Jackson Wink MMA Academy (formerly known as Jackson's Submission Fighting) is a

mixed martial arts Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, inc ...

gym based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The gym has been featured in several sports documentaries and has been called one of the best MMA gyms in the world by various MMA magazines.

History

In 1992, after graduating from

Rio Grande High School Rio Grande High School is a public high school located in South Valley, New Mexico, United States, with an Albuquerque postal address. It is part of the Albuquerque Public Schools system. Athletics RGHS competes in the New Mexico Activities As ...

, Greg Jackson founded his own martial art, Gaidojutsu, which combines rudimentary techniques from

catch wrestling Catch wrestling (originally catch-as-catch-can) is a classical hybrid grappling style and combat sport. It was developed by J. G. Chambers in Britain . It was popularised by wrestlers of travelling funfairs who developed their own submission ...

and Muay Thai with basic

judo is an unarmed modern Japanese martial art, Olympic sport (since 1964), and the most prominent form of jacket wrestling competed internationally.『日本大百科全書』電子版【柔道】(CD-ROM version of Encyclopedia Nipponica, "Judo"). ...

locks. His school officially turned into an MMA school in 2000. The gym started gaining notoriety when Diego Sanchez won the first Ultimate Fighter in 2005. In 2007 Jackson teamed up with long time friend and collaborator, and fellow martial artist, Mike Winkeljohn to create the academy as it stands today. Winkeljohn is former professional kickboxer with a record of 25–7–2 who captured two

International Sport Karate Association The ISKA (originally International Sport Karate Association, later also called the International Sport Kickboxing Association) is one of the major international bodies regulating sport karate and kickboxing matches, and is based in the United ...

Championships and one Muay Thai world title. In December 2019, Jackson and Winklejohn announced they would begin entertaining naming rights offers for their training facility Albuquerque, New Mexico however a price wasn't given. Jackson also announced they will begin offering mixed martial arts fans a chance to travel to Albuquerque, New Mexico and train like his gym's fighters. He said prices for personalized MMA packages would vary and stays could last a week to two weeks at a time. Due to

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quickly ...

, in March 2020, Jackson Wink MMA Academy announced it would be adjusting its training. This includes moving to "more striking-based training” to curtail contact among fighters as well as preventing anyone who was sick or may have had exposure to COVID-19 from training at the facility.

Incidents

Fighters

Due to the large size of the gym, there have been occasions where fighters would be booked to fight against each other professionally. This has caused internal conflicts within the gym. In March 2011,

Rashad Evans Rashad Anton Evans (born September 25, 1979) is an American mixed martial artist. Evans started his professional career in 2003, he was the Heavyweight winner of The Ultimate Fighter 2 and is also a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, and a 2 ...

announced that he was done training at Jackson-Wink MMA Academy. Originally, Evans was slated to fight

Maurício Rua Maurício Milani Rua (; born 25 November 1981), also known as Shogun, is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist and former model. He competes in the Light Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He is a forme ...

for the UFC Light Heavyweight title at

UFC 128 ''UFC 128: Shogun vs. Jones'' was a mixed martial arts pay-per-view event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on March 19, 2011, at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Background This event was expected to take place in Abu Dha ...

. However Evans injured his knee during training and was replaced by

Jon Jones Jonathan Dwight Jones (born July 19, 1987) is an American professional mixed martial artist currently signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), in which he has competed in the light heavyweight division. He is a former two-time UFC L ...

, who was from the same gym and would eventually go on to defeat Rua to win the title. When Evans and Jones were slated to fight, the gym decided to side with Jones and corner him at

UFC 145 ''UFC 145: Jones vs. Evans'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship. It was the 9th UFC event of the year, and took place on April 21, 2012 at the Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. Background The headline fight ...

. Evans considered this as the gym turning its back on its older fighters in favor of younger ones. Evans would eventually move to the

Blackzilians The Blackzilians was a professional team of fighters in mixed martial arts, boxing, kickboxing, amateur wrestling and catch wrestling located in South Florida. The team had included former UFC champions Rashad Evans, Vitor Belfort, Eddie Alvarez ...

. In August 2018,

Donald Cerrone Donald Cerrone (born March 29, 1983), known professionally by his nickname "Cowboy", is an American retired mixed martial artist, actor, and former professional kickboxer. He competed in the Lightweight and Welterweight division for the Ultimat ...

left Jackson-Wink MMA Academy to open his own training center on his ranch. It all came after Cerrone was signed to fight his fellow welterweight, Mike Perry, who was a newcomer to the same gym. Cerrone requested that his coaches solely focus on him due to his long-standing status as a Jackson-Wink fighter. However, according to Cerrone on The

Joe Rogan Experience ''The Joe Rogan Experience'' is a podcast hosted by American comedian, presenter, and UFC color commentator Joe Rogan. It launched on December 24, 2009, on YouTube by Rogan and comedian Brian Redban, who was its sole co-host and producer unti ...

podcast, Winklejohn told him the gym decided to side with Perry which angered Cerrone. Cerrone went on to criticize the modern-day Jackson-Wink MMA Academy, citing problems he has with the day-to-day running of the gym as one of the reasons behind his decision to open his own training center on his ranch – something he also feels caused increased tension. Other examples include

Georges St-Pierre Georges St-Pierre (; born May 19, 1981) is a Canadian actor and former professional mixed martial artist. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest fighters in mixed martial arts (MMA) history. St-Pierre was a two-division champion in the Ult ...

defending his title against

Carlos Condit Carlos Joseph Condit (born April 26, 1984) is an American former professional mixed martial artist. He formerly competed in the Welterweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he was the former Interim UFC Welterweight ...

