Dakota County Native to Open Mixed Martial Arts Gym in Apple Valley

Nate Kleinfeld is about to take his business to the next level.

This fall, the Eagan native and owner of Next Level Combat, a mixed martial arts studio in Woodbury, will open a second location closer to home. The new gym is tucked into an office park on Felton Court in Apple Valley, just south of Johnny Cake Ridge Park West. On Friday, the space is rather raw, filled with the smell of fresh paint and drywall dust. Once complete, the gym will include a full-sized mixed martial arts cage, a boxing ring and 3,000 square feet of mat space. 

Kleinfeld said he began dreaming of owning his own gym after he began studying martial arts. Kleinfeld has been a competitive fighter—mainly in mixed martial arts and Jiu-Jitsu—since his early 20s. He has trained with famous martial arts gurus like Eddie Bravo, Saulo Ribiero, Mario Roberto and GPX (Muay Thai Mike). 

However, he didn't take the leap of faith until 2010, when he and his father opened the Woodbury location. The gym was a hit. Next Level Woodbury now boasts about 200 gym members. 

Emboldened by success, Kleinfeld is going to give it a go in Dakota County. The new location will officially open on Oct. 7, at 14608 Felton Court, Suite 108 in Apple Valley.