In recent years there has been a huge explosion in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). With the staggering growth of events such as the UFC and Pride FC, this has inevitably led to a growth in the people competing in MMA events. Competing is such events, (it can be argued) requires physical fitness unlike any other sport. The elite fighters who currently compete in this particular field are amongst the most athletic in the world today. Unlike other sports where there is a certain type of fitness required i.e. Distance runner requires mainly endurance, the MMA athlete requires an amalgamation of fitness attributes. These include speed, agility, power, flexibility, and amongst others anaerobic and aerobic capacity. Therefore if a mixed martial arts practitioner and competitor want to acquire success they need to be proficient in the out-laid requirements.

However, there are other crucial factors that need to be factored into the equation. The skill level of the fighter, his will to win, as well as what a strategy the fighter implements are other key components in assessing the performance of a given fighter. In order to base a training regime around all the outlined components a fighter needs to strategise, have a quality diet, technical refinement, and specific strategising for a particular opponent as well as all the fitness requirements will form the basics for training during the final weeks. A failure to adhere would almost inevitably lead to failure.

So how do we plan such a methodology so that it gives us the best chance to succeed? The answer is quite simple. One needs to break each element and tackle it individually. Here we shall discuss each requirement and its best methodology for improvement.

THE BASE

In order to be successful at any sport there is a strong requirement that you have a solid base. Preparing for a mixed martial arts event would require one to develop a solid base in his technical skills. This will include a sound mental approach and technical ability. In addition there would be a requirement for physical attributes such as speed, stamina, strength, power and agility. One of the keys for MMA success is the development of all the styles that might be implemented during the course of a fight.

What must be understood is that most fighters will have a certain preference in terms of what type of fight they want to dictate. Some fighters are strikers and as such prefer to strike their opponents. On the other hand, you have some fighters who prefer to grapple and as such would prefer the fight to take the fight to the ground. However regardless of your particular preference it is essential that you do not neglect the one for the other. If one is to look at the modern MMA fighters, they are all well versed in both the striking arts as well as the grappling arts.

Examples of styles that might be used in an MMA fight include:

Striking Arts

As the name suggests, striking arts includes the collective striking styles such as kickboxing, boxing and thaiboxing. Aspects of training fighters will focus on to develop their stand-up will include:

• Kicking
• Elbowing
• Footwork
• Knees
• Punching

Clinch:

Clinch fighting involves the close-range fighting that is based on freestyle and Greco-roman wrestling, Judo and Sambo and involves clinching (tying ones opponent up to restrict their movement and/or set them up for a technique), takedowns and throws. In addition to the arts out-laid above striking art such as Thai boxing consider clinch work as an integral part of its syllabus

Grappling:

The submitting of ones opponent usually takes place on the ground. A variety of styles are used during ground fighting, of which the main ones are:

• Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
• Catch wrestling
• Shoot wrestling
• Judo
• Sambo

The above styles are used to improve ground positioning in order to gain an advantage over the opponent where they can strike from. However the main purpose of taking the fight to the ground is to dominate the opponent until you can execute a submission or a technical knockout.

Important Factors:

It is no surprise that mixed martial arts is amongst the toughest sports in the world. As aforementioned, there is a pre-requisite to develop speed, strength, power, endurance and flexibility. As mentioned by senior MMA specialists” Obviously the ability to fight is foremost in an MMA athlete's arsenal, but without underlying strength and stamina, using the correct technique at the right time and hurting ones opponent with solid shots will be hard. Therefore, a sound training program comprising equal amounts of strength and fitness work is needed to lay the right foundation”.