Cross Counter Villeurbanne: the gym that builds champions
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Some gyms do sport. Some gyms build champions. Cross Counter Villeurbanne clearly belongs to the second category.
Set in the heart of Villeurbanne across 400 m², founded by Fayçal Omrani — coach, developer of fighters, finder of talent — and later taken over by Benoit Gonssolin, Cross Counter has become in a few years one of the most respected addresses in boxing and combat sports in the Lyon area. And beyond it.
A record that speaks for itself
Look at the list of athletes who have passed through Cross Counter, and the numbers are striking.
Michel Soro — WBA International champion, European champion, French champion in boxing. One of the finest French boxers of his generation, developed and cornered by Fayçal Omrani.
Ahmed El Mousaoui — French amateur champion at 14, four-time French champion, European Union welterweight champion, ranked in the world top 25. An exceptional record built in part on the foundations laid at Cross Counter.
Farès “Smile Killer” Ziam — active UFC fighter, six consecutive wins in the UFC, the sixth-ranked Frenchman in the toughest competition in world MMA. It is at Cross Counter that he continues to sharpen his striking.
Rayan Cherki — the Manchester City midfielder and France under-21 international trusts Cross Counter for his physical preparation. When you are looking for the best environment to work on athletic condition, you go to the best place.
One gym, one philosophy
What makes Cross Counter strong is a simple philosophy, carried by Fayçal Omrani from day one: put beginners and professional champions in the same room, with the same standards for everyone. Recreational members train alongside pros. Beginners take inspiration from champions. Champions stay humble.
Esprit Boxe, official outfitter to Cross Counter
Cross Counter is an official Esprit Boxe partner. The punching bags, gloves, protective equipment and training kit used daily by Fayçal Omrani and his athletes — including Farès Ziam during his UFC camps — carry the Esprit Boxe name.
When you are preparing UFC fighters and world champions, you do not compromise on equipment. Ours is built to survive thousands of impacts, hundreds of sessions, years of intensive training.
Discover the equipment the pros use:
