Champions MMA; Case Study
I have been involved in martial arts for most of my life. In fact, I rank my ability as a competitive athlete second, just behind my skills on a computer. For the past 6 years, I have trained consistently at a local martial arts gym and have helped out with everything from coaching to cornering fights. In fact, being asked to build out the online presence for the gym was one of the main reasons why I decided to try and start up Assist.wtf. That and the number of people asking me “what the f***” when it came to computers, AI, and modern emerging technologies.
The plan
Champions MMA wanted to establish its online presence in order to advertise the gym as well as make it easy for new members to sign up, pay, and train, while giving existing members a hub for everything they need.
Instead of starting from scratch with heavy code, the project was built on Wix — giving speed, flexibility, and an integrated subscription system without sacrificing professional polish. While this does have a higher cost for monthly hosting, it does provide all the required features. Unfortunately, Wix being as good as it is doesn’t really make me any better at design. While functionally the website works well and does everything it needs to, visually, it requires some work.
Core Website Build
The design challenge was twofold:
Communicate credibility — the site had to look trustworthy enough for people brand-new to martial arts, while also ensuring viewers have a good sense of the type of gym and the people who train there.
Keep it simple — visitors should find the timetable, pricing, and location within a few clicks.
Wix provided a quick way to structure the site around these needs:
Pages included: Home, Timetable, Pricing, About, Contact
Mobile-first design: optimised for phone users (the majority of traffic)
The initial version went live quickly. A digital front door that matched the professional but community-driven spirit of the gym. Thankfully, the branding and theme had already been established, as this is usually the hardest part of building a website.
Location, Location, Location!
When previously only social media was used, it was often difficult to communicate where exactly the gym is located. While the gym is established, has been running for years, and has a core fight team, the location itself is a local Taekwondo gym. This meant there were always questions about whether the new member was turning up to the right gym to learn the right type of martial arts. The way this was solved was to integrate directly with Google Maps, allowing for visual proof of where the gym is, as well as a single click to open directly in Google Maps.
Subscription Payments
For a martial arts gym, reliable recurring payments are critical. Instead of chasing bank transfers or handling cash, Champions MMA wanted automated billing that “just works.”
Wix’s native Subscriptions module solved this:
Unlimited training plan — monthly recurring for those who attend every session
Pay-as-you-go classes — single-session purchases for those who drop in as and when they can
Personal training option — one-off bookings for PT sessions for those who prefer 1 on 1 training with one of the coaches.
Members can set up payments in minutes, and everything is synced inside the Wix dashboard. Failed payments trigger alerts automatically, removing admin headaches for staff. Built in is a bunch of automation that alerts the gym to new members, their subscription type, and details for things like emergency contacts.
Member Login
Wix also enabled a member login area without complex development:
Users create an account tied to their subscription
Members can log in, view their plan, update details, and manage billing, as well as sign a waiver
Coaches no longer need to track memberships manually
This shift freed up hours of admin each week and gave members self-service control.
The Store
Once subscriptions were in place, the next step was building an online shop for branded merchandise. The idea was to have a second stream of income as well as providing year-round access to merch, instead of randomly once off when a bulk order for tee-shirts was placed.
Instead of holding stock and managing logistics, Champions MMA integrated Printify’s print-on-demand service directly into Wix.
Products: branded hoodies, t-shirts & more!
Automation: orders go directly to Printify for fulfilment and delivery
Payments: unified with Wix checkout, keeping the user experience consistent
This gave Champions MMA a new revenue stream with zero inventory risk. A slightly higher per-product price may be a downside, but ultimately, having a service that runs while the gym is closed and still generates income is a win.
And the winner is…
Admin time saved: Reduced manual chasing of memberships or handling cash
Professional online presence: The site reflects the quality of training offered in the gym
Additional income: The store generates passive revenue without requiring stockholding
Scalability: Wix + Printify provides a framework that can expand with the gym’s future needs
Champions MMA UK has gone from managing admin with pen-and-paper to running a streamlined, fully digital system — built with tools that grow as they do.
Final thoughts
Wix, as a tool, is pretty powerful and can allow for some cool things to be built. While I personally prefer to build with AI + HTML on my own web server, sometimes a client prefers a 3rd party setup like Wix or Squarespace. At Assist.wtf, we use whatever tools, software, and partners you prefer. The whole idea is to integrate with your tech stack and only bring in additional solutions if necessary.
If you want to support a local gym, feel free to buy something from the store: https://www.championsmmauk.com/
If you’re looking to sponsor or get involved somehow, please reach out directly to me, and I can get you in contact with the right people.
