Cies MMA is an IBJJF registered Academy, this is the highest recognized organization in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
We are happy to announce our new Kids classes!! In addition to our Monday, Wednesday, Friday 6-12 Gi BJJ from 4:30-5:15pm we now have a Cubs BJJ class for 3-5year olds from 4:00-4:30 on the same days right before the big kids. this class was created and is led by Barb Ciesnolevicz who has extensive experience in childcare and Jiu Jitsu alike. This class is to help kids develop body control, motor skills, and listening skills ahead of them going to the 6-12 year old program with Coaches Kyle, Josh and Travis. Similarly, we are now offering Kids striking on Tuesday and Thursday for the 6-12 year old age group. This class is led by Coach Barb and assisted by Coach Olivia who fought in Thailand earlier this year. We do a mix of boxing and kickboxing, games, agility work and conditioning in this class. This class is the perfect addition to an already robust kids program allowing your child to train 5x a week if you choose. We hope to see you soon!
Cies MMA had an awesome showing over Labor Day weekend at the World Master IBJJF Jiu Jitsu Championship! Two of our top female athletes tried their hand in stacked 8 to 18 women brackets, and did incredible. First off head kids Coach/Program Director, Barb Ciesnolevicz, took the 3rd place spot out of 8 Brown Belt Women. She won her first match via Triangle Submission, showcasing her aggressive guard. She is now a World Bronze No Gi Medalist, and World Master Gi Bronze Medalist. Barb trains every day at the Brunch Class, come join her!
One of our most loyal and fierce blue belt women also tried her hand in the Blue Belt division, which had 18 women in it! She jumped into the fire and learned a whole lot with her experience. We pride ourselves in having a great group of women to train with and Sasha is a testament to that. She was joined in support by her husband Jesse who also trains Jiu Jitsu with us at Cies MMA. Come see how our family friendly environment can be a positive impact to your life!
Wow, is all we can say about Amateur fighter Jacob Cochran's performance at Sparta Fight Night 17: Day Show in Denver yesterday! Jacob started MMA at Cies MMA just 10 short months ago, but has quickly shown his potential in the cage. He put on a master class of wrestling, mixed in some hard strikes then was able to showcase his Jiu Jitsu finishing the fight in the second round via North South Choke! His opponent tripled his experience yet Jacob looked calm, cool and collected as he marched his way to his second MMA win. He is now 2-0, with potential next fight news on the horizon. The sky is truly the limit for this young man in the sport of MMA. Come join him and many other of our incredible athletes M-Thur at 5:30pm for Striking, or 6:30pm for Jiu Jitsu.
One of our most dedicated Kickboxing students, Olivia Romero, took to the Muay Thai motherland (Thailand) and participated in extensive training. While there she was presented with an opportunity to compete in a true Muay Thai bout and without hesitation said a resounding YES! She showcased her technical ability and heart in this fight, winning via Technical Knockout in the 4th round. That was not it for Olivia, upon returning to the United States she started training almost immediately back at her home gym, Cies MMA. She competed in her second ever IKF point tournament. Because of her experience in Thailand the match was determined a draw due to its exhibition status (no participant could win). However, in 0ne instance the referee had to step in due to her overwhelming pressure, cardio and technical prowess. We are proud of Olivia for her dedication and determination to chase her dreams, bettering her life along the way. Join her and many others during our 5:30pm kickboxing class M-Th!
Head kids coach Barb Ciesnolevicz picks up the brown belt double bronze performance at the 2024 IBJJF Gi Pans one week after her professional MMA win! Congrats!!
CONGRATS to Professional MMA fighter and kids head coach, Barb Ciesnolevicz on her round 1 submission victory for the Midwest Championship Fights in North Platte, NE! She is now 2-1 as a pro! Alongside her was amateur debut fighter, Jacob Cochran who secured a hard fought and dominant unanimous decision victory! Great night for the Cies MMA fight team!
Cies MMA Professional fighter, Darien Robinson improves to 5-2 at Fury Fighting Championship in Dallas, TX! He displayed a masterclass of striking and take down defense to earn him the TKO victory in the 2nd Round. Even more impressive, his opponent had 20 fights between amateur and pro, and Darien is the first athlete to finish him. Fury is one of the lead feeder shows to the UFC, stay tuned for many more Cies MMA athletes making their way to this show and potentially beyond in the very near future! To learn Coach Mikes striking system, show up Monday-Thursday each week at 5:30pm!
Adam Gordon takes his 2nd MMA win by storm! He used his Jiu Jitsu against a strong wrestler, who out weighed him, to then out position him and win via GNP TKO! We could not be more proud of him as he has overcome so much! Congrats on being 2-0 in MMA now!
