When people think of American MMA, they think of fighters from the West Coast. Fighters such as Tito Ortiz, Chuck Liddell, Ronda Rousey and “The California Kid” Urijah Faber come to mind. Maybe the nice weather does something to breed top-notch fighters out there.
However, the cold tundra of the Midwest provides the perfect breeding ground for many top-notch combat athletes.
The Midwest has some of the top fight gyms in the country, including Kronk Gym in Detroit, ran by the late, great Emanuel Steward, which produced Tommy “The Hitman” Hearns.
Along with Kronk, Midwestern MMA camps, such as Miletich Fighting Systems in Iowa and Roufusport in Milwaukee, are producing some of the best fighters in the world.
The Midwest is home to legendary wrestler Dan Gable from Iowa, who went 181-1 in his collegiate career and won two national titles. He then went on to win the 1972 Olympic gold medal without giving up a single point.
Iowa is also home to Travis Fulton, who racked up more than 300 MMA fights.
And you have have the top MMA organization in the Midwest, Xtreme Fighting Organization (XFO), which has produced top notch fighters like Jeff and Pat Curran, Bart Palaszewski and Clay Guida.
The Midwest is a hotbed for some of the top MMA fighters in the world. Let’s take a look at some of the Midwest’s finest…