Mujeres al Timón
It is not easy to explain in our country what Mixed Martial Arts are. Watching two elite athletes beating each other in an octagonal cage is not, so far, something popular in Spain. However, the events organized by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), the main company behind these fights, manage to gather a global fan base of 305 million people.
Numbers are clear. According to the sport events management company IMG, the UFC broadcasts paid events to 1 billion households in 40 different languages. Its social platforms has near 80 million followers and it’s the sport with the youngest fanbase, with an average of 43% of fans between 18 and 34 years old. In 2019, Conor McGregor, one of the most charismatic fighters in the UFC, was making $12.2 million per fight. At that time, the Irishman had just faced the boxer Floyd Mayweather in 2017, in an event where they earned 130 and 280 million dollars respectively.
About two and a half months ago, the 4 million followers on Khamzat Chimaev’s Instagram account, one of the most popular stars in the UFC, saw the Chechen fighter walking through the streets of Torrevieja. He was not alone, along with him great MMA stars, such as Alexander Gustafsson or Darren Till, came to this Alicante’s town to visit the facilities of the new Allstars Training Center, which could become the Mecca of MMA in Europe.
We have spoken with Christ Ishoo, entrepreneur, promoter and the co-founder of Allstars Spain along with Reza «Mad Dog» Madadi, former MMA fighter and trainer:
Christ Ishoo and Reza Madadi, second and third from left respectively, along with other members of the Allstars.
Importing the scandinavian model
-How did you come about with the idea of bringing the Allstars training centers to Torrevieja?
Initially the idea comes from my good friend Reza «Mad Dog» Madadi, a former UFC fighter. Reza forged a good career in the world of the elite Mixed Martial Arts, after which he retired to Spain.
A few years ago we had the idea of opening an MMA gym in Torrevieja. With his contacts from Sweden, where he is very well known, we thought in organizing training camps for Swedish fighters who wanted to train here. That’s how the idea started.
Three and a half years ago we started working hard to find the ideal location and we started to set everything in motion. Many people at first did not understand what we wanted to do. In the end we found this place in Torrevieja, which is an ideal place.
It was then when Reza said that we must bring the Allstars gyms to Spain, one of the best known training centers in Sweden, and with whom he had a close relationship. This is how we brought here some of the world class MMA fighters such as Alexander Gustafsson, Khamzat Chimaev and many more.
Reza Madadi and Alexander Gustafsson training the new Allstars fighters.
-What is the project behind Allstars?
We have brought together the best, they are top athletes in the world. I am a businessman. So we looked for a large facility where we could combine MMA with crossfit and an outdoor gym. But we also have a cafeteria and shop, so the concept is different. It is not a place to just go to train, it is a place to be.
Allstars will be where the stars are made
The concept is to create Allstars gyms whit its own identity. Our gyms in Sweden are blue and black, here in Spain they are yellow and black. We want to open these types of gyms around the world that attract the best fighters. Allstars will be where stars are made.
We also want to have the ability to train new MMA coaches to help grow the sport around the world. In this way, once there are gyms open in Las Vegas, in Jakarta, here in Torrevieja… people will be able to identify them by their colors and know where the fighter comes from and who they represent.
World’s MMA Mecca
-Why have you chosen Torrevieja to stablish your project?
Many people asked me that! [laughs]. The answer is simple. If I walk down in the street’s of Marbella with Reza, Chimaev or Gustafsson, I won’t be able to walk 5 meters without some people stopping me to ask for photos. Torrevieja right now is a very calm city and an ideal place for a fighter who needs to be calm and focused on his objective. That’s why I chosed this location.
Also, I live here. So I know that I can offer the best fighters in the UFC a place where they can train and go to the beach without anyone recognizing them. In big cities they can’t even go out to a corner, it’s a bit stressful.
Indoor facilities.
-Talking about that. We have seen great stars of the UFC coming to train at your Allstars facilities in Torrevieja. Can Alicante become a kind of world’s MMA Mecca?
[At this moment the conversation is interrupted and, after a few seconds, Reza Madadi joins the interview].
A: Exactly! That is the idea from the beginning. The weather, the facilities… right now there is a lot of people from all over Europe traveling around the world to train martial arts. They go to Thailand to train Muay Thai, to the United States… And they do it because they have no other choice, there are no places like this in Europe. Our idea from the beginning has been to become the Mecca of MMA in Europe and attract world-class European fighters.
We want to be much more than just a gym. If we wanted to do just a common gym, we would have opened it in Marbella
We want to be much more than just a gym. If we wanted to do just one more gym, we would have opened it in Marbella.
-Does this mean that the people who come to train at your gym will be able to settle in the facilities?
A: That is our project for the future, but it is not yet developed.
C: The reason why we have not developed it is because the facilities, which have 2,000 square meters indoors and 1,800 outdoors, have become too small for us. At first we wanted to build 8 to 10 rooms to accommodate athletes, but in just two months more than 800 members have signed up. It has been very fast. So, predictably, the space that we had reserved to be a hotel will end up being needed to expand the facilities.
We also want to offer more services like yoga, massages, cold rooms, maybe a spa…
Allstars Training Center from a drone view.
Allstars wants to be the forge
-Despite being a sport that generates billions around the world, MMA is not well known in Spain. Do you think that MMA has the potential to become popular in our country?
C: Absolutely. Anything that intrigues people has the ability to become popular, and combats fascinates people. Also, in Spain you currently have Ilia Topuria in the UFC, who is an incredible fighter.
Opening this gym is a turning point because this is Allstars Spain, a forge where the fighters of this country can show what they are capable of. We already have three fighters wich you will hear about in a year or two in the UFC. Also, I am convinced that even one of them has the potential to break into the world top three. We are going to bring the name of Allstars Spain into the MMA’s world, but we also want to make it sound in the country to gather up the guys.
Ilia Topuria, spanish fighter from georgian origin.
Yesterday I went to see a facility in Marbella, where there’s people interested in opening another gym with us. It is not the time yet, first we have to get more quality trainers, so that they can train high-level Spanish fighters. But we will do it and we will be part of the team that makes grow the love for MMA in Spain.
-And do you think that Spain can offer good fighters to MMA?
C: Absolutely. You get good fighters the same way you get good soccer players: the best attracts the best. You have to offer an incentive. Once you have world-class wrestlers training here, the Spanish will start flocking. As soon as you get to have national superstars, everyone starts to get interested, whatever the sport.
No one had ever heard of Irish wrestlers until Conor McGregor came along. The moment he showed up, MMA became the most popular sport in Ireland and everyone wants to practice it.
Our goal is to create the Spanish MMA superstar and deliver it to the people
Our goal is to create the Spanish MMA superstar and deliver it to the people. It does not matter where he was born, if he fights for Allstars Spain, he will represent the Spanish around the world.
Reza «Mad Dog» Madadi sparrying with the fighters.
-It is a very ambitious goal. Appart from that, do you have anything else in mind for the future?
C: We plan to open, in the next 5 or 7 years, at least 10 more gyms in different locations around the world. At least one of them will be in a second location in Spain. We don’t want to grow too fast because this is not ment to be a normal gym. It is not easy to provide each facility with the necessary resources and professionals. We need committed coaches willing to give themselves body and soul to MMA.
We want our gym to have at least 20-30 fighters training on daily bases in different weight classes. Only then we can create a high level of combat that will attract other fighters from around the world.
As Reza always says: If it were easy, everyone would do it. It is a very difficult sport that requires total dedication, but at the same time is very pure.