, as well as

Andrei Arlovski Andrei Arlovski (born 4 February 1979) is a Belarusian-American professional mixed martial artist, actor and former UFC Heavyweight Champion. He currently competes in the Heavyweight division for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and ho ...

being booked to fight against

Alistair Overeem Alistair Cees Overeem (born 17 May 1980) is a Dutch professional heavyweight mixed martial artist and kickboxer, currently competing in the heavyweight division of Glory. He is a former Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion, Dream Heavyweight Cha ...

. In October 2021, Jon Jones was banned from the Jackson Wink MMA Academy as a result of his arrest stemming from domestic violence against his fiancée.

QAnon flag found on roof

In June 2020, a

QAnon QAnon ( , ) is an American political conspiracy theory and political movement. It originated in the American far-right political sphere in 2017. QAnon centers on fabricated claims made by an anonymous individual or individuals known as "Q". ...

flag was discovered on the roof of the gym's building. The flag was first revealed by Albuquerque city councilor Pat Davis, who posted a picture of a white flag with a black Q perched atop the academy's roof. Shortly following Davis's post, the Jackson-Wink MMA Academy removed the flag and released a statement on social media stating it denounces all hate groups and

militia A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...

violence.

Notable fighters

(Bold denotes current and past UFC champions) *

Adlan Amagov Chechen Van Damme , image = , image_size = 400px , alt = , caption = , birth_name = , birth_date = , birth_place = Sunzhensky District, Chechen–Ingush ASSR, Russian SFSR, Soviet Uni ...

(UFC) *

Ali Bagautinov Ali Shamilevich Bagautinov (russian: Али Шами́льевич Багаутинов; born June 10, 1985 in Dagestan) is a Russian professional mixed martial artist of Dargin origin who competed in the Flyweight division of the Ultima ...

(UFC) - Former UFC Flyweight Title Challenger *

(UFC) - Former Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion, 2010 K-1 Grand Prix Champion *

(UFC) - Former UFC 2-Time Heavyweight Champion * B.J. Penn (UFC)- Former UFC Lightweight Champion and UFC Welterweight Champion *

(UFC) - Former Welterweight Title Contender and Challenger, Former UFC Interim Welterweight Champion, Former WEC Welterweight Champion *

Claressa Shields Claressa Maria Shields (born March 17, 1995) is an American professional boxer and mixed martial artist. She has held multiple world championships in three weight classes, including the undisputed female light middleweight title since March 20 ...

(PFL) - Two time Olympic Boxing Gold Medalist, undisputed boxing female middleweight champion from 2019 to September 2020 *

Clay Guida Clayton Charles Guida (; born December 8, 1981) is an American professional mixed martial artist, currently signed to the UFC competing in the Lightweight division. A professional competitor since 2003, Guida also formerly competed for Strikefo ...

(UFC) - Former Strikeforce Lightweight Champion *

Cub Swanson Kevin Luke "Cub" Swanson (born November 2, 1983) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Bantamweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional since 2004, Swanson holds the most ...

(UFC) *

Derek Brunson Derek Brunson (born January 4, 1984) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Middleweight division for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As of September 5, 2022, he is #5 in the UFC middleweight ran ...

(UFC) * Diego Sanchez (UFC) - UFC Lightweight Title Challenger, TUF 1 Welterweight Winner *

(UFC) - Former WEC Lightweight Title Challenger * Erik Perez (UFC) *

Frank Mir Francisco Santos Mir III (; born May 24, 1979), is an American mixed martial artist who most recently competed for Bellator MMA in the Heavyweight division. He formerly competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) for sixteen years. A fo ...

(UFC)- Former UFC Heavyweight Champion *

(UFC) - Former UFC Welterweight and Middleweight Champion, 10 title defenses *

Gina Carano Gina Joy Carano (born April 16, 1982) is an American actress and former mixed martial artist. She competed in EliteXC and Strikeforce from 2006 to 2009, where she compiled a 7–1 record. Her popularity led to her being called the "face of wome ...

(Strikeforce) *

Holly Holm Holly Rene Holm (born October 17, 1981) is an American mixed martial artist, who competes in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. She is the former UFC Women's Bantamweight Champion, and a former professional boxer. She was a multiple-time wor ...

(UFC) - Former UFC Women's Bantamweight Champion *

Joe Stevenson Joseph Christopher Stevenson (born June 15, 1982) is a retired American mixed martial artist fighting out of Hesperia, California. Coached by (UFC Hall of Famer) Matt Hughes, Stevenson rose to prominence by becoming The Ultimate Fighter 2 Wel ...

