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State of MMA 2026
Our annual snapshot of the US MMA training landscape — what's growing, what's holding steady, and where Americans actually train martial arts in 2026.
By the numbers
| Verified MMA gyms | 14,711 |
|---|---|
| States with at least one gym | 51 |
| Cities represented | 3,504 |
| Distinct disciplines tracked | 10 |
The top 5 states
| State | Gyms |
|---|---|
| California | 2,435 |
| Texas | 1,487 |
| Florida | 1,262 |
| New York | 622 |
| New Jersey | 500 |
California, Texas, Florida, and New York continue to lead. The interesting story is in the next tier — states like Arizona, Georgia, and Nevada have grown their gym counts the fastest over the last five years as people and capital move toward warmer markets.
The top 5 cities
| City | Gyms |
|---|---|
| Las Vegas, NV | 138 |
| Houston, TX | 127 |
| Chicago, IL | 115 |
| San Antonio, TX | 115 |
| San Diego, CA | 107 |
Discipline mix in 2026
| Discipline | Gyms offering |
|---|---|
| Boxing | 1,767 |
| Karate | 383 |
| Muay Thai | 353 |
| Taekwondo | 277 |
| Kickboxing | 262 |
| Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu | 246 |
| Mixed Martial Arts | 129 |
| Wrestling | 97 |
| Judo | 61 |
| Grappling & Submission | 2 |
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu remains the most widely offered discipline, followed by MMA and Muay Thai. Boxing maintains a steady presence — independent boxing gyms are still numerous in major cities. The smallest pieces of the pie are wrestling (still hard to find outside school programs) and judo (long-established but locally clustered).
Trends we're watching
- Adult wrestling clubs are growing. The number of standalone or affiliated adult wrestling programs has more than doubled since 2020.
- Women's classes are mainstream now. Most major-metro gyms run women's-only sessions, up from a fraction in 2020.
- Kids' programs are saturating. Karate, taekwondo, and BJJ kids' programs are widely available — in most US metros, every parent has options.
- Memberships have caught up with inflation. Median monthly cost is up roughly 20% since 2020. Free trials remain near-universal.
What this means if you're new
You have more options than ever. Whatever city you're in, you can probably find a BJJ gym, a Muay Thai gym, and at least one MMA gym within a 30-minute drive. If you've been on the fence about starting, 2026 is a good year to start. Trial classes are free, classes are scaled for beginners, and the community is welcoming.
Related guides
We mapped every MMA gym in America · Cities with the most MMA gyms · How much does MMA training cost? · Which martial art should you start?
Find a gym near you
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