The top names competing at the highest level of Mixed Martial Arts dedicate their life to the sport. When starting on their journey to become champion of the world, a young athlete has nothing more than a dream to power their endeavours. They visualise training until they are in perfect physical condition. They do hours on the mat or heavy bag, drilling the moves they like to use and improving where needed. All day, every day. If you want to be a professional fighter, there’s no substitute for hard work.
Professional boxer Floyd Mayweather said it best when keeping it simple. Hard work and dedication. It’s needed in abundance if you want to not only compete in combat sports like MMA or boxing but make a living from it. There are countless combat gyms around the world, all filled with hopeful amateurs and those looking to keep fit. From every 1000 aspiring professionals in a city, most will fail to make the grade. That’s often because they fail to put in the hours necessary. They don’t make the sacrifices which have become non-negotiable. Yes, it’s tough at the top, and it’s even tougher trying to get there.
What if you are happy simply admiring these gladiators of the modern era? You love their dedication and ability to handle endless hours of training. But that life’s not for you. Placing UFC bets is another safe way to get closer to the action, and you can do that using your home computer or smartphone with the leading online sportsbook apps covering the UFC in detail. Choose between the fight winner, the method of victory, the bout to be won inside a round and other exciting specials.
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Learning and watching MMA can be great fun, either as a form of exercise or self-defence. But you don’t want to give up your 9-5 job, live in the gym monitoring your weight, and then, at the end of all that sacrifice, your reward is fighting your way out of a cage. There are things you can do at home or through your local combat gym that will help bring you closer to the training style and physique of a professional UFC fighter, without the cauliflower ears, bashed nose and making drastic weight cuts.
On this page, we look at three simple but effective ways you can mimic the training habits of a professional fighter. Follow our advice at a good gym, and you’ll help build muscle, cut weight, and improve your athleticism and speed. No expensive equipment is required, and you can follow these workouts in most gyms. It doesn’t have to be a state-of-the-art MMA club with a qualified teacher. Although having one on hand would help massively.
Let’s take a closer look at three different forms of training every MMA fighter will be familiar with and use to improve their game. If you do follow any advice given on this page, please do so in the right environment and consult your doctor before undertaking any combat sports training if you are unsure of anything.
BJJ
Interest in Brazilian Jiujitsu has exploded over the last few years as the UFC has gained more followers. There’s now a BJJ gym in just about every town and city, and that’s not something that could have been said just a decade ago.
BJJ is a fantastic way to get closer to the training style of an MMA warrior. It’s a combat sport that shares many similarities to judo or wrestling, and it’s a fantastic way to get yourself fit. When trying BJJ for the first time, you’ll instantly realise just how much cardio is involved.
Boxing
Wrap your hands, strap on the gloves and bang away at the heavy bag. You can be as skilled as you like, but it’s not essential. If you want to learn to box, you can achieve this with a heavy punch bag. But if you want to get a sweat on and burn calories, simply plank your feet and punch away those lbs. It has great health benefits.
Sprints
Visit your local running track and do 400m sprints. Split these up into a round format. One 400m sprint with a 60 seconds rest equals one round. Most MMA fights are three or five rounds in duration.