CONGRATS BJJ TEAM! On Sept 16th, Cies MMA takes the overall Gi, overall No Gi, and Overall all tournament Gold Medal at the NAGA in Colorado Springs. This is our team's 7th time winning this championship! All of our competitors laid it out on the line, and performed amazingly. More importantly the team bonding and community we shared was un-matched at the event. On to the next one!
On August 7th, we are excited to announce Coach Barb's return to the Kid's program after overcoming cancer and having her baby girl in March! Joining her are two of the gyms best BJJ practitioners to revitalize this already great program. If you are interested in having your 5-12 year old learn BJJ in a safe and fun environment look no further. We are giving out a free uniform to the first 10 kids that sign up! Only while supplies last! 
Cies MMA had one of it's best showings in our schools history at Battle MMA Championships April 27th! The team went 5-2 overall producing 2 Professional wins and 3 amateur wins all via finish! First off Dylan Hawthorne wins his fight via Rear Choke in the first round, making this his 2nd win in just 15 days; improving to 2-1! Next, Jack "Gentry" Girtin continues the path of submission winning his fight by Rear Choke as well in RD 1! Gentry improved his overall record to 2-2 and already has his next fight booked. Our 3rd and final amateur for the night was Cies Elite managed fighter Giovanni Sosa winning via TKO in the second round! He improved his overall record to 4-0, and has a bright future ahead 0f him. Our professional fighters absolutely crushed it, starting with Nick Lancaster winning via devastating elbows! He TKO'd his opponent at the end of round 1, and improved to 1-0 as a pro. Darien Robinson ended the night winning his 5th professional fight via heel hook in the first round against a tough Jiu Jitsu style fighter improving to 4-1. Both fighters are looking to get right back in the cage and keep chasing their dreams! Come train with them at 5:30 or 6:30pm! Cies MMA vs. Everybody!
Wow! That's all we can say about our fight team members who went down to Alamosa, Colorado and put on an absolute clinic! The team went a perfect 4-0, some fighters fighting on extremely short notice as well. Congratulations to Charles Clark for picking up his 2nd MMA win via 2nd round TKO! Well done to Dylan Hawthorne who picked up a hard unanimous decision win to earn him his first MMA win! Great work to Donnell Dixon who picked up his 2nd MMA win via 1st round submission even though his opponent missed weight by 5+ lbs, showing that his BJJ and hard work paid off when it counted! Finally, amazing work to Josh Kines who won via 1st round submission in the Main Event bout for the show! He handled adversity well, and for the time he was in the cage put on an incredible show finishing with extremely high level and slick BJJ! Thanks to the amazing team supporters who made the long drive to cheer the team along to their wins!
Yet another congratulations are in order for our adult BJJ team for not only winning their 4th NAGA Colorado Springs tournament Team Championship, but also taking the overall Adult Gi Championship as well! We are very proud of this due to the fact we often times get mistaken for just an MMA school. The Gi is alive and well at Cies MMA come check it out!
Kyle Kirk improves his professional BJJ record to 2-1 this weekend at F2W PRO in Denver Colorado! We are consistently proud of Kyle, his hard work, and overall ability in the sport coupled with being such a great teammate. He is training often times 6x a week without skipping a beat, therefore his hard work paid off. His match showed his ability to over come adversity, his high pace, and his great BJJ technique. Great work Kyle!
Our Adult BJJ team wins their 8th Grappling Industries Team Trophy in Colorado Springs! We are so proud of their efforts each time they step on the mats to test themselves, its only a bonus that they keep winning! We pride ourselves in having an unmatched team unity and community at Cies MMA. More people came to support their teammates than those that actually competed; Come see what the hype is all about every M-Thu at 6:30pm or M-Fri at 11am for BJJ class!
Major congrats to Cies MMA, and Cies Elite Professional fighter Anthony Shurts for picking up his first Pro MMA win and improving to 1-1! Anthony displayed a well rounded Muay Thai striking style, and ended up capping the fight off with his incredible Jiu Jitsu to secure the Guillotine Choke in RD 1! Anthony "Hitman" Shurts is one of our hardest workers, winning our fighter of the month award in January 2023. Look for him to pick up his second pro win in April!
Congrats to Tygr Cain for picking up his first Amateur MMA win! Tygr fought a very tough opponent from a reputable gym and showed his well rounded game and conditioning by winning a Unanimous Decision. Tygr is a full time Military member and family man on top of chasing his MMA dreams. We could not be more proud of his efforts last night at Battle MMA Championships!
Congrats to BJJ Competitor, Kyle Kirk for his reverse heel hook victory in regulation at Colorado Jiu Jitsu Club's Pro Show! He showed dominant counter wrestling and top notch leg entanglements! Kyle is in the gym 6 days a week and his hard work truly paid off. He is our last competitor to put it on the line for 2022, and to end it with a big win was amazing!
