Based in Nice, this mixed martial arts club serves as a reference in the Azur region. Manon Fiorot, Axel Sola, Virgil Augen, and Mehdi Dakaev are all currently members of the club founded by Aldric Cassata.
Still banned until January 2020, the legalization of MMA competitions in France was enacted under the tenure of Roxana Maracineanu. Ultra-popular across the Atlantic, which has the pioneering and world-leading league with the UFC, as well as in Brazil, Japan, and Russia, the popularity of MMA keeps rising over the years. In France, and more specifically in Nice, the Boxing Squad has equipped itself with one of the best forces in the country, and even beyond.
“What is this crazy sport? I want to do this!”
Aldric Cassata
These are the words of the man leading the Boxing Squad. Already at the age of five, he practiced Shotokan Karate before putting martial arts aside for soccer. Skilled with a ball, Aldric Cassata quickly joined the training center of OGC Nice, but lacking passion, the adventure came to an end. The combat sports enthusiast finally turned to Kenpō, a versatile Japanese martial art with a technical variety similar to MMA.
Little known in the early 2000s, mixed martial arts were not well recognized by the French. It was then that Aldric Cassata discovered the legendary UFC fights through tapes. It was love at first sight! With solid martial skills acquired during his learning journey, the Karateka was invited to participate in his very first MMA fight. The first of about twenty that would take him all around the world.
An Impeccable Methodology
After his American visa expired in 2010, the Niçoise returned to his nest without many ideas in mind but infused with considerable know-how. He tried his hand at coaching and quickly got into the game. Aldric Cassata seemed to have found his new path. Thus, in 2011, the fighter founded his mixed martial arts club, the highly reputed Boxing Squad. Here, one can find courses in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, wrestling, and, of course, boxing. All essential and complementary for performing well in an octagon.
Under his wing, the coach nurtures prospects that emerge exponentially. From the amateur vice world champion Axel Sola to the UFC’s number one flyweight, Manon Fiorot, Cassata’s methodology is bearing fruit. To such an extent that requests are pouring in from all over France to be part of the Boxing Squad team. The Azur lifestyle plays a significant role, but it is mostly the guidance provided by Aldric Cassata and his team that draws the crowds. Recently voted Coach of the Year by the RMC editors, there is no doubt that the future of French MMA is in good hands.
