Editor’s Note:  This piece of expert content was contributed by longtime mixed martial arts competitor and coach certified by the International MMA Federation, Miguel Antonio Ordoñez. I give him my personal seal of approval; he knows what he’s talking about. – GDM

Gear up!

We know why you’re here. You’re an aspiring MMA fighter, or at least considering to be one. You’ve seen your fair share of UFC fights and thought, ‘That looks like fun. I’m pretty sure I can do that, too.’

If you’re in that mindset, pat yourself on the back. Success in this brutal game requires a healthy level of confidence, even a little bit of narcissism. But like any other planned venture, you must get to step one. In this case, it’s finding the proper gear to get you ready to go. 

But even if you’re just doing this for exercise, welcome. We’re glad you’re here. We’ve narrowed the list to essentials and some nice-to-haves to make things easier for you, especially if you’re considering building your home gym.