How to Become an Ultimate Fighter

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Tired of being picked on each time you walk through the sales department? Humiliated every time Eddie in accounting steals your PDA? Maybe it’s time you transformed your geeky little IT ass into … an ultimate fighter!

Warning
Mixed martial arts fighting is very dangerous, and can result in death or disabling injuries. Make sure to have sufficient training and guidance before you fight.

Step 1:
Become an expert at boxing, Brazilian jujitsu, wrestling, and Muay Thai kickboxing. These are the four fighting techniques primarily used by ultimate fighters, though some may incorporate even more.

Step 2:
Train, train, train. Most ultimate fighters need to train a minimum of three hours a day five to six days a week. Professional fighters train up to seven hours a day doing weights, cardio, sparring, and more.

Tip
Cardio is the most important component of ultimate fighting training. If a fighter doesn’t have endurance, they can’t win a fight.

Step 3:
Know the rules before you begin to fight, especially what moves are illegal. While this may vary depending on where you fight, some moves are universally banned like biting, groin attacks, eye-gouging, hair-pulling, fish-hooking, and small joint manipulation.

Tip
While you may think this takes some fun out of ultimate fighting, it actually makes it more fun. After all, killing someone or being killed can really shorten your career.

Step 4:
Train, train, train some more.

Step 5:
Find an ultimate fighting buddy—somebody around your size with whom you can spar and who is as obsessed with mixed martial arts as you are.

Step 6:
Watch your diet, since you’ll need to become a lean, mean fighting machine. Donuts and Dr. Pepper are not the standard breakfast of an ultimate fighter. Have a sports nutritionist outline a healthy diet tailored to your needs.

Warning
Avoid dangerous performance-enhancing drugs, like steroids. You’ll pay in the long run.

Step 7:
Join a reputable mixed martial arts organization, and start to practice your skills fighting other people at your level.

Tip
Embrace your failures. When you lose a match, don’t lose the lesson. Each match is a class in itself. Lose, learn, and grow.

Step 8:
Once you’ve won some matches, find some people to fight outside your gym, either amateurs or professionals. This will challenge your skill and keep you from getting stale from fighting the same old people.

Step 9:
If you’re good enough in these outside fights, and prove to be an exciting fighter, a manager or promoter might notice you and invite you to compete in a sanctioned event. Then maybe—just maybe—you’ll get to fight on the highest levels of ultimate fighting. One thing’s for sure, Big Eddie in accounting isn’t going to give you any more trouble.

Did You Know?
At one time, 36 states banned 'no-holds-barred' ultimate fighting competitions.