The South Side of Chicago will welcome its first UFC Gym on Saturday, Nov. 15, when the mixed martial arts (MMA) fitness center opens in Morgan Park.
Located at 11520 S. Marshfield Ave., UFC Gym Morgan Park is set to open in the former Esporta Fitness location that closed its doors abruptly in April 2024.
According to officials, UFC Gym is affiliated with the Ultimate Fighting Championship and has 160 locations and 500 additional locations currently in development globally.
The fitness center will hold a grand opening celebration on Saturday, Nov. 15, from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Throughout the day, visitors can tour the building, try classes and sample the new recovery room.
UFC Gym Morgan Park aims to increase accessibility to the benefits of world-class MMA athlete training programs to everyone, regardless of age or athletic ability.
Shane Sherman, general manager of UFC Gym Morgan Park, has worked in the fitness industry for some two decades including at the former Esporta Fitness. For Sherman, UFC Gym Morgan Park stands apart from other fitness centers.
“We are going to have a larger variety,” he said. “Most gyms, when you walk in they have a basic setup with machines, free weights, cardio and some classes. Here, we are really well-rounded. Just from the time you walk in, if you look to the right, we have a whole recovery room.”
To the left of the entrance is another amenity that sets UFC Gym Morgan Park apart—childcare.
“We have a full childcare,” he said. “Most gyms post-pandemic have eliminated a childcare. It leaves a lot of parents, a lot of single parents, struggling to be able to fit the aspect of working out into their daily routine.”
At UFC Gym, that barrier has been removed. Sherman said the gym also plans to offer a youth program to help promote staying active for younger people.
“This is going to be an opportunity for kids ages 5 to 12 to come in and be able to work out,” he said, “to be able to get discipline into their lives and be able to get some kind of structure.”
The Morgan Park location plans to offer guests amenities including a strength training room with free weights, Olympic lifting platforms, robust cardio and functional equipment, a bag room, and an Octagon, UFC’s signature octagon-shaped fighting ring.
Adults will have a range of choices as well. Members can lift weights, work one on one with a trainer, take classes, try MMA training, sign up for jujitsu, Muay Thai, yoga, Zumba or boxing, or just relax in the sauna.
“We really cater to everybody,” Sherman said. “Even if you have people who just want to come in and sit in a sauna and just relax, they can do that.”
To further support a healthy lifestyle, the gym will feature a full-body, advanced recovery area, providing pre- and post-workout treatments, massages and steam rooms.
Sherman hopes the gym’s hours will help to make physical fitness more accessible for everyone’s schedule.
“One of the best things that I keep telling people is Monday through Friday, we’re 24 hours,” he said, “So, if you can’t sleep in the middle of the night and you want to get a workout in, you can come work out.”
According to Sherman, every coach at UFC Gym Morgan Park must have up-to-date certifications. Additionally, some of the MMA coaches are former MMA athletes.
“We are only bringing on people who have the criteria,” he said. “They have the education; they have the experience; and they have the knowledge to be able to give people results and keep them safe.”
Beyond the classes and the recovery room, Sherman emphasized the benefits of one-on-one help.
“Every membership comes with a coach,” Sherman said. “Your membership will give you the opportunity to sit down with a professional. We don’t want anybody coming in and just feeling lost or feeling overwhelmed.”
More than 2,000 members have already signed up at the local site, Sherman said.
For more information, visit UFC Gym’s website at ufcgym.com.