Carlos Condit and Lando Vannata Join Kingdom Muay Thai in Albuquerque

Albuquerque’s New Combat Hub on Irving Boulevard

Mark Entenberg walked a vacant Westside lot nearly six years ago, mapping out a permanent home for a martial arts community that started inside a garage during the COVID-19 pandemic. That long logistics grind reaches its finish line on November 2, when Kingdom Muay Thai officially opens its doors at 4471 Irving Blvd. NW, according to reporting from KRQE.

The facility is stepping into Albuquerque’s growing combat sports scene with a state-of-the-art building and a brand-new mixed martial arts program anchored by former UFC fighters Carlos Condit and Lando Vannata. What started as a traditional Muay Thai training ground is now scaling up into a full-scale professional destination.

From Garage Beginnings to an Elite Fight Team

Building the new facility tested the owner’s patience through years of planning and construction delays. “It will be about four years to the day of when I walked this lot and met with the architect with what we were going to do,” Entenberg told KRQE. “There has been a lot of hardship with it in terms of the logistics side of things, but we are here now, and we are here to stay.”

That arrival brings immediate competitive momentum. Seven Kingdom athletes are already scheduled to compete on a major U.S. fight card on November 14, and the gym’s head coach recently competed for a WBC National Title.

The addition of Condit and Vannata as head coaches changes the daily calculus for local athletes looking to turn professional. Condit grew up on Albuquerque’s Westside, giving the venture a personal anchor. “Growing up on this side of town, I always wanted something like this around,” Condit said. “Now it’s here, and now we have the opportunity to serve the Westside.”

Bridging Old-School Grind with Modern MMA Strategy

Vannata expects the star power and collective experience of the coaching staff to draw fighters from across the region and beyond. “Yeah, so I think with this new build and me and Carlos being the head of it, it’s going to attract a lot of people,” Vannata said, adding that fighters from other camps have already reached out via Instagram.

The two former UFC veterans view their coaching styles as a bridge across generations of the sport. “One of the things that’s beneficial with me and Carlos is that we came in the intermediary area between the old school and the new school,” Vannata explained. “So, we have some of that old-school mindset of hard work and discipline, and some of the new-school mindset of creativity.”

Condit emphasized that the curriculum goes beyond physical conditioning to prepare fighters for the realities of the sport’s highest tiers. “Lando and I have been to the big show. We have done it,” Condit said. “We know what it takes from a training standpoint, but also lifestyle. I have no doubt we are having people fighting and competing at an elite level.”

Collaboration Across New Mexico Gyms

While the facility boasts elite-level ambitions, Entenberg stressed that Kingdom Muay Thai intends to collaborate with existing gyms across New Mexico rather than compete against them.

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“If this can be the biggest destination spot for every program we offer, then that’s what we are here for, and that’s what this place is built for,” Entenberg said. “It’s not to shut down or hurt any other programs. It’s cross-branding and working with all different gyms in New Mexico.”

Before the official November 2 opening, the gym is hosting an Open Spar-B-Q event on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., featuring food and activities for all age groups.