In MMA, the secrets of how to prepare for a fight can be broken down into 3 segments of time. All of these time periods build on one another. Make sure there is no weak link in this chain of MMA fight preparation.
Long Term MMA Fight Preparation
This is literally as long as you have ever been active in any martial arts, but the longer you have trained those arts which will be used in the upcoming fight, the better.
The most MMA transferable fighting forms are probably, Brazilian Jiujitsu, greco and freestyle wrestling, boxing and muay thai.The longer you have trained in those and honed them for pure MMA the better.How long is long enough? If you have not had at least 6 months and are thinking of stepping into an octagon, you are insane.
Medium Term Mixed Martial Arts Fight Preparation - 6 to 12 weeks out
Pro MMA fighters might have up to 6 or more fights per year. Unlike pro boxers of the past, MMA competitors train all through the year. However, there will be an increasingly intense and opponent specific training period 6 to 12 weeks prior to a contest which involves:
Honing of skills specific to the opponentGradual body weight manipulation though diet to get within at least 20lbs of fighting weightIncreasing mental and physical conditioning preparationAdjustment of body clock to the time the fight will occur. This could entail waking later and training at the same hour a fight will take place and also possibly flying out to the host nation to adapt to the time zone and climate.
Short Term (Pre-weigh in) Preparation - 24 to 48 hours before fight
This usually boils down to making the weight. Not a concern for heavyweights but it is for everyone else. Nowadays fighters tend to lose between 10 to 20 lbs of water from their bodies by just sweating it out in a steam room. This conserves energy unlike the old days of skipping for hours in plastic sacks.
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