Professor Misho Ceko
Founder & Head Coach
4th-Degree Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt
4th-Degree Luta Livre Black Belt
MMA Trainer
Misho Ceko is the founder and head coach of Chicago MMA, where martial arts meets mastery. With more than 25 years of experience, Misho blends global combat knowledge, elite training, and deep leadership expertise to shape fighters and citizens alike.
Born in Chicago, Misho’s journey began with the immigrant promise of opportunity. From humble beginnings, he rose through the worlds of sport and scholarship—earning multiple graduate degrees while training with the world’s best martial artists. His mission: to help every student discover strength, discipline, and purpose through the martial way.
Misho began his martial-arts journey in 1998 at the Ralph Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy in Mountain View, California, one of the sport’s original powerhouses. Training alongside legends like BJ Penn and the Camarillo brothers, he earned his black belt in 2004 under Ralph Gracie. Since then, he’s trained in Muay Thai at Boston’s Sityodtong Academy, boxed at New York’s Gleason’s Gym, taught at Nova MMA in Washington D.C., and even opened Mozambique’s first MMA school while working for the United Nations.
In 2010, he founded Chicago MMA, which has grown into one of the city’s leading academies for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai, Boxing, and MMA. His teaching emphasizes technical precision, mental toughness, and humility—“skills over gimmicks.” Thousands have trained under his guidance, from complete beginners to professional fighters. For Misho, the real victory isn’t in the cage—it’s in helping people transform their lives through discipline and courage.
Outside the gym, Misho is Chief Operating Officer and Senior Associate Dean of Business Operations at the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy. He has also served as COO of Uniting Voices Chicago (formerly the Chicago Children’s Choir), a consultant for UNDP in Mozambique, a senior consultant at Accenture, and an engineer at St. Jude Medical.
He holds an MPA from Harvard Kennedy School, an MBA from Northwestern Kellogg, a BS in Bioengineering from the University of Illinois, and completed MS coursework in Bioengineering at UIC. He also sits on the Board of Directors of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, chairing its Finance Committee, and chairs the board of Fútbol Más America, a nonprofit using sport to empower youth.
To train with Misho Ceko is to experience more than martial arts—it’s a study in resilience, focus, and self-belief. Whether you’re stepping onto the mat for the first time or chasing championship gold, his message is the same:
“Train your body. Sharpen your mind. Strengthen your spirit.”
At Chicago MMA, that’s not just a motto—it’s a way of life.
