Insane training camps are nothing new in the world of combat sports. Sometimes, MMA fighters can’t get by on just time on the exercise bike and the speed bag alone. Other times, fighters need to amp up their training regimen, contingent upon the stakes of the fight.
Of course, after fighters complete their insane training camps, they may want to hit up places like StayCasino before they go home to rest up and recharge their batteries before fight night takes place. Training camp means different activities for different contestants in the sport of MMA.
What may be considered standard fare for one fighter may be deemed intense for another. Thus, it’s in that spirit that we bring you today’s article on a few fighters with insane training camps in MMA. Could you withstand some of the training regimens mentioned herein? If you can, hit the gym, but if not, grab a seat on the bench.
MMA Fighters With Insane Training Camps: Israel Adesanya
To begin, let’s examine the training camp of Israel Adesanya ahead of his 2023 rematch versus Alex Pereira in UFC 287 from Miami. At stake that spring Saturday night was the UFC Middleweight Championship.
It was a rematch in the United Kingdom, so Israel Adesanya needed to undertake one of the more insane training camps in MMA if he wanted to take the belt away from “Poatan.” During the run-up to that rematch, “The Last Stylebender” took to YouTube to vlog about his training regimen.
During the 14-minute vlog, Adesanya was shown arriving at the gym at dawn’s early light to begin his workout session by going on an exhausting run through town before relaxing in the tub. Later that morning, “The Last Stylebender” did some sparring while a class was in session and spent some time in the swimming pool to work on keeping his cool under high-pressure scenario.
Israel Adesanya’s camp for the Pereira rematch was among the insane training camps in MMA, but it did work. Fight night came and went with “The Last Stylebender” winning the title back by way of second-round knockout.
MMA Fighters With Insane Training Camps: Gilbert Burns
We leave Adesanya’s training camp now to travel to Gilbert Burns‘ gym. Back in 2022, Burns, nicknamed “El Durinho,” met with Khamzat Chimaev in UFC 273 for a three-round welterweight fight.
Gilbert Burns trained for the fight versus Khamzat Chimaev at IHP, the Institute of Human Performance, in Boca Raton. Ahead of the contest at UFC 273, Rio Santana, IHP General Manager, outlined the intense, exhaustive process which awaited Gilbert Burns.
“Today, we’ve got UFC at IHP,” Santana said in an interview with USA Today’s MMA Junkie. “It’s pretty much hell. It’s about 13 different stations set up. This month marks four and a half years of doing this. Every single day, it doesn’t get any easier. Every single fight, we reevaluate, see what he wants to do. For example, what we did with the [Stephen] “Wonderboy” [Thompson] fight’s going to be a little bit different than what we’re doing with this one coming up.”
On the day of filming, Gilbert Burns’ regimen began with time on the versa climber. Rio Santana mentioned that each exercise was designed to tire Burns out in more ways than one.
“For the average individual, [the versa climber] will put you into bed within 30 seconds,” he said. “He does that before every single round for 30 seconds, and then step by step, we just get him more tired.”
Despite Gilbert Burns putting in the time for one of MMA’s insane training camps, even the best plans go awry. This ended up being the case against Khamzat Chimaev, who ended up being too tough on fight night, besting Burns by unanimous decision after 15 minutes.
MMA Fighters with Insane Training Camps: Tom Aspinall
We conclude our look at insane training camps with a trip across the pond to the United Kingdom. It’s there where we meet Tom Aspinall. Before Aspinall took the reigns as the permanent UFC Heavyweight Champion in the summer of 2025, he was preparing to fight Jon Jones several times. With Jones’ retirement from the sport, Aspinall ultimately turned his attention to Ciryl Gane.
To say that Aspinall’s regimen was among the insane training camps would be the understatement of a decade. In the run-up to Aspinall’s October 2025 tilt with Gane, the then-new heavyweight champion was shown on video destroying a punching bag with one of his blows.
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Despite it all, however, Tom Aspinall’s first song as UFC Heavyweight Champion ended with the sourest of notes. Ciryl Gane delivered an eye poke, rendering Aspinall unable to continue after the five-minute medical timeout expired.
Final Thoughts
We hope you enjoyed our look at insane training camps in MMA. Which fighters with insane training camps did we miss? Let us know in the comments.
