City Kickboxing, one of the most elite MMA gyms, goes for relocation from New Zealand to the USA

City Kickboxing, one of the most elite MMA gyms, goes for relocation from New Zealand to the USA

Israel Adesanya at City Kickboxing

New Zealand’s top combat sports gymnasium, City Kickboxing will relocate itself from its original home in New Zealand to the United States of America. The news was broken out primarily by UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya and UFC lightweight Dan Hooker, confirming head coach Eugene Bareman’s consideration for it for a long time. “Cats out the bag… I’m moving to America US?” Says Adesanya in an Instagram post.

City Kickboxing
Athletes from City Kickboxing, earlier New Zealand, now potentially the USA

He further adds “When faced with obstacles, we adapt and overcome. I’m 32 and applying pressure like J Cole before I’m out the game. We built this legacy at @citykickboxing ourselves and the support of the people. No govt handouts or backing and became the number one winning gym on earth! Four walls and a roof don’t make a martial arts gym. The people who toil day in and day out make it what it is. So wherever those four walls and a roof is located, it’ll still be City Kickboxing!!”

This backstory for making this move is that New Zealand and Australia have been undergoing the most restricting covid regulations with the lockdown of abundant amount of time period.

FS Video

Dan Hooker’s visa problems a catalyst to the cause of City Kickboxing relocation

YouTube video

Another important cause would be Dan Hooker‘s individual case, which can happen to any other fighter and that is the denial/delay in Visa from the embassies of various countries. Hooker’s visa was about to get delayed which would’ve been way past his fight night, which would’ve caused the cancellation of his fight against Nasrat Haqparast. The issue was so grave that Adesanya had to blast his home country’s government for Hooker’s visa issues.

Other important fighters from the training center include Kai Kara France, Alexander Volkanovski, Shane Young, Carlos Ulberg, and Blood Diamond all signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship. With the reputation of the training center rising for developing a unique striking game as evident from its fighters, it seems an inevitable move to keep the training going as the fight business goes on.

Also Read: UFC 266: “Give me something” Alexander Volkanovski on the lightweight title fight