How Spokane’s Dylan Lemery became a top combat sports trainer

A favor to Michael Chiesa soon transformed the Spokane MMA community.

Three years have passed since Dr. Dylan Lemery conditioned the UFC welterweight for his return to the cage.

Since then, Lemery has integrated himself in Spokane’s combat community as an elite strength and conditioning coach for two Olympic wrestlers, Jiu Jitsu and MMA champions, and a BareKnuckle Boxing champion.

Lemery’s success almost came by accident. Had he not grown bored during PR school and earned his Certified Strength and Conditioning license on a whim, DL Training Systems would not exist.

“I got bored while studying for my national exam, and that’s when I decided I’ll go get this,” Lemery said. “Never thought I’d ever use it.”

Before Chiesa fought against Neil Magny in 2021, the welterweight contender approached Lemery and asked him to set up a strength and conditioning program for him.

Working closely with the UFC’s Performance Institute, Lemery came up with a plan for Chiesa. Soon after Chiesa’s fight, another Spokane welterweight MMA prospect, Ashton Charlton, reached out to work with Lemery.

Lemery soon realized he had unlocked a door to a new passion.

“I love doing (this) because the kind of people that go into MMA are the individuals that are all in,” Lemery said. “There is no ‘Plan B’ in their life.”

When UFC bantamweight Brady Hiestand joined the team, the referrals came flooding in.

“At that point, I was like ‘ OK, this is a legitimate business,’ ” Lemery said.

In February 2023, DL Training Systems was born.

Elite athletes, however, require more than basement training. Lemery moved his operation to the Mode Campus in Liberty Lake.

“When you look at the absolute most elite level, they have more resources,” Lemery said. “They have abilities to test. They have interprofessional relationships with physical therapists’ physicians. There’s just a lot of things that we have to do because one person can’t do it all.”

Lemery operates out of the Mode Campus in Liberty Lake. With a physician, physical therapist and more resources at his fingertips on the campus, Lemery’s small pond has expanded to a bigger ocean.

With more than 60 elite athletes, Lemery said he has his hands full, but he wouldn’t have it any other way. Each athlete’s strength and conditioning sessions range from 55 to 75 minutes, twice each week. With athletes training separately in their various disciplines – whether MMA, boxing or jiu-jitsu – Lemrey is careful not to overtax their bodies.

Although his programs differ based on athletes and their needs, his team will often train together in pockets of two to five people.

“I try not to get the groups too big, because I don’t want my attention divided,” Lemery said.

Having fighters work alongside each other, he said, has huge benefits.

“We can still hammer hard (one on one), but I’m telling you, put Brady Hiestand and Kai Stewart next to each other and they will go harder than if it’s just me watching one of them.”

The list of athletes at DL Training Systems has become a who’s who of local fighting talent: Medusa Combat Jiu Jitsu world champion Gillian Noll and three-time Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship world champion Stewart are just two of the elite athletes Lemery trains who continue to relentlessly pursue their dreams

Lemery’s reach goes further than just Spokane with Indiana’s two-time Olympic wrestler and three-time NCAA Division-1 All American Steven Mićić.

Through all his athletes’ success, Lemery remains humble.

“I’m just one piece of the team,” he said.