San Diego is best known for its perfect weather, beautiful women, sandy beaches and now, its Mixed Martial Arts. Southern California could easily get the award for best MMA training in the world and the San Diego area may very well be the epicenter of SoCal’s MMA scene.

MMA gyms are almost as frequent in San Diego as McDonald’s, one being at virtually every intersection. Not only are there many options in San Diego, but there are very good options. These are not your run-of-the-mill karate-sized gym at the corner of a strip mall.

These are fully-equipped, fully-functioning MMA compounds gyms the size of an L.A. Fitness Center or Bally’s. With unlimited training options available, the competition is fierce, and the instruction level top notch. If other gyms in the area are comparable to a compound, Alliance MMA training center may very well be a city.

Just a short jaunt from downtown San Diego, in Chula Vista, the Alliance Training Center facility boasts an impressive 15,000 square feet of gym space. That is not a typo. There are actually supposed to be three 0’s after that comma.

Included in that massive number is 1800 square feet of mat space, a 24 foot Octagon and a 24 foot boxing ring. Nothing fancy is encased behind the walls of this gym. You’re not going to find a juice bar where you can enjoy your favorite fad herbs in a blended drink here.

Nor will you witness “gel heads” wearing their $90 Affliction and Ed Hardy shirts during sparring sessions. You will find yourself in a “fighter’s gym”, where people go to learn the unadulterated versions of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Muay Thai Kick Boxing, Boxing and Mixed Martial Arts.

Story written by Santino DeFranco