Good Sports: Dethrone Mixed Martial Arts Gym

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Step inside the Dethrone Mixed Martial Arts Gym and you will feel it with every punch and every drill -- champions are being built.

"You think about national titles. Almost every one of those kids are national champions that he has training with him, so every tournament they go to, every weekend they are out competing and traveling around the country," MMA fighter Josh Koscheck said.

Boxing coach Marcos Padilla is the man leading the way. He said, "Since five years, we've already created five national champions. I mean I have one that's six-time, five-time. Marc is 11-time; he just came on board. We are doing a lot of good things."

Marc Castro, 15, will compete in Russia next month for a chance at the junior world championship. He said, "More than 150 countries competing at this tournament, competing for the top spot and the gold medal. It happens every two years for the 15 and 16-year-olds, so you only go once in a lifetime."

And while the glory for gold is worth fighting for, the message goes well beyond medals and trophies.

"One of the things I always tell these young kids is that after competing in mixed martial arts, wrestling, boxing, jujitsu, life is easier. It takes a lot of dedication to come in here and be successful. You can accomplish anything if you put the right work ethic into it," Koscheck said.

"What I want them to experience is that anything you do in life, you have to work at it. You have the ability to become what you want. This sport shows you if you work hard and train, you become national champion. Same thing in life in general. I want them to take that hard work pays off," Padilla said.