Olympic Medalist Turned Boxing Trainer Rejoice as GymNation Acquires Fitness First Motor City Location

GymNation, the fitness powerhouse in the UAE, just snapped up the entire floor of its Motor City gym at Control Tower in Dubai, plus the floor above it where Fitness First Motor City is located. They made the deal with National Properties, the real estate side of National Bonds Corporation. And 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics bronze medalist in boxing Tony Jeffries is extremely happy about it. 

GymNation’s expansion project costs AED 70 million ($19.58 million) and would merge the two floors to expand their existing 30,000 square feet to over 55,000 square feet area. The main goal for this project is to create one of the world’s largest and most advanced gyms, allowing the company to broaden its offerings. 

Some sources suggest that the new gym will have dedicated areas for Reformer Pilates, boxing, wellness, and BLITZ Boutique HIIT, as well as the UAE’s largest recovery facility, featuring sauna, ice baths, sports massage, and assisted stretching. Other facilities include Dubai’s first indoor uphill running track and the Middle East’s first dedicated Hyrox Performance Centre. 

Reacting to this acquisition, Jeffries turned to his Instagram stories today, writing, “This is so inspiring! As a fitness gym owner myself since 2012, reading this really inspires me”. He further praised the Founder and CEO of GymNation, Loren Holland, claiming, “What Loren and the team have done and are doing is truly next level. I’m so proud to partner with this amazing company, with my boxing fitness group class biz @boxingfitnessconnect studio”.

He also wrote on Instagram, “I don’t think there’s going to be a gym in the world as good as this!! Can’t wait to get back there…” Nonetheless, Fitness First has been served an eviction notice, and work on the expansion project is said to begin shortly. Meanwhile, Holland herself has shed light on what’s in store for the gym. 

Loren Holland is planning exciting enhancements 

Loren Holland, Founder and CEO of GymNation, recently elaborated on the brand’s ambitious expansion in Motor City. In a statement to Construction Week, Holland emphasized the significance of the AED 70 million investment, noting, “Motor City is one of our top-performing locations, but we’ve outgrown our current capacity due to the rapid growth in the area.”

The expensive acquisition, which was advised by David Abood from Cushman & Wakefield and lawyer Sean Cope from DLA Piper, Holland claimed, “We’re committed to continuously evolving our product to provide world-class facilities at an affordable price”. And it’s not just for the Motor City location, per Holland, who revealed “we’re also planning exciting enhancements” for some of their Dubai and Abu Dhabi locations sometime in the future.

While the GymNation expansion project is exciting for the people in the neighborhood, former professional boxer Tony Jeffries seems excited about visiting Dubai just to train in the gym when it’s finished. Would you like GymNation to do similar things in the US?