mark Bocek, John Makdessi, Alex Garcia, Mike Ricci and others add solid depth, but the gym is short on title threats.
The former welterweight champion has left Tristar Gym in decent shape, but his return could bring the Firas Zahabi-coached team back toward the top.
Team Quest
It isn't what it once was, but Team Quest is still plugging away under Dan Henderson.
Along with Randy Couture and Matt Lindland, Henderson founded the California-based team 15 years ago. Although the team's depth has diminished since then, Hendo and Tarec Saffiedine are keeping UFC title hopes alive for now.
While he recently joined Reign MMA, Sonnen also continues to work with Henderson and Team Quest regularly.
Cesar Gracie Fight Team
Whether you want to file them under Cesar Gracie Fight Team or Skrap Pack, a nasty group of fighters has congregated in Northern California.
Even without Nick Diaz being active, some of the best in the world work at Cesar Gracie's gym. Nate Diaz and Jake Shields are regulars, while lightweight title challenger Gilbert Melendez and women's bantamweight title challenger Alexis Davis stop by on occasion.
If the former Strikeforce champion returns to competition, Cesar Gracie Fight Team could be a top-10 MMA camp again.