Stéphane “Atch” Chaufourier

At a glance

• Founded Atch Academy, an MMA gym running since 2003
• Coach and manager of two time KSW champion Salahdine Parnasse
• Online activity now focused on Instagram and Facebook

Overview

Stéphane Chaufourier, known as “Atch”, founded Atch Academy, a gym dedicated to MMA and combat sports that has been running since 2003. It started in Aubervilliers, just north of Paris, and later added a second location in Pantin.

He is the coach and manager of Salahdine Parnasse, a two time KSW champion. In that role he regularly talks to the media about his fighter's career choices, whether the options on the table are the UFC, the PFL or MVP.

What you'll find

Atch Academy's social accounts, mainly Instagram and Facebook, show daily life at the gym: training sessions, team fighters, competition results and fight prep for Parnasse. That is where the gym's online activity is concentrated.

The gym also has a YouTube channel, though it has not posted a new video since July 2024; the archive is still available. Atch Academy has also launched coaching.atchacademy.com, a platform for booking sessions with vetted coaches. And Chaufourier's interviews with MMA outlets shed light on the negotiations and decisions behind Parnasse's career.

Why follow

Chaufourier is one of the best placed people to talk about Parnasse's career, since he both trains and manages him. When he speaks, you learn how a leading French fighter weighs offers from the major promotions, including the American ones.

Atch Academy has been around for more than twenty years, which makes it one of the established MMA gyms in the Paris region. Following its accounts helps you spot the fighters it produces and see how a competition team works day to day. If you are in the Paris area and want to train, the booking platform gives you direct access to vetted coaches. For fans outside France, his media interviews are the most useful part, since they explain how a European champion's team weighs offers from the UFC, the PFL and MVP.

MMA Official's take

This is for fans who follow Salahdine Parnasse and for people training in the Paris region who are looking for a gym or a coach. Start with his interviews on Parnasse's career choices to understand his thinking. Then follow Atch Academy on Instagram for gym life, and check coaching.atchacademy.com if you want to book a session.