Jon Merritt – Co-Owner, Lead MMA Coach, Personal Trainer

Jon Merritt is co-owner of Fighting Chance and our lead MMA coach, bringing years of experience as both a competitive athlete and a trainer. He has competed in amateur MMA, kickboxing, boxing smokers, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and now focuses on coaching athletes for competition with a proven track record of success. His detailed approach to MMA, striking, and grappling makes him a top-tier coach for both beginners and serious competitors.

Jon is also a certified personal trainer (NASM, ASFA) with a deep background in fitness education, including intensive training at PTEC in San Francisco. He specializes in both basic fitness and high-level athletic development, offering private sessions for general health, strength, and conditioning—as well as private MMA and grappling instruction.

His background includes CrossFit, kettlebells, TRX, bodyweight training, mobility work, and foam rolling. Drawing from fitness texts like The Conjugate Method and Becoming a Supple Leopard, Jon combines practical experience with deep knowledge to help clients reach their goals, whether they’re new to fitness or training to compete.

Gage Munson – Co-Owner, Lead Boxing Coach, Personal Trainer

Gage Munson is co-owner of Fighting Chance and serves as our lead boxing coach. A lifelong athlete and competitor, Gage blends old-school fight tradition with elite strength training to create a coaching style that’s as effective as it is authentic. He grew up in the legendary Al Berro Boxing program—a pillar of Idaho’s boxing history—and now carries that legacy forward by training the next generation with the same grit, discipline, and precision.

Gage has competed in strongman events across the country and has a foundation in both powerlifting and strength athletics. He’s also a specialist in natural, drug-free performance and recovery—helping athletes of all levels maximize strength, stamina, and resilience through smart programming, proper recovery, and time-tested methods.

As a coach, he has developed successful competitors in both strongman and powerlifting, and his private training spans from beginner fitness to high-level athletic development. He also offers private boxing lessons that emphasize real-world skill, conditioning, and toughness.

Drawing from sources like Tactical Barbell and Jailhouse Strong, and backed by years of hands-on experience in the ring and on the platform, Gage delivers serious results for serious athletes. Whether you're chasing a title or just want to train with purpose, he brings the intensity, knowledge, and leadership to help you get there.

Personal Training at Fighting Chance

At Fighting Chance, we do things differently. Instead of inflating prices and taking the majority of the fee—like most commercial gyms that charge $125 an hour while only paying the trainer $25—we let our personal trainers set their own rates and get paid directly. This means you save money, and our coaches earn what they’re worth.

The result? You get better rates, more flexibility, and happier, more experienced coaches who are motivated to give you their best. Whether you're training for strength, fitness, combat sports, or recovery, you're working directly with a skilled professional—not a corporate middleman.

It’s a win-win model built around trust, quality, and results. Book a session with one of our coaches and see the difference for yourself.