Many MMA athletes face the same problem—uncertain whether their training plan is effective, balanced, or focused on the right priorities. That’s why incorporating a sport-specific performance test, like the “Fighter’s Drill,” can be a game-changer. This test simulates real MMA demands and helps you measure how your body responds to stress across striking, grappling, and ground-based scenarios.
If you’re looking for a comprehensive way to design an MMA training plan—from performance tests to overtraining prevention—explore The Science of MMA by Dr. Jason Gillis at The MMA Training Bible. It features eight detailed modules, including Session 8: Performance Testing in MMA, plus sessions on endurance, strength, flexibility, and more.
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Why Many Fighters Struggle with Incomplete Testing
Most fighters rely on generic advice or outdated gym routines that don’t reflect the true nature of MMA. They might do endless burpees or random sprints and hope it all translates to fight skills. Without sport-specific testing, it’s almost impossible to see if your training aligns with actual cage performance. The result?
- Wasted time on ineffective exercises
- Increased risk of undertraining key skills or overtraining secondary areas
- No clear path for progress, causing slower improvements and stagnation
Dr. Jason Gillis, an Exercise Scientist, understands that serious fighters want evidence-based methods. In The Science of MMA, he shows how to track everything from body composition and aerobic fitness to psychological readiness—ensuring you optimize every aspect of your fight prep.
The Role of Sport-Specific Performance Testing
Regular performance testing helps you spot overtraining and undertraining, identify strengths and weaknesses, and set concrete goals. While earlier articles in this series discussed fundamentals and other specific tests—like for muscle strength, endurance, and aerobic capacity—the “Fighter’s Drill” goes a step further by replicating a typical MMA bout. This drill measures real fight readiness in a single, cohesive format.
By integrating test results into your training plan, you’ll know if you need more cardio intervals, advanced striking combinations, or extra focus on grappling endurance. And because MMA fights can vary widely, a simulation-style test is vital for capturing the unpredictable, mixed demands of each round.
Introducing the Fighter’s Drill
The Fighter’s Drill is designed to mimic a standard MMA match:
- Three rounds
- Each round is five minutes long
- One-minute rest between rounds
It features four drills executed back-to-back, mirroring the intensity of strikes, takedowns, ground-and-pound, and maximal power shots. Here’s how it breaks down:
Equipment & Setup
- A large training area or cage
- One 40 kg grappling dummy (45 kg is also mentioned in the drill steps, so you can adjust based on availability)
- Stopwatch and a counter
- Two experienced pad holders
The fighter starts in the center of the cage, always facing the first drill station. They proceed at their own pace through each of the four drills within the five-minute round. After the round, they rest 60 seconds, then repeat for two more rounds (total of 17 minutes).
The Four Sport-Specific Drills
- Striking Combinations
- Begin in the center, in a fighting stance.
- Approach a pad holder and deliver a jab-cross-hook-cross combo.
- Follow immediately with a jab-cross-switch-kick combo.
- Return to the center to face Drill 2.
- Takedown
- Perform a penetration step on a 45 kg grappling dummy (balanced upright about 1 m from the cage wall).
- Pick it up, pin it against the cage, and execute a suplex to the ground.
- Return to the center to face Drill 3.
- Ground Striking & Submission
- Mount the grounded dummy and deliver five punches to the head region.
- Perform an arm-bar on the right limb.
- Re-mount, deliver five elbow strikes, then do an arm-bar on the left limb.
- Return to the center to face Drill 4.
- Maximal Effort Striking
- Throw three rear-hand maximal punches.
- Follow with three rear-leg maximal kicks.
- Cycle back to the center to restart the sequence if time remains in the round.
Scoring the Fighter’s Drill
Tally how many total drill cycles the fighter completes in each five-minute round. You can also record heart rate to gauge cardiovascular strain. By comparing these metrics over multiple sessions, you’ll see real-world progress or find performance plateaus you need to address. This test delivers:
- Objective data on whether your training truly improves fight-specific skills
- Valuable feedback for adjusting technique, cardio, or muscular endurance
- A motivational benchmark that keeps you focused on tangible gains
Why Use the Fighter’s Drill?
1. Realistic Simulation
Unlike generic circuit workouts, these drills replicate the kinetic chain and stress patterns of an actual MMA bout. Strikes, takedowns, and ground-and-pound happen in the same sequence they might in a real fight.
2. Comprehensive Skills Check
Striking, grappling, clinching, and ground control are all tested. That means you won’t overlook a skill area that could cost you in the cage.
3. Clear Metrics
Keeping track of how many cycles you complete (or how many reps within each cycle) offers clear benchmarks. When combined with heart rate monitoring, you can precisely measure cardio output.
More Knowledge in The Science of MMA
The Fighter’s Drill is one part of a broader system to make your training approach more scientific. In Session 8 alone, you’ll learn how to implement tests for:
- Psychological skills & mood (ensuring mental sharpness)
- Body size & composition (optimizing your weight class)
- Flexibility (reducing injuries and enhancing movement)
- Muscular power, strength & endurance (for more explosive techniques)
- Anaerobic & aerobic performance (minimizing gassing out mid-round)
- Sport-specific performance (like the Fighter’s Drill)
Other sessions explain how to balance high-intensity efforts with proper recovery, why some fighters gas out faster, how to structure workouts for maximum fight-day performance, and ways to avoid overtraining plateaus. It’s all available at your fingertips.
Click Here to Enroll in The Science of MMA
Authority & Expertise: Dr. Jason Gillis
Dr. Gillis is an Exercise Scientist who has invested years in researching MMA training methods. His curriculum merges solid science with real-world application. You don’t have to guess which drills are effective—his systematic approach clarifies each step, so you can focus on consistent, measurable gains.
Don’t Rely on Random Routines
Generic workouts might boost your fitness, but they often lack MMA-specific elements. By regularly tracking your progress in the Fighter’s Drill, you’ll see when you’re truly fight-ready—or if you need adjustments in areas like power, endurance, or technique.
If you’re done with one-size-fits-all advice and ready for a complete roadmap, sign up for The Science of MMA. Give yourself the advantage of proven, data-driven methods that lead to fewer injuries and better performance in the cage.
Enroll Now to Unlock Your Full MMA Potential
Final Thoughts: Train Smarter, Not Harder
Performance testing should be the backbone of any MMA training program. When you measure real fight scenarios through the Fighter’s Drill, you’ll catch weaknesses in time to fix them, confirm strengths you can capitalize on, and ultimately step into the cage better prepared.
Don’t let guesswork limit your growth. Learn how to structure every aspect of your fight camp—from endurance to power to mental prep—using the strategies in Dr. Gillis’s course. Give your training a solid scientific foundation, and see the difference it makes when the bell rings.