“When I first became president, my main vision was to grow the club in numbers and in the social events that we do,” Garcia said. “I wanted to expand into new areas and opportunities we haven’t really explored in the past.”

To achieve that, Garcia focused on building connections with other student groups. Over the past year, the MMA club has partnered with several cultural organizations, including the MSU Thai Club, MSU Japan Club and the Korean Student Association at Michigan State University.

The club has also hosted seminars with former Ultimate Fighting Championship fighters. Recently, it collaborated with the Asian interest sorority Alpha Kappa Delta Phi.

“None of us were expecting that one,” Garcia said about the sorority partnership. “But it’s been great for getting the word out and reaching different communities on campus.”

This outreach has led to noticeable growth. When Garcia first joined the club as a freshman or sophomore, practices typically attracted 20 to 30 participants. Now, he said, attendance often reaches 50 or more.

“I feel like interest is always growing,” Garcia said. “It’s really cool to see other people getting interested and stepping out of their comfort zone to check it out.”

Unlike many martial arts clubs that focus on a single discipline, the MMA club trains members in multiple fighting styles. Practices combine striking techniques with grappling, giving students a broad introduction to mixed martial arts.

“I feel like what makes this different is that it’s not so focused on one aspect of physical activity,” Garcia said. “We train striking, we train grappling, and everyone comes from different backgrounds and experiences. It’s cool to see everyone working together to help each other improve.”

The club practices twice a week, with each session lasting about two hours. Members typically start with an hour dedicated to grappling before moving into striking drills. After structured training, the club opens the mat for additional practice and one-on-one coaching.

Safety is a key priority, Garcia said, especially for beginners trying the sport for the first time.

“We emphasize safety, especially at the very beginning of each semester,” Garcia said. “Every member signs a digital waiver because it can be an injury-prone sport, but we really try to maintain safety so no one leaves with serious injuries.”

Looking ahead, Garcia hopes to continue expanding the club’s membership while encouraging more members to compete in tournaments.

“One of the things we’re stressing this year is getting more competitors,” Garcia said. “Whether it’s grappling tournaments, kickboxing tournaments, or MMA fights.”

The club may soon see even more opportunities with a new training space planned in the university’s upcoming recreation facility.

“With the new IM building we’ll be moving to, it’s going to provide a lot more opportunities for us,” Garcia said.

For now, the club’s focus remains on growth, both in numbers and in community, as more students across campus discover the sport.

“We’ve seen a lot of growth from the beginning of last year to this year,” Garcia said. “It’s great to see.”