Mark Coleman, Don Frye, and Randy Couture were the biggest names among UFC heavyweight champions in the 1990s. They shaped heavyweight training philosophies, but times have drastically changed.

In contrast, current champions like Tom Aspinall, or Jon Jones before him, have followed scientifically structured camps that combine modern strength, conditioning, and recovery techniques. Yet, are their methods really that different?

How the early UFC stars trained

Don Frye is one of the earliest well-rounded fighters of the UFC. His session revolved around Judo throws, wrestling, and bare-knuckle sparring. However, unlike the modern heavyweight fighters who practice Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Frye believed it was nothing but watered-down traditional Judo.

“Yeah, I had judo, and I had wrestling. Yes, and I had boxing. But I didn’t need it [Jiu-Jitsu]. F*** it, I mean, Jiu-Jitsu is stolen from judo,” Don Frye said in 2022. While Frye focused on his intense boxing, Mark Coleman's dominance was built on wrestling and maximum conditioning.

However, he also delved into traditional weight training for strength. Here's what that workout routine looked like:

• Squats - 6 sets, 8-15 reps
• Bench Press - 5 sets, 6-15 reps
• Barbell Curls - 5 sets, 8-15 reps
• Deadlift - 4 sets 6-10 reps
• Seated Dumbbell Curl - 5 sets, 10-15 reps
• Close-Grip Bench Press - 5 sets, 6-10 reps

Before starting his career as an MMA fighter, he won the 1988 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. He was also the Pan American champion, so wrestling played a big part in his strength and conditioning training.

A more versatile approach

The current Heavyweight champion, Tom Aspinall, is a knockout machine. Despite possessing elite punching power, Aspinall understands the importance of having an equally mature ground game. Remember Jon Jones dominating Cyril Gaan with his wrestling?

Aspinall believes in metabolic conditioning, building strength, and jiu-jitsu training. His workouts include:

• Single-Arm Kettlebell Swings
• Farmer's Walk
• Jump Squat
• Alternating Single-Leg Box Jump
• Banded Pull-Through
• Barbell High Row
• Barbell Floor Press
• Glute Bridge
• Foam Roller Wall Slide

So it's safe to say that modern heavyweights have invested heavily in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and wrestling, and sharpening thier submission defense, even if striking is their strong suit.

Let's take Jon Jones, for example. At least 25% of his fights have ended in submission.

To sum it up, the trailblazers in MMA had very similar fundamentals to their modern counterparts. They trained in boxing, Muay Thai, wrestling, and other martial arts. However, today's heavyweights have added layers of versatility and specialization to their training approach.

Written by

Suryakant Das

Edited by

Sagnik Bagchi