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Nevada Highway Patrol officer opens UFC Gym in Green Valley

Forrest Griffin

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UFC veteran Forrest Griffin is scheduled to meet fans at the UFC Gym in Green Valley from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 6, 2014, at the facility at Green Valley Parkway and Warm Springs Road.

Charles Haycox was already a huge fan of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, rarely missing one of the local mixed martial arts league’s cards.

So, when it came time to pick a gym to train at, one immediately caught his eye: UFC Gym in Anthem.

Haycox, a lieutenant with the Nevada Highway Patrol who also owns a few Subway restaurants in Green Valley, wound up losing 30 pounds in 60 days of training. The training methods would burn 800 to 1,000 calories per workout.

“The training is for real. It works,” Haycox said.

Click to enlarge photo

The inside of the UFC Gym on Green Valley Parkway and Warm Springs Road.

For his next business venture, Haycox and his wife, Melissa, decided to open UFC Gym in Green Valley, which will host its soft opening this weekend. Located on Green Valley Parkway and Warm Springs Road, it is the fourth UFC Gym in Southern Nevada.

“It’s not a fight gym. It’s a fitness gym,” Charles Haycox said. “It’s the best workout you can get. It is changing people's lives.”

The 6,000-square-foot gym includes an octagon, free weights, rubber flooring, exercise machines and other training devices. Classes are available for all ages, including children, and range from cardio kickboxing to weight training.

Programs can be tailored for weight loss, muscle growth or overall health.

“The strength you get, the endurance,” CharlesHaycox said, “it will put you in the best shape of your life.”

The gym will mirror other UFC-affiliated facilities nationwide. The Haycoxes attended a three-day seminar to learn the ropes of the franchise and rave about the UFC’s involvement in making sure they have the proper tools.

“The UFC is the largest brand in the world,” Charles Haycox said.

Las Vegas residents and UFC fighters Forrest Griffin, Bryan Caraway and Anthony Njokuani are each scheduled to appear from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday for a meet-and-greet with patrons. Also, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, fighting veteran “Razor” Rob McCullough will give seminars. Sunday’s is a women’s self-defense class.

Visit the gym's website for more.

Ray Brewer can be reached at 990-2662 or [email protected]. Follow Ray on Twitter at twitter.com/raybrewer21

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