Train like an MMA fighter—without the bruises
RedEye Chicago – March 30, 2011
By Ryan Smith for RedEye
Brian Obiala is realistic about his chances of stepping into a cage and fighting Brock Lesner or Randy Couture in a professional mixed martial arts bout.
“No, I don’t think I’m going to actually get in a real fight anytime soon,” said Obiala, a sales manager for Coca-Cola.
Yet the 27-year-old Roscoe Village resident laces up boxing gloves four or five times a week at Emerald Smoke, an MMA-style gym that opened earlier this year in the West Loop, to learn and practice kickboxing and jiu-jitsu techniques.
A combination of boredom with the typical health club scene and the rising popularity of pro MMA leagues such as UFC and Strikeforce has created one of the latest trends in fitness—the MMA-style workout.
