How to Become a Cage Fighter

Last Updated: March 6, 2023 References Approved

A cage fighter is another term for a mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter. To get started, gain proficiency in at least one martial arts field, and familiarize yourself with others. Train regularly and adopt a healthy diet to strengthen your body. After at least six months of regular training, sign up for a cage fighting tournament. Becoming an MMA fighter takes a significant investment of time and energy, but there are few victories more exciting and well-earned than those in the cage.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Learning to Fight

1
Decide which fighting styles you want to adopt. Cage fighters can draw on a wide variety of martial arts techniques. You might choose to specialize in one particular area, or borrow a bit from a variety of martial arts styles. For instance, you might incorporate elements from jiu-jitsu, taekwondo, karate, krav maga, or kung fu into your repertoire.^{[1]
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- Watch a few videos of different martial arts styles online to decide which ones you find most attractive.
- All martial arts styles have unique strengths and weaknesses, and offer unique challenges to different people. For instance, if you have wrestling experience, you might find it easy to learn jiu-jitsu, which has similar holds.
- You can always learn new styles later if you find that your particular mix of martial arts know-how isn’t cutting it.
2
Take classes at a martial arts gym. Once you’ve decide which styles you’re interested in learning, you’ll need to find a place nearby where you can receive training. When preparing to become a cage fighter, the best training gym is a mixed martial arts gym. However, these are exceedingly rare, so you’ll likely need to join a gym that specializes in a particular combat style (like karate or taekwondo).^{[2]
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- Check online or thumb through your phone book for martial arts gyms in your area.
- Try to find a gym that has a few current or former cage fighters. Their experience and tips will help you become a great fighter.
- A good gym will be nearby and not too expensive.^{[3]
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3
Enhance your training with books and videos. Nothing is as valuable for developing your fighting technique as hands-on experience and training in a gym. However, you can often gain valuable insights from books and videos, too.^{[4]
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- There are many books about cage fighting strategies and movements.
- Search online for cage fighter training videos, too, which can be useful for learning new moves. Browse online marketplaces for cage fighting DVDs if you want an offline video experience.
- The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and Bellator MMA (BMMA) are among the top cage fighting organizations. Watch some of these fights and take notes.
4
Do some pad work. Pad work is a useful training exercise in which a partner wears large pads over their hands and moves them around while you try to punch them. These exercises can improve your reaction time and endurance.
- There is no right or wrong amount of time to engage in pad work, but you’ll probably go for two or three rounds with your partner, and each round will probably last three to five minutes.
5
Spar with a partner. Sparring consists of engaging in mock cage fights. You and a partner will engage each other at close to full power. Your goal in sparring is not to actually hurt your opponent but to test your speed, power, and endurance. By testing yourself regularly in this way, you’ll develop the ability to hurt your opponent if you were participating in a real cage fight.
- To improve safety, you and your partner should wear padding on your body and head during your sparring session.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Achieving Peak Performance

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Identify and develop your strengths. If you have solid punching power, focus on striking. If you have wrestling experience from high school or college, focus on improving your grappling and takedowns.^{[5]
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- Even as you identify and develop your strengths, work to improve areas you are less knowledgeable about. Avoid any deficiency in a particular area of training.
2
Do strength training.

There are many ways to improve your strength. You could use dumbbells or use a weightlifting machine. Some of the best weightlifting exercises for cage fighters include bench presses, deadlifts, and pull-ups. Lift weights every day of your training.^{[6]
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1
- When lifting, you should feel tired after two or three sets of 12-15 repetitions. If you’re unsure of how much weight you should be lifting, start by lifting the lowest amount of weight possible, then slowly add weight in small increments.
- Focus equally on your arms and legs. Use the leg press and leg lifting machines to improve leg strength.
2
Do some cardio. Cardio training will help you develop endurance.

Use shadowboxing, pushups, and squats to get your heart pumping. For instance, you could shadowbox by throwing 50 jabs, 50 crosses, 50 jab-cross combos, and 25 more punches of any type. After that, start jumping rope until you’ve shadowboxed and jumped rope for a combined five minutes.^{[7]
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1
- Additionally, you could ride a bike, go running, jump rope, and go swimming. Mix these exercises up in any order and engage in each for at least 30 minutes at a time.
2
Train 35-40 hours each week. Training regularly is the only way you’ll be able to step into the cage and hurt your opponent while evading their attacks. Training at this level will enable you to become the best cage fighter you can be.
- When you’re an up-and-coming fighter, you might need to maintain this level of training even while working full time.
3
Divide up your time at the gym with the help of your coach or trainer. The way you should divide your time at the gym (between sparring, cardio, strength training, and so on) will vary depending on your individual needs. Consult the cage fighting trainers at your gym (or the head trainer or coach if you’re not training at an MMA gym). Work with this coach or trainer to develop a workout plan that will improve your overall fitness and enable you to achieve victory in your next cage fight.
- Some fighters work with multiple coaches or trainers to gain exposure to a broad array of training approaches, each of which might emphasize different fighting styles or ways to improve your fitness.
4
Adopt a diet high in protein, vegetables, and whole grains. Cage fighters rarely or never eat junk food. Focus your diet on protein sources like tofu, beans, and nuts in addition to animal protein. Vegetables like kale, spinach, eggplant, sweet potato, and beets are also healthy choices. Choose whole grain rice and bread as opposed to other varieties.
- The precise proportions in which you consume these foods is somewhat flexible and will vary depending on your gender, age, and activity level. Talk to a dietitian for more information about how to achieve a diet that will enable you to become a cage fighter.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Fighting in the Cage

