World-class mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter Jesse “Big Cat” Arnett is making Rival Boxing Gym Cochrane his new home.
The 32-year-old Arnett, who is ranked number two in Canada among bantamweights and 25th in the world will be passing his expertise onto local fighting enthusiasts by instructing Jiu-jitsu and MMA classes at the gym.
“I originally met Jesse in Calgary at a gym I used to train at,” said Rival Boxing Gym owner Craig Wilson. “We got talking and formed a relationship. I asked him if he’d be interested in teaching some Jiu-jitsu and wrestling classes. He jumped at it.”
Arnett is currently on an eight-fight win streak and is the Hard Knocks bantamweight champion. While he continues his fighting career, Wilson believes that teaching is a way for him to give back to the community.
“It benefits both of us to have him in the gym,” Wilson said. “He brings experience and knowledge. He was an Olympic alternate wrestler and knows what it takes to be successful. He’s a great fighter and person, he’s exactly what we want and a great fit for our gym.”
Arnett teaches classes every Thursday night at 7 p.m. and every Saturday at 12 p.m. Classes are open to all age groups and all levels of experience.
“It doesn’t matter if you’ve never done MMA in your life,” Wilson said. “A lot of people come and try it out, we’ve had people with no experience at it and people who are competing. It’s a good mix.”
Currently the club hasn’t made any concrete plans in terms of the cost of the classes, but people who purchase monthly memberships will be allowed to participate in an unlimited number of classes.
“We’re going to maybe do a Ju-jitsu only or MMA membership,” Wilson said. “People can chose up to 40-plus classes a week so it’s a pretty good gig.”
As to how long the partnership will last with Arnett, Wilson doesn’t see anything getting in the way of expanding the program in the near future.
“I’ll go forever,” he said. “We want to build a good program, and Jesse wants to get in the gym more. It’s about finding the space to slot classes in.”
For more information visit www.rivalboxingcochrane.com
