MMA Gym Near Me in Gravesend: Lions Fight Under the F Train

Lions Fight prices its McDonald Avenue classes by how often you come: $190 a month for one lesson a week, $240 for two, $280 for three and $350 for unlimited, with a free trial lesson first. The center is at 1912 McDonald Ave in Gravesend, Brooklyn, a few minutes' walk from the Avenue P and Kings Highway stops on the F, and it is the one Lions Fight location that teaches mixed martial arts. Adult MMA runs Tuesday and Thursday from 7:30pm to 9:30pm. For anyone in south Brooklyn searching mma gym near me, the two-hour weeknight blocks are the main draw.

Lions Fight says it has served the community since 2000 and counts more than 100 world and national champions among its students, some now fighting in the UFC, Bellator, Glory, Combat at the Garden and Ring of Combat. Its president, Artyom Sahakyan, is president of the WCKO, the World Combat Kickboxing Organization, a US national team coach and a sixth-level black belt in kickboxing and sanshou.

The striking pedigree runs through the whole staff list: six-time super heavyweight world champion Vahe Sahakyan, four-time K-1 world champion Irakli Ghvinjilia, and Glory fighter and Bellator champion David Meskhoradze. That is the backdrop to the MMA classes here: expect sharp kickboxing to sit at the center of the curriculum.

Zarrukh Adashev is the name MMA fans will recognize. The team page lists him as a UFC fighter and Bellator champion, a US national team member and a 2012 kickboxing world championship silver medalist. Farrukh Sadullaev brings combat sambo, Greco-Roman and freestyle wrestling medals and a Latvian MMA championship, and Soso Nijaradze lists a Universal Fighting world title and a Georgian MMA championship.

Roman Kurashvili's record includes Ring of Combat and Eurasia MMA titles, and Zezva Ebelashvili adds world combat sambo podiums and a junior Olympic title, so the grappling side of the room is as decorated as the striking side. Between them the staff covers takedowns, sambo-style throws and ground control, which is what turns a kickboxing gym into a credible MMA room.

On Tuesday and Thursday the evening is stacked: kids' kickboxing at 5pm, kids' and teens' MMA from 6pm to 7:30pm, then the adult MMA group from 7:30pm to 9:30pm. Saturday has two teen-and-adult MMA blocks, 11:30am to 1pm and 2:30pm to 4pm, which suit anyone who works late on weekdays.

Monday, Wednesday and Friday at McDonald Avenue are kickboxing nights, with kids at 5pm, teens at 6pm and adults from 7:30pm to 9pm. Pairing two kickboxing nights with the Tuesday and Thursday MMA blocks gives a full fight week on the unlimited plan.

The frequency pricing makes the decision simple. If you only want the Tuesday MMA block, $190 covers it. Two nights a week costs $240. At three classes a week the $280 plan is better value, and the $350 unlimited plan only pays off if you come four or more times. Private lessons are also available at the gym or at your location.

Our honest take: because adult MMA classes run two hours, the one-lesson plan is more training than it sounds. A beginner taking a single Tuesday block and a Saturday session is already getting four hours of mat time a week, so start there before paying for unlimited.

The gym describes its MMA as a mix of Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Muay Thai, boxing and wrestling, with the stated aims of self-defense, fitness and a fighter's mindset. Its program page lists striking with punches, kicks, elbows and knees, grappling and takedowns from wrestling and jiu-jitsu, and a mental side covering discipline, emotional control and resilience.

The kids' and teens' MMA program is built around safety and structure, with belts earned along the way. Parents who want their children training while they do can use the 6pm teen block and the 7:30pm adult block on the same evening.

This is, in the gym's own words, a traditional, international and old-school martial arts gym, and the coaches' bios list titles won in Armenia, Georgia, Latvia, Russia, Greece and Germany. Women are coached too: Yulia Guseva is a US national champion and 2012 world championship silver medalist, and the gym runs a separate women's cardio kickboxing program. One homepage review thanks the gym for being an outlet during a hard stretch of life.

Expect structured, coach-led classes rather than a free-for-all. Bring gloves, shin guards and a mouthguard once you join, and arrive early for the 7:30pm block, which follows straight on from the teen class. The two-hour format leaves room for a long technical section and live rounds in the same night, so pack two shirts and plenty of water. If you train on Saturday, the 2:30pm block finishes at 4pm, which leaves the evening free and avoids the weeknight rush on the F.

The F train runs on an elevated structure above McDonald Avenue, and Avenue P and Kings Highway are the closest stations. Lions Fight has three more Brooklyn centers, including one on the third floor at 2085 Coney Island Avenue near Kings Highway, but those focus on kickboxing, jiu-jitsu, karate and judo rather than MMA.

After a Saturday session, Kings Highway's shopping strip is the nearest place for food and errands. If you want MMA nearer Mill Basin, Brooklyn Mixed Martial Arts at 2418 Ralph Avenue, founded in 2008 by Terry Gold, runs all-levels adult MMA on Monday and Wednesday nights and offers a free first class.

Lions Fight McDonald Avenue, 1912 McDonald Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11223. Adult MMA Tuesday and Thursday 7:30pm to 9:30pm; teen and adult MMA Saturday 11:30am to 1pm and 2:30pm to 4pm; kids and teens MMA Tuesday and Thursday 6pm. Monthly plans: $190 one lesson a week, $240 two, $280 three, $350 unlimited. Free trial lesson. Subway: F to Avenue P or Kings Highway.