our story
The Fighting Life Boxing Program is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization. Every dollar contributed goes towards helping more students, as well as expanding our program and available services.
AJ Thomas
Founder; Fighting Life Boxing Program
Owner & Head Coach; UpperKuts Boxing Club
AJ Thomas, a Framingham, Massachusetts native, saw the boxing gym as his place of refuge growing up. It provided a sense of structure, discipline, strength, and self-confidence for him, where in many cases, he wouldn’t have otherwise gained. Thomas’s professional boxing career started as a competitive boxer himself, and now extends as a coach for amateur and professional boxers including Danny O’Connor, Christopher David-Fogg, and Tim Ramos. Using his passion for boxing and giving back to the community, in June of 2015, Thomas opened UpperKuts Boxing Club located in Ashland, just over the line from his hometown of Framingham, MA. UpperKuts Boxing Club serves as a “second home” for many of his fighters, members, and youth. Just as the boxing gym was a place of refuge for him, Thomas wanted to provide the same for today’s youth. “I want to give them a place where they can come to, and know they have someone to always push them to be better.” In October of 2018, Fighting Life Boxing Program was founded where Thomas shares his knowledge and passion for boxing by creating an environment where kids can be themselves and have the confidence to fight against the pressures of everyday life.