HUGE congratulations to Giovanni Sosa for improving his record to 3-0 as an amateur this Saturday at Battle MMA Championships via Unanimous Decision. We are very impressed with this young fighter, as he is constantly busy with competing in Jiu Jitsu as well and improving his skills. He also is an Active Duty soldier who often times has to spend time in the field training during his fight camps. The future is bright for this young star in the making!
While we are extremely busy preparing for fights, bjj tournaments, and overall bettering ourselves; each year we pause to remember the reason for the season. Giving back to the El Paso County community is something we pride ourselves on, and each year we host a toy drive. Bring any unwrapped gift and place it under our tree located in our lounge area, and receive 30% off our pro shop for the whole month of December. We appreciate your generosity to help make a difference for kids in the area!
Congrats to Jack "Gentry" Girtin for finishing his MMA fight via arm bar in the 3rd round at Sparta Sports and Entertainment! Gentry has been working really hard during our fight team trainings and has committed to fighting as much as possible. He will be re-entering the cage December 1oth, looking for his 2nd MMA win here in Colorado Springs.
Congrats to Josh Dulin for securing a technical and quick foot lock in his Fight to Win Pro debut, in Denver CO. Josh has been working really hard in the gym since moving here from North Carolina around a year ago. The sky is the limit for Josh and we are so proud of this achievement!
Congrats to FIVE of our fight team members for winning their bouts for Battle Mixed Martial Arts Championships all via finish! Donnell Dixon secures the rear choke, Adam Gordon secures the Americana, Giovanni Sosa secures the 7 second KO, Henry Brandt secures the TKO, and Andrew Callaway secures the 22 second knockout! We could not be more proud of our guys! Next show will be December 10th and we cannot wait for the same or better outcome!
Congrats to Cies MMA for winning the Grappling Industries overall adult team title for the 7th time in a row!! Even though we took a smaller team to compete all of our adult athletes did so well we secured the title with well over 300 points to spare. We could not be more proud of the community we have at Cies MMA, and the amazing people who come in and out of our doors daily! Come check us out during one of our classes!
After being open just 1 month over 6 years Cies MMA gained it's first ever WORLD CHAMPION in BJJ Blue Belt, Adam Gordon. Adam competed at the prestigious IBJJF Masters World Championships and even though seeded second to last in a 29 man bracket, he came out with the Gold Medal. His performances were dominate, never even having a point scored on him. Us at Cies MMA could not be more proud of this incredible achievement!
Cies MMA has its first ever BROWN BELT! Congrats to Kid's Coach Barb Ciesnolevicz for earning her BJJ Brown Belt from Professor Mike Ciesnolevicz after 8 years of training. Barb worked her way up to the #1 rank in gi for her category as a purple belt in the IBJJF and #2 in the world in No Gi. Come have your child learn from Coach Barb Mon-Fri 4:30 PM!
Major congrats to our Amateur MMA fight team for going 3-0 with all finishes at Battle MMA Championships in Pueblo Colorado this past Saturday! Josh Kines started the card off, securing a first round knee bar improving his MMA record to 2-1. He joins his coach Mike Ciesnolevicz with being the only person to win via leg lock from our academy in an MMA bout. Giovanni Sosa was our second fighter of the night and he used his superior wrestling skills to come back from adversity for the TKO win in the first round! Andrew Callaway was next and he explosively earns the gyms fastest ever finish via 7sec KO! Great work guys!
Congrats to one of our Elite Pro's, Darien Robinson for securing his 3rd Pro MMA win in Missoula, MT July 16! He won via vicious TKO in the very first round, and was able to display his superior striking, wresting and jiu jitsu in the short 2 minutes he was in the cage. Darien is now 3-0 as a professional with all first round finishes!
Congrats to our 3 winners from Battle Mixed Martial Arts Championships on Saturday! To start the card off was Beka D'Anna, our second female to ever fight MMA from our gym! She came out strong and had to withstand a storm from her more experienced opponent. After the first round she kept her pace high and threw devastating knees to the body which ended the fight due to referee stoppage in RD 2! Great work Beka! Then our two Professional men, Darien and Dyvonne, took the night by storm! Combined fight time for the both of them was 45 seconds! Dyvonne won his pro debut via knee to the head KO, and Darien wins his via Anaconda choke both securing "Of the Night" honors!
Congrats to Kids/Youth Coach Barb Ciesnolevicz for bringing home Cies MMA's first ever Major IBJJF Gold Medal! She was the first to place at a major tournament (No Gi PAN/No Gi WORLD), and now is the first but not last to earn a Gold Medal.
