ACS: MMA's Next Superpower

The Lally brothers, who relish the underdog role, are still adjusting to the global attention their school now receives. They have maintained high expectations.

“Fighting is different,” Trevor said. “I don’t want to name names, but there are a few wrestlers out there who are afraid to get in there and take a punch. My fighters and wrestlers have no choice; we spar three days a week here, every week to the grindstone. That’s why we can put a guy like Aaron Simpson, with only a year of training, into the UFC, where he is knocking people out who he shouldn’t be. We beat the punk out of you. If you have any punk in you, either you don’t last here or you lose it fast.”

Their confidence, within an earshot of cocky, seems like a good trait as they try to maneuver their way into an MMA world filled with powerbroker gyms like Jackson’s Mixed Martial Arts, Xtreme Couture Mixed Martial Arts and American Top Team.

“Honestly, in a year, I think we are going to have three world titleholders. I’d put my camp against any other camp in three fights,” Trevor said. “Rashad Evans could not beat Ryan Bader, in my opinion. Give Bader two or three fights, and he is going to wake that weight class up. Give me a year and half, and we will be as big as those guys.”

Sibling Allies

Siblings long before they became martial arts school owners, they claim to have never argued over anything gym- or fight-related. Their ability to communicate quickly and effectively -- knowing what the other thinks -- has helped them become stronger trainers and cornermen for their stable of fighters.

“To me, I couldn’t do it without Todd,” Trevor said. “Even with just me and Todd, we now have Ryan Diaz, who is right there on the coaching staff. We complement each other very well. He is a lot more hardcore than I am. The guys hate him in the gym. There has never been a clash between the two of us. I feel one of the reasons our guys are so good is the fact that we can put together a great game plan.”

A fascinating dichotomy exists between the two brothers. Trevor serves as the ACS spokesman and can quickly fill a notebook full of quotes. Todd plays a more cerebral role. However, some might be surprised to know that Todd becomes a taskmaster once the gym doors shut, pushing professional fighters to their breaking points.

“People tell us all the time that we are crazy to have CB Dollaway, Aaron Simpson and Ryan Bader even attempt to stand up; they should just take guys down for 15 minutes, like they do at other gyms, where they teach wrestlers to wrestle,” Trevor said. “We want these guys to have a long career. You got to have everything here. Some of our guys hate us. I’m not here to be liked. If you want to compete and use my name, I’m going to ride your ass.”

As the Arizona Combat Sports facility expands to more than 14,000 square feet, the Lally brothers and their team are reaping the rewards of winning fights and still adjusting to their newfound spotlight

“Because of us having so many UFC fighters, I don’t promote the gym the way I should,” Trevor said. “After the Dollaway TUF experience, we have become a lot more popular. It’s a double-edged sword. A lot of people think all we do is create monsters, and they don’t want to come in here. We have over 400 students, and only two percent of them are fighters. Our analogy is that fighters are a dessert a gym gives itself after the main course is done. Right now, we have a bigger dessert than normal, but it’s something we love to do.”