How I Built a $1M/Year MMA Gym And Work Only 10 Hours a Week — And How You Can Too!

Marcos is a black belt mixed martial artist and former competitor, having won the 2005 ADCC North American Trials and having fought pro-MMA.  In 2001, he opened up the Freestyle Fighting Academy, in Miami, Florida.  Despite the many competition successes his gym had, including having produced multiple athletes into the ADCC and UFC, his gym was failing financially.  All that changed in 2005... at the brink of bankruptcy, in a desperation play, Marcos flew to Maryland to study the martial arts business directly under renowned champion coach and businessman, Master Lloyd Irvin.  From that point on, Marcos' business took off.  The Freestyle Fighting Academy has had an average annual gross income of over $1 million since 2007 and continues to be an immensely successful MMA gym. Marcos has flown around the country to study under many different marketers and businessmen, has digested dozens of books and seminars, and has accumulated decades of real world experience running a mixed martial arts competition gym.  Along with his gym's success, Marcos has helped hundreds of MMA and BJJ gym owners succeed with their gyms.  He has sold hundreds of MMA business video systems and has led seminars, training workshops, and mastermind groups for over a thousand gym owners and staff.  Outside of the martial arts business, Marcos also operates a firearms training academy, a women's fitness bootcamp, and an online retail business.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, about half of all new businesses in the USA will fail within five years!  And we can imagine that within the half that doesn’t, there’s a considerable amount that’s just getting by… because by the 10^th year, that percentage rises to 70%!  Meaning 7 out of 10 businesses will be CLOSED DOWN within ten years.

According to a study done by The Alternative Board, 82% of small business owners work over 40 hours a week – with about half of all small business owners working over 50 hours a week.  Only 57% take vacations – and when they do, 67% of them will check on work at least once a day.  According to a study from Inc Magazine, the average small business owner works at LEAST one weekend a month.  Sound familiar?

When you’re working overtime, on weekends, and are on call 24/7, and are making barely enough to survive – how is that freedom?  Odds are, you’re likely the head instructor of your gym and the place would fall apart if you weren’t there – so how are you “free”?  Compare your “freedom” to the average full time employee… the average full time employee often makes more money than the struggling small business owner, isn’t saddled with the debt of launching a new business, can take sick days off when they really want to miss a day of work, has vacation and holiday pay, has weekends off, and when they clock out at 5pm – they CLOCK OUT… they’re not on call.  If they get sick of the job, they can quit and start a new job as if nothing happened… should the small business owner fail, they face all kinds of debt and the consequences that come with that!

It’s rough out there guys and gals!  It’s not just you struggling – and I know EXACTLY how you feel.  I can say that with extreme confidence because I was about to close my gym down within the first three years… I was almost part of the statistic.  What changed everything for me was doing what you’re about to do – which was seek out expert advice from a successful gym owner.

All that being said, the “myth” can be true! I make a lot of money, work very little, and am TOTALLY FREE. I started with nothing and now have my dream home paid off in full, have an additional beach vacation home, my cars and boats are paid in full, and I do whatever I want. Every morning, I wake up when I wake up – I do not wake up to an alarm. I’ve never not been able to do something because of a time commitment or because of money.

And of course, this freedom extends to my family – my wife, who is co-owner of our gym, at 45 years old, went back to school, earned her biology degree, and got accepted into Medical School at 49 years old. It’s via the systems I have in place – the autonomy – that we could do this.  My school is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with classes starting at 6am and ending at 1:45am, has hundreds of students, with two full size training rooms, a boxing ring, and a cage,… last time I checked, we offer over 80 classes a week – and of those eighty classes, I only teach three – two adult classes and one kids class… that’s it! I teach those classes out of passion – but often if I don’t feel like going, I don’t! I normally work about 10 hours a week at my gym… and I accomplished this by my late 30’s.