Congrats to Robby Canton, Anthony Shurts, Dyvonne Thornton, Darien Robinson and Barb Ciesnolevicz for winning their MMA fights at the premiere MMA show in Colorado Springs, Battle Mixed Martial Arts Championships 2! Robby Canton made his amateur MMA debut and secured an arm bar submission just inside of Round 2! Anthony Shurts came off of a 5 year MMA layoff to secure a round 1 submission against a game opponent and will be heading to the professional ranks this fall! Dyvonne Thornton never ceases to impress us all, and he battled hard to win a unanimous decision for the inaugural 125lb Championship Belt, making him our gyms 5th ever Ammy Champ! Darien Robinson made his long awaited professional debut, and blew the roof off of the building with his extreme knockout victory just inside of 2 minutes of round 1! Coach Barb Ciesnolevicz took her second pro MMA fight by storm, secured a hard takedown into a TKO victory from mount in just 24 seconds!
Come train with this group of amazing athletes! Check our schedule, and come meet the lions!
Congrats to the Adult BJJ team for winning the NAGA Colorado Springs overall team championship by a landslide! We truly witnessed some amazing growth and great performances from all of our members who decided to compete. A lot of people competed for the first time! Great work!
Congrats to Adam Abul-Hawa for winning his second MMA fight bus vicious TKO in the 2nd round! He beat a well known gym from Denver who has been renowned as one of the major gyms in the country and did it decisively. We are thrilled for his continued success as in less than a year he became 2-0 in Kickboxing and 2-0 in MMA.
Congrats to Dyvonne Thornton for moving to 5-0 as an amateur and climbing to the #5 ammy flyweight in the West at Colorado Springs first show in 2 years. He secured the split decision win in a hard fought battle with a tough opponent. He will be returning to the cage in March 2022. Stay tuned, as the professional ranks are not far from his future.
Congrats to Darien Robinson for securing a 3 fight professional deal with Fusion Fight league winning his final tournament bout in less than 2 mins of the first round via TKO. He is now going to be joining the professional ranks in 2022, coming off of a #1 ranked in the west, Colorado and Montana Amateur MMA career. 
Coach Barb Ciesnolevicz is the Main Event for Fusion Fight League in Billings, MT for her Professional MMA Debut! We also have 4 other Cies MMA Fighters on the card! Stream it on Fite TV or head on up to watch!
Congratulations to 3 Cies MMA Fighters, Josh Kines, Dyvonne Thornton, and Jacob Hawthorne for their submission wins at Fusion Fight League in Gillette Wyoming! Josh and Jacob won their debut fights and Cies MMA Elite Managed Fighter Dyvonne, improved to an impressive 4-0 with 3 finishes
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Coach Barb Ciesnolevicz, takes Bronze at the IBJJF No Gi World Championships, becoming the first Cies MMA Member to not only compete at the World level but then proceeded to get on the podium. She will not be the last, join her on the IBJJF Circuit today!
Congrats to Dyvonne Thornton, a Cies MMA Elite managed fighter for improving to 3-0 as an amateur. His impressive fight on Fury FC put the flyweight division on notice and he's already looking ahead at his next opportunity to put on a show. He is the first Cies MMA fighter to fight on a direct feeder show, to the UFC, and might be fighting there again in a few months. More impressively, Dyvonne took an illegal knee to the head in the second round, and still battled to secure the win in the third round. His opponent was a highly touted prospect at an elite gym in Denver as well. Come train with Dyvonne any evening at Cies MMA's premier facility in Colorado Springs, Colorado!
Ladies Coach, Barb Ciesnolevicz, does it again via reverse heel hook in Las Vegas, Nevada against a tough 10th planet purple belt who has been grappling for 15+ years. Barb just competed one week prior and came back victorious again in the submission or draw match up. Looking forward to what is next for her! She improves to 3-1-1 as a professional grappler! Barb runs a ladies program each Tuesday and Thursday at 5:30pm, come see what she's all about!
Cies MMA Ladies BJJ Coach, Barb Ciesnolevicz wins her 4th Pro BJJ match against UFC legend and BJJ Black Belt Roxanne "The Happy Warrior" Modaferri via Reverse Heel Hook! We are so proud of Barb and her amazing achievement. Come see her at her ladies only class ran Tuesdays and Thursdays at 5:30pm!
Darien Robinson advances to the Fusion Fight League Finals for a 3 fight pro contract and championship belt via unanimous dec! He put on an absolute wrestling clinic against an opponent known for his great wrestling to secure the win!
CONGRATS to Cies MMA athlete, Adam Abul-Hawa in winning his MMA debut after becoming 2-0 in kickboxing earlier this year. Adams win makes the MMA team 7-2 overall in 2021, boasting a winning record since our opening in 2016!
CONGRATULATIONS to Cies MMA athletes Robby Spinella, and Jacob Hawthorne on their submission victories at Fight to Win Pro in Denver! They were the first athletes from our academy to compete on that stage, and came back decisively victorious!