1
Buy your hand wraps, mouthpiece, and gloves. Since these pieces of equipment are used in every fight and sparring session (and since you won’t want to share them with others), buy them as soon as you begin down your path to becoming a cage fighter. If you’re a man, you’ll also need to invest in a cup to protect your groin.^{[8]
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- Your MMA gym or martial arts training center will usually provide shin guards, headgear, and other training equipment.
2
Join a tournament after at least six months of consistent training. Once you’ve practiced long and hard, you’ll be ready to enter the cage. There are many cage fighting tournaments across the world. Trainers at your local MMA gym should be able to direct you to tournaments that are appropriate for your skill level. If you don’t have an MMA gym nearby, run a word string like “cage fighting tournaments” through your preferred search engine.^{[9]
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- The process by which you sign up for a cage fight varies depending on the organizing authority. Generally, you’ll need to provide some contact information either online or via a paper form. You’ll also need to include your height and weight so that you can be matched with other fighters in the same class.
- Avoid cage tournaments that charge excessive entry fees.
- You’ll probably start out at the amateur level. As you improve, you could consider becoming a professional cage fighter in a league like UFC.
3
Review the tournament rules. Different cage fighting leagues have slightly different rules. For instance, some allow kicks to the head, but not knee strikes to the head, and vice versa. Before your fight begins, review the tournament’s rule book carefully to avoid fouls or disqualifications during your fight.
- Most tournaments disallow eye gouging, groin strikes, clawing, pinching, biting, spitting, and other unsportsmanlike conduct.
- You can get a tournament rule book from the tournament’s organizer.
4
Meet the age requirements of the fight. If you’re entering a youth league, your birthday will have to fall within the acceptable age range, and you’ll be matched with someone near your age. If you’re fighting in an adult league, you’ll typically need to be at least 18 years old.^{[10]
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- There are usually no upper age limits, though some leagues do set an upper age cap at 40 years old, since older fighters tend to gradually lose power and speed.
5
Scale back your training gradually as your fight approaches. In the week or so prior to your fight, relax your training schedule to allow your body to heal more fully. For instance, perhaps two weeks prior to the fight, you’ll do 50 pushups daily instead of 60. The week before your fight, you might reduce that number again to just 40 pushups.
6
Strategize before the fight. Before a fight, review footage of your opponent or attend one of their matches. Use your knowledge of their fighting style to gain a strategic advantage when you face them. For instance, if you know that your opponent tends to throw jab-cross-kick combos, you can be ready for the cross as soon as they throw the jab.^{[11]
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Evaluate your opponent during the fight. If you are unable to evaluate an opponent before the fight, use your previous training and experience to determine how you might improve your advantage during a fight. For instance, if your opponent is larger than you, they’re also probably slower, which means you should use quick jabs and kicks that they won’t be able to block well.^{[12]
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8
Get a medical evaluation after the fight. See a doctor to ensure you don’t have any broken or fractured bones. The doctor should also check for signs that you suffered a concussion, and suture any cuts that you may have endured.
- Your doctor will let you know how long you’ll need to recuperate. The amount of time you’ll need to heal varies depending on the amount of damage you sustained during the fight.

Community Q&A

Question

Could I find a free trainer?

Community Answer

Most trainers will charge money. However, some exercise clubs and wellness centers have group classes for less expensive than private lessons.
Question

Which martial art should I practice to become an MMA fighter?

Community Answer

Train in muay Thai, boxing or kickboxing for striking; and wrestling, Brazilian jiu jitsu, and judo for grappling and takedowns.
Question

Do I need to have martial arts skills before I start cage fighting?

Community Answer

This would be highly recommended, as martial arts helps give you certain skills in terms of technique, reflexes, defense, etc.

Warnings

Even though modern-day legitimate training and competition is highly regulated, serious injuries still occur.

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If you have a normal job while training for your career as a cage fighter, be prepared to explain all the bruises, black eyes, and sprains that you come to work with.

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Being a fighter can exclude you from certain insurance policies. Be sure to talk to an insurance representative to see if your choice to fight might invalidate or make you ineligible for coverage.

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