The cutting edge of mixed martial arts (MMA) can be found training of High Altitude Martial Arts in Denver Colorado. They are arguably one of the best camps in the sport with an impressive list of athletes and coaches. MMA Junkie named them ‘Gym of the Year’ in 2020.
Unlike other teams, Elevation does not train out of one gym. On any given day you can find the fighters training at Vital Strength & Fitness, Pound 4 Pound, and High Altitude Martial Arts, each owned by different members of the team’s coaching staff.
“I think having the different gyms works well for a lot of reasons,” said Cody Donovan former UFC fighter who is Elevation Fight Team’s grappling coach and co-owner of High Altitude Martial Arts. “None of us are relying on our fighters for a paycheck. We all have successful gyms, and that takes a lot of the pressure away. We’ve seen that go very negative in the past. All of us, all the coaches, we were training partners before. We all came up on different teams. We saw things go well. We saw things go bad. That’s part of the process here. We’re doing it the way we wished we could’ve always had it.”
Cody Donovan
The Elevation coaching structure gives the athletes a choice. They get to choose who they want to work with, who they want to corner them. They get find the personality that works best for them and gives them options stylistically. It’s all about the fighters. The athlete/coach relationship is a special one and you can see the magic happen when they connect. Along with Donovan, the staff includes Christian Allen, Vinnie Lopez, and Justin Houghton. There are several other independent coaches who train with the team such as Trevor Whittman. One of the greatest things about Elevation is there is no animosity. The coaches and fighters understand the working relationship and what is required to win fights.
Neil Magny (UFC’s Welterweight with the most wins) and Cory Sandhagen (#3 ranked UFC Bantamweight) are looked upon as the team captains. They are the voice of the fighters. The relationship between the team members and coaches are much stronger because of them. The team is bonded by mutual respect between fighters and coaching staff.
One of the biggest benefits of training with the team is the high level talent you get to test yourself with on a day to day basis. Not to mention you are at a higher elevation which gives you an advantage in the fight. The MMA coaching is innovative and quality of instruction is undeniable.
The big all team sparring sessions are held at the new High Altitude Martial Arts. The new world class facility is ready to host its fight team!
How Do I Train With Elevation?
We get this question a lot and we review case by case. Please send all inquiries to highaltitudema@gmail.com or via Instagram.
