Gloucester’s combat sports pioneer tells Sport and Life why being able to grapple is key to self-defence, how training into his 50s has left him more mobile and fitter than most men his age and the secret behind his protégé Christian Leroy Duncan’s rise in the UFC.
Watch the full chat with Mark Weir below:
A global phenomenon
The Ultimate Fighting Championship is a global phenomenon. But did you know that an explosive trailblazer of the organisation and the sport of MMA lives in Gloucester?
Mark ‘The Wizard’ Weir recorded a 10-second knockout victory at the first UFC event to take place in England back in 2002 and is still devoted to combat sports. He now trains fighters – including current UFC star Christian Leroy Duncan – and everyday people at Range Martial Arts Academy in Gloucester.
Weir himself hailed from a Taekwondo background before throwing himself into the wild early MMA scene. In those days the UFC was almost a staging ground for disciplines to be tested against each other. Who wins in a fight between a boxer and a wrestler? A karate player and a jiujitsu star? The early UFC events helped answer those questions.
Best defence
Things have kicked on a pace and MMA fighters are all rounders, specialists: they have to be able to do bit of everything: boxing, kickboxing, karate, wresting, jiujitsu and more. And while for Weir this makes them the best combat athletes in the world, it also means MMA is the best option for anyone looking to be able defend themselves.
“Telling the truth, if I was going to teach someone self-defence I would teach them MMA. Because it doesn’t matter where it (the confrontation) goes after a few punches. I used to teach guys around my area for door security and after a few punches you can get dragged to the ground.
“But MMA teaches people from all walks of life in all situations. You can be pinned against a wall or a car, which is like cage fighting. You can get taken down in the street, grappling, ground and pound. Again you can be standing up. It’s more well-rounded in preparation for a street fight than any other sport,” Weir told Sport and Life.
Weir says the variety of skills taught in an MMA class also breeds confidence. He says he didn’t always see that in his Taekwondo days when being good at that specific discipline didn’t necessarily translate to being able to look after yourself in a public altercation.
“I’ve seen that in my Taekwondo days, traditional days. They’d go out there (the real world) and just start whaling, swinging their arms. The technique goes out the window.
“But I think with MMA it gets you a little bit more composed. Because the reason why is you don’t know what the person is going to be attacking you with. They could be punching you, or try or take you down or slam you against a wall. It’s easier to relate MMA to self-defence as you’re used to thinking what’s the person going to do? And that calmness comes, it’s easier to stay calm.”
A magic formula
Looking and listening to Weir you can’t help but be impressed by his energy and condition. It’s even more impressive when you realise ‘The Wizard’ is in his late 50s. He puts his vitality and fitness down to the training and clean living.
“It’s sometimes hard for me to relate, because I meet guys my age (58) and they’re always talking about, ‘oh, my knee’s gone, my hip, my back…’ and I can’t really relate because I don’t really get injured.
“One day it might catch up with me. But there’s a lot of colds and flus going around and I’m not getting anything. I do put the longevity down to really looking after myself over the years. I only really drink at the end of the year, special occasions.”
Weir would have been entitled to enjoy an alcoholic beverage at the end of 2025. It was a stellar year for his charge Duncan, who pulled off three impressive victories in the UFC’s middleweight division and made a future world title shot a real possibility.
This possibility came even closer to a reality as Duncan beat Roman Dolidze in March 2026 in London, a win that saw him rise to 12 in the UFC’s middleweight rankings.
Powerful team
In typically modest fashion though Weir doesn’t put the breakthrough run down to his own methods, but rather Duncan’s skill in assembling a powerful team around them.
“I just think it’s the way he got his camp, the people training him. He started to use their strengths and he structured everybody around him to have a specific job. And each one is tailor made to work on his boxing, kick-boxing, strength and conditioning and the wrestling.
“He’s got a coach for each area and as you grow, and financially as well, you can afford to get these guys in and fund them for their time.”
Weir says that the pay has gone up exponentially since his days in the UFC and the increased money will likely attract more people to the idea of being a pro MMA fighter. But Weir says only the best of the best have a shot at making it.
“You’ve got make sure you’re more than ready. Being more than ready is when you’re a total threat to anybody in the amateur division. If you can threaten them in a way that no one really wants to fight you, I believe you’re ready. You’ve got to be taking everybody apart.”
To find out more you can follow Mark’s gym on Instagram:
