Champion Fighter to Dedicated Coach and MMA Gym Owner

Artur Gasanov was born in Dagestan into a family of fighters and coaches. His childhood immersion in martial arts shaped not only his athletic career but his deepest ambitions.

“I’ve been doing Muay Thai, like boxing, Muay Thai boxing, since I was like, five,” Artur recalled, reflecting on a journey that began in his earliest memories and propelled him into the professional fighting world.

By the age of 19, he had already competed in “25 pro fights” and “around 100 amateur fights”—setting the foundation for a new life far from home.

But as he would soon discover, the path from world champion to gym owner was not as straightforward as stepping into a ring.

The Dream to Inspire

Artur’s decision to open a gym didn’t spring solely from a love of combat sport. The true inspiration came from a desire to help others—especially children—experience the confidence, discipline, and courage that martial arts had given him. “My dream was always... I was dreaming one day I’m gonna open the gym and help the people who wants to fight, who needs some kind of other goals, you know, we’re gonna help. This was the reason to open a gym,” he explained.

His family’s legacy provided a spark, too. “My dad, my uncles… they inspired me to be coach since I was young. So my sibling brother also coach, and also he’s world champion, and he’s world champion in amateur. And I’m a world champion and professional.”

Humble Beginnings in a Shared Space

The start was modest. Fit and Fight Gym began life as a shared space, renting hours in a taekwondo school during the difficult months after COVID. “We started only Muay Thai at the beginning, and then we opened the gym and we rent in the gym. It was like martial arts school, like Taekwondo school... through my friends, I found out they have some hours they can give it to some gyms or some people.”

Training sessions were small, intimate. Artur’s first students were friends’ children, and from day one his mission focused on instilling more than just physical skill: “The first thing I was thinking, it’s kids, helping them mentality, courage.”

Growing Pains—and the Search for Efficiency

Success brought new challenges. As class numbers swelled—especially with kids—it became clear that keeping track of students, collecting payments, and staying organized would require more than pen and paper. Artur poured himself into research: “I found out that the best thing… you have to do, have a good software so you can collect the money from the people. Because the old system with the paper and pen… it’s hard… I said if I know I want to be successful in this business, I have to have some software.”

He cycled through different solutions before his general manager, Dmitry, found the right fit: "I was searching up, like, the whole Internet about finding a good CRM system... and one guy on Reddit said me, like, hey, Gym Desktop. Try Gym Desk. We found it. We tried it, and we, like, loved it. It's like the best CRM system we ever had... Now we have gymdesk. We're, like, really satisfied with this."

Artur’s advice to his former self? “First of all, start with the gym desk. 100%... the way I did it, first thing, you have to focus on the payments.”

More Than Champions

As the gym grew, Artur found his greatest satisfaction not in producing tournament winners, but in helping all students realize their potential—especially those who needed confidence and self-defense more than medals. “Our goal... I don’t have a goal to make champions. If it’s goals, it’s okay. If this guy, this kid want to be like champion, you want to compete, we’re here, we help you. But... most parents, they want to teach them self defense and all this stuff. And we help a lot of people already. And I’m happy for that. That’s my goal first: to help people, not to be champions.”

Looking Ahead, Staying True

The gym’s popularity—especially among kids—has sparked questions of expansion, whether to open more branches or move to a larger facility. But for now, Artur is guided not by profit, but by impact and community. “I want to keep this right now, first focused on my team... I don’t want to just make a money. I’m not looking only the money. I’m looking, like I said, to help people, not just money.”

He keeps his eyes on his coaches, his team, and his students. “When you focus on your job, on your goal, [success] will come. So I'm not worried about that. I'm worried about first team. So I make sure my coaches the right people, my team is the right people, and then we can go. That's what I'm looking for.”

Conclusion

Artur Gasanov’s journey from world champion to gym owner is more than a story about martial arts. It’s a story about giving back, gritty adaptation, and values guiding vision. From a rented room with a handful of kids to a thriving community hub, his drive remains simple yet profound: “As much I can, as much I can, I want to be useful for the people.”

For Artur, it’s not the trophies, but the transformation that matters most.