When Otto Ohlsson opened Dropout Fight Club in Milwaukee, it wasn’t a business plan, it was a lifeline. Emerging from the isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic, Otto just wanted connection. “I missed people,” he recalls. “I didn’t know if anyone would show up but they did.”

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What began with a simple ad asking if anyone wanted to box in the park has become one of Milwaukee’s most authentic community spaces. Dropout isn’t just about boxing, it’s about showing up, no matter who you are. “Age, race, money, it doesn’t matter here,” Otto says. “This is a safe space. No judgment.”

When Otto Ohlsson opened Dropout Fight Club in Milwaukee, it wasn’t a business plan—it was a lifeline. Emerging from the isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic, Otto just wanted connection. “I missed people,” he recalls. “I didn’t know if anyone would show up—but they did.”

What began with a simple ad asking if anyone wanted to box in the park has become one of Milwaukee’s most authentic community spaces. Dropout isn’t just about boxing—it’s about showing up, no matter who you are. “Age, race, money—it doesn’t matter here,” Otto says. “This is a safe space. No judgment.”

The gym started in a freezing, abandoned warehouse, one light, one bag. Otto worked freelance gigs to build it out, one piece at a time. Today, Dropout Fight Club is a gritty, beating heart of the city.

The name? Personal. Otto dropped out of art school after his portfolio was stolen. “I wanted something real. Something imperfect. Like me.”

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From women-only nights to art shows and 4 a.m. heart-to-hearts, Dropout is about more than boxing. “Turns out I wasn’t just building a gym,” Otto says. “I was building a community.” And that fight is far from over.

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