Mixed martial arts, Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) are a sporting phenomenon without precedent in terms of growth . Media growth and growth as a number of practitioners.

Despite this, in Italy the media seem to ignore this cultural movement if it is not to be criticized, often over-the-top, often detaching itself from reality and based on a distorted perception of what happens in the octagon.

We want to address the issue of the state of MMA in Italy with one of the most authoritative figures along with the names of the pioneers such as Michele Verginelli and Alessio Sakara, or the Maestro Filippo Stabile of the Stable Fight Team, the man we see in the corner of our own champions who they fight in the most important MMA promoting company in the world: the UFC. With him we will try to make the gap between reality and perception disappear on what MMA is in Italy .

Filippo, do you want to introduce yourself to the public and retrace your martial career?

I am the head coach of the Stable Fight Team, I am lucky enough to train and have trained several MMA champions as well as other specialties such as grappling, jiu jitsu and kickboxing; I am the federal FIGMMA leader for the MMA pro, I was an agonist winning several national and international titles in free fight, brazilian jiu jitsu, grappling, combat sambo, luta livre, etc.

I have several qualifications, I am master of MMA (FIGMMA), master grappling / bjj (FIGMMA), free fight master, brazilian jiu jitsu black belt (IBJJF), sambo black belt, muay thai coach (obtained in Thailand), military instructor of self-defense and disarmament technique, military instructor of physical education, master in strength and conditioning, crossfit coach, tacfit coach, functional training coach.

For many years I have been a military professional in a special unit where, in addition to carrying out the normal operational tasks in Italy and abroad, I held the role of melee manager and athletic preparation, periodically trained and I update special departments, Police and security on the hand-to-hand combat and new methods of athletic training.

I manage gyms with branches where my collaborators and I train and transmit our passion to both amateurs and professionals.

People watching the video highlights may be limited to the kos that don't do justice to this art and the sacrifices needed to become MMA athletes. Which path should a young person take who wants to make his way through the octagon?

A young man, in order to compete in MMA, in my opinion, must go a long way, initially he must have a solid foundation of grappling (brazilian jiu jitsu and wrestling) and striking (muay thai and boxing), an excellent general athletic conditioning, then he must do the the right path for amateur competitions that lead him to train himself, not only technically but also mentally .

Logically the first thing is to be followed by competent and experienced MMA coaches ! It is not the same thing to be an excellent bjj or Thai boxing coach and to give directions on such a complex sport as MMA: we must rely on professionals of specialized gyms and who have an important competitive history.

Of octagons, then, there are several levels: I always recommend starting from the bottom and winning the various competitions and then accessing the upper classes, this applies to amateur MMAs but also for sports like grappling, bjj, thai boxing, etc., making advanced classes just to get the team to score points or to take the cardboard medal is absolutely not good, as it is not good to do any type of race without a real training program that takes time.

The competitions, in the training phases of an athlete, are tests that help to understand where to work to improve: you need the right opponents and competitions, followed by a training period. Athletes must compete in their level class, only when they win several times then they can move on to the next, do not burn the stages, MMA is a long and full of sacrifices, to get to the top you need many features and the right program training, as well as having a head and physical skills.

When compared to other combat sports, are MMA actually more risky, harmful or gory?

MMAs are a contact sport, where two adversaries face each other with their own martial arts background and the aim is to win according to a very clear international regulation that protects athletes as much as possible .

According to recent studies there are sports that notoriously seem to have less violent characteristics but which instead have much higher risk data than MMA : motorcycling, parachuting, rugby, football.

This is a contact sport where you fight and fight, where there is great courage, respect, honor, strength, hard work, dedication and many sacrifices, it is the most complete and spectacular sport in the world, to see professionals competing high level is really amazing! I recommend it to everybody!

It is very educational both physically and mentally, it serves as a personal defense from the smallest to the oldest. I would not speak of the classic and "ignorant" labeling of violent sport: I find there is more violence in a football match between clashes between supporters, racist choirs, live curses, athletes who simulate or spit out than in an MMA event where the competitive spirit and respect are the basis. For the curious, I would recommend coming to attend some of the most important MMA events in our country or doing a training test in a gym with a qualified MMA teacher to realize closely the nobility of this sport.

We know that The United States, the Brazil and Russia are at the top of the MMA with very professional coaches and teachers. What is the situation like in Italy?

In Italy we are growing a lot, we are certainly still far away on some standards, but that also depends a lot on all the business that is around, the more money is made and the more everything becomes professional. With us there are many companies that work with seriousness and professionalism and despite great problems and many sacrifices, there are starting to be structures with the right equipment and very prepared coaches.

It should be noted that in Italy the competitive structures for the training of professional athletes can be counted on the fingers of one hand, but I note that we are in a transaction period, we are moving to a higher level of professionalism, there are more and more important events, talented athletes, new sports management for the fighters, federations that give more attention, more relevant media attention, I believe that if you work with professionalism and with the right people in Italy you will find all the features to do well.

In your opinion, what is the path that a boy of serious training in MMA should take to see his name next to that of champions like Vettori or Di Chirico?

Vettori and Di Chirico are two exceptional athletes, to get where they arrived the path was very long: they need dedication, sacrifice, personality, spirit of adaptation, a lot of work in the gym, so much pain, so much sweat, you have to know how to invest in your own person at zero or almost for several years before seeing the first fruits.

We need a great winning and enduring mentality to reach the highest levels, I assure you it's not easy! I see many athletes passing by, many have talent but not all of them have the characteristics to do the fighter.

What distinguishes the work in the Stable Fight Team, so much so that it is considered to be at the top in Italy?

The work of the Stable Fight Team is a work done by several people who believe in the "Stabile Team" project, people who work with passion and dedication in a family! I give the general directives that I take together with my most trusted collaborators and then all together we go in the same direction for the good of all!

We are aware of our possibilities, we believe in our work and we study every day to improve ourselves, we always try to enrich our knowledge to transmit it to our students, we work hard, I always dine around 10.30pm and then I start studying the programs for my athletes, my collaborators in my branches do the same, we take this as a mission and not as a job, we believe in the work of an Italian team that always wants to improve.

I take this opportunity to thank my collaborators, Simone Stabile, Luca Cardano, Stefano Ghidoni, Lele Genovesi, Gianmaria Vita, Alen Amedovski, Giacomo Castaldo, Superbia Management and all our family and fans who always support us.