Advancements in scientific research have transformed top-class sport, and that is certainly the case where the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is concerned.
Widely acknowledged as the pinnacle of mixed martial arts (MMA), the UFC has embraced sports science to ensure that its athletes are in peak physical condition.
Their renowned Performance Institute is one of the best in the business, using ‘world-leading science, innovation and technology’ to support its competitors.
The Institute’s staff provide athletes with specialist plans that they can incorporate into their training regimes to maximise performance.
Read on as we look at some of the critical elements of UFC training and assess how coaches and gymnasiums prepare their athletes for big fights.
Nutrition
Former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva enjoyed a long career in MMA and continued to fight in the UFC after his 45th birthday.
He holds the record for the longest title reign in UFC history at 2,457 days, and is described by many of his peers as one of the greatest fighters of all-time.
During an interview with GQ, the Brazilian credited his longevity to a carefully-structured nutritional plan and a desire to find ways to train smarter than his opponents.
“What I’ve really made an effort to get better at is a diet that’s well-balanced,” he said. “I don’t eat sugar; I cut bad carbs, salt, and alcohol; and I try to drink more water these days.
“My doctors say it helps my body absorb the nutrients – that if I don’t stay hydrated, it won’t matter what I eat.
“I also try to keep a good mix going in my diet. I’ll eat lean two days in a row, and then take in a lot of carbohydrates, and then take two days to just eat protein. The most important thing is cutting the sugar and salt, though.
“It’s working, too. I’m so happy, and I honestly feel younger than ever. But again, even with all the help they’ve given me (nutritionists), the biggest thing is just cutting out sugar and salt.
Fight Preparation
While preparation is undoubtedly vital in every sporting discipline, it is arguably even more crucial in the brutal world of MMA.
Each time a fighter steps into the cage they are putting their life on the line, highlighting why they cannot afford to cut corners during their training camps.
The UFC Performance Institute conducted extensive research into what it takes to be successful in the MMA, and their guidelines cover numerous core training elements.
These include fitness, health, recovery, injuries, training, benchmarks and nutrition, all of which feed into the overall performance package.
Station6Fitness‘s BJJ instructor, Jon Haskew, believes that gaining an in-depth knowledge of these factors is the key to success in MMA.
“It is vital for coaches and gyms to gain a comprehensive understanding of each of these performance elements if they want their athletes to succeed,” he said.
“By adopting a multi-faceted approach to performance, athletes and trainers can ensure that no stone is left unturned in the pursuit of a winning formula.
“Sports science offers MMA the tools it needs to improve, and its insights provide a framework that allows athletes to prepare properly for future fights.
Rest & Recovery
Another hugely important part of UFC training camps is the amount of time that fighters dedicate to rest and recovery.
The UFC’s Performance Institute offers its world-class facilitates to every athlete on its roster to ensure that they optimise this aspect of their preparations.
Their resources include hot & cold plunge tanks, an underwater treadmill, sauna & steam rooms, a cryotherapy chamber and sleep pods.
Bo Sandoval, the Director of Strength and Conditioning for the UFC Performance Institute, believes that rest and recovery is an integral part of any athlete’s training regime.
“In the last 15 years, there’s been a lot of study and a lot of case study around appropriate methodology, but then also appropriate timeframes and situations for different methods of recovery,” he said.
“The two most fundamental things first off are nutrition and sleep. First, hands down. So, we don’t even get into advanced methods of recovery if someone doesn’t check those two boxes.
“You don’t eat breakfast every day? There’s no point, we don’t even need to get into the discussion of a cryo chamber or an infrared laser light bed. We don’t even need to get into that conversation if you don’t eat food and if you don’t go to bed.
“Unfortunately we do have some of these fighters that have a hard time sleeping. Whether it’s anxiety related or they just never developed good habits growing up or whatever. But those two things fundamentally first – that’s recovery, number one.”
Specialised Training
It was once the case where UFC stars would train in teams, but the landscape has changed in recent years to a more individual approach.
Many fighters now link-up with gyms or coaches who specialise in different MMA disciplines, thus providing themselves with a more-rounded training package.
UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic has embraced this ethos to great effect, building up an impressive 21-3 record during his professional career.
The 38-year-old says that undertaking specific functional training has allowed him to remain at the top of the sport.
“I think just being really diligent with what you do, and understanding your body helps a lot,” said Miocic.
“As you get older, you learn more about fitness because you’re not a spring chicken like you used to be. I do a lot of pool workouts now which is great. I love the pool. The pool is amazing.
“I also use an anti-gravity treadmill which lifts me up so I don’t put all the pressure and weight on my legs. It makes me feel a lot lighter than I really am. It helps.
“At the beginning of the week, I go hard, sometimes sprint, like a real intense workout. But by the end of the week, I do long recovery runs.
“I don’t so much do deadlifts, squats or bench. It’s more jump squats, pull-ups, lots of ligament strength, functional strength, stuff like that.
“You can lift all the weights you want and be as strong as you want but if you don’t have the endurance, you’re going to get tired fast. I do a lot of five-minute rounds with one type of exercise.”