(RFA) - Former UFC Lightweight Title Challenger, TUF 2 Welterweight Winner * John Dodson (UFC) - Former UFC Flyweight Title Challenger, TUF 14 Bantamweight Winner *

(UFC) 2 Time UFC Light Heavyweight Champion *

Julie Kedzie Julie Kedzie (born March 18, 1981) is a retired American mixed martial artist. She is a third degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do and specializes in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Kedzie was Greg Jackson's personal assistant at Jackson's Mixed Martial Arts. K ...

(Retired) *

Keith Jardine Keith Jardine (born October 31, 1975) is an American actor and retired mixed martial artist who most notably competed in the UFC and Strikeforce. Jardine was known for upset victories in bouts he took at short notice against highly rated fight ...

(UFC) - Former Strikeforce Middleweight Title Challenger *

Kyle Noke Kyle Noke (born 18 March 1980) is an Australian retired mixed martial artist who competed as a Welterweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional competitor since 2002, Noke has also fought for EliteXC. Background Noke, origina ...

(UFC) *

Lando Vannata Landon Anthony Vannata (born March 14, 1992) is an American professional mixed martial artist who currently competes in the featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional competitor since 2012, he has formerly comp ...

(UFC) *

Leonard Garcia Leonard Garcia (born July 14, 1979, in Plainview, Texas) is an American former mixed martial artist who most recently competed in the Featherweight division of the Legacy Fighting Championship, and is the former Legacy FC Featherweight Champion. ...

(Retired) - Former WEC Featherweight Title Challenger *

Michelle Waterson Michelle Eileen Waterson (born January 6, 1986) is an American mixed martial artist and model who competes in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). She is the former Invicta FC Atomweight Champion. Between 2013 and 2014, she was ranked the ...

(UFC) - Former Invicta Atomweight Champion *

Nate Marquardt Nathan Joel Marquardt (born April 20, 1979) is an American mixed martial artist who competed in the middleweight and welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional competitor since 1999, he is a former Strikeforce W ...

(UFC) - Former Strikeforce Welterweight Champion, Former UFC Middleweight Title Challenger, Former Pancrase Middleweight Champion *

Omari Akhmedov Omari Akhmedov (born October 12, 1987) is a Russian professional mixed martial artist who currently competes in the Light Heavyweight division of Professional Fighters League (PFL). He previously fought in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Ba ...

(UFC) *

(UFC) - Former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, The Ultimate Fighter season 2 winner * Ray Borg (UFC) *

Roger Huerta Roger Huerta (born May 20, 1983) is an American mixed martial artist currently fighting in the lightweight division. He initially gained exposure by competing in the lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Bellator Fighting Ch ...

(One FC) *

Rustam Khabilov Rustam Khabilov (born 4 November 1986) is a Russian mixed martial artist, currently competing in the Lightweight division of Bellator MMA. He is a Combat Sambo World Champion and a former member of the Legion Sport Club fight team in Rostov-on- ...

(UFC) * Sarah Kaufman (UFC) - Former Strikeforce Women's Bantamweight Champion *

Tara LaRosa Tara may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Tara'' (1992 film), an Indian film directed by Bijaya Jena * ''Tara'' (2001 film), an American film, also known as ''Hood Rat'', directed by Leslie Small * ''Tara'' (2010 film), a ...

* Tim Kennedy (UFC) - (Retired) Former Strikeforce Middleweight Title Challenger *

Tim Means Timothy Carl Means (born February 20, 1984) is an American professional mixed martial artist from Moriarty, New Mexico currently competing in the Welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional competitor since 2004, ...

(UFC) *

Tony Ferguson Anthony Armand Ferguson Padilla (born February 12, 1984) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Lightweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He is a former Interim UFC Lightweight C ...

(UFC) - Former UFC Interim Lightweight Champion *

Vitaly Minakov Vitaly Viktorovich Minakov (russian: Виталий Викторович Минаков; born February 6, 1985, Bryansk) is a Russian mixed martial artist, sambist and judoka currently competing in the heavyweight division of Bellator MMA, whe ...

(Bellator MMA) - Former Bellator Heavyweight Champion, 4-Time World Sambo Champion +100 kg *

Yoshihiro Akiyama , also known as and by his nickname Sexyama, is a Japanese mixed martial artist and judoka who won the gold medal at the 2001 Asian Championships for South Korea and for Japan at the 2002 Asian Games. A fourth-generation Japanese of ...

(UFC)

Awards

World MMA Awards The World MMA Awards are awards presented by ''Fighters Only'' magazine to honor exceptional performance in various aspects of mixed martial arts. Winners are presented with the ''Fighters Only silver statuette''. The World MMA Awards are divided ...

* 2015 Gym of the Year * 2011 Coach of the Year: Greg Jackson * 2010 Coach of the Year: Greg Jackson * 2009 Gym of the Year * 2009 Coach of the Year: Greg Jackson

References

External links

Official website
{{MMA Team List Mixed martial arts training facilities Sports in Albuquerque, New Mexico

History

Incidents

Fighters

QAnon flag found on roof

Notable fighters

Awards

See also

References

External links