Building an MMA gym on the face of it should be fairly simple as there is not a huge amount of equipment required say in comparison to a leisure centre style affair however it’s all a question of scale.
We’ll assume you have enough space for a bit of equipment, a good sized double garage will usually do it and then it’s all about equipment and safety.
Mats are going to be a big issue (if not indeed the issue) and probably the big spend. If you have enough room for full sparring and the headroom for throws then you are going to need 40mm mats. The advantage of the thicker mats is they will allow for throws, takedowns and falls alongside just overall better protection. The downside of 40mm mats is the price. A really good deal on these will be around £22-25 pounds per mat and to have a decent sparring space you will need at least 12 but usually 16-25. Jigsaw mats have the advantage of being easy to take up and down with relative ease and can either be left down or taken up after every training session.
If you chose to go with 20mm mats it may be wise to consider using some form of cheap underlay which will help cushion the mats further and avoid injuries to elbows etc when grappling. 20mm mats are ok for BJJ style grappling or as a light cushioning for stand up sparring where knockdowns may happen on occasion however this is not the preferred outcome (for example as opposed to say for Judo or wrestling)
After mats then it’s all going to depend on what you martial arts styles consist of. For MMA we must assume at least some striking so a good quality heavy bag will be required. If you are only to buy one then 6ft is a must. The reason for this is simply versatility. A 6 foot bag can be used for boxing, kick boxing, clinch and even un-hooking it and using it on the floor to practice movement drills. Fairtex recently released a bad designed for floor work that has detachable straps for hanging as a punch bag which is an interesting technical innovation and could maybe replace the 6ft bag if your orientation is more towards grappling than striking.
For a larger gym a range of bags is going to be necessary. I would recommend at least one 6ft, 5ft, clinch or bowling bag and a floor to ceiling ball as an absolute minimum. Bags always raise the question of how to hang them. If you are fortunate enough to have very strong beams then you may be able to hang a bag using just chains however with most modern buildings you will need a bracket and importantly the correct fittings. The fittings you can purchase in the likes of B&Q are soft and often break on fitting. Try and get hold of stronger versions used in construction. Brackets vary greatly in price and often if you can find a local welder he will construct you something of a higher quality and at a better price than those you can buy.
SO you have bags and mats. What else? A couple of kettlebells will allow a decent range of dynamic weights exercises and if you have the space and the budget maybe an Olympic bar and 100kg of free weights will certainly be useful. Assuming you have at least one training partner a set of good quality Thai pads (Fairtex, Twins, Top King are best) and a set of Focus mitts will be essential and of course personal equipment such as gloves and sparring gear.
