HOW TO GET TO THE UFC!

Sep 16, 2025·By James Vick

How to Get to the UFC: Real Advice from a Fighter

So, you want to know how to get into the UFC? You’ve probably seen a bunch of content online, heard advice at the gym, maybe you’ve even got coaches telling you to “train hard” and “win fights.” Well, I’ve lived through it, I breathe this stuff every day. Let me tell you, most of what people say about making it in the UFC barely scratches the surface. If you’re really serious, there’s way more to consider—and in this post, I’m breaking down everything I wish someone had laid out for me when I first started.

What you’re about to read isn’t some cookie-cutter, step-by-step list. This is hard-earned truth from someone who’s been deep in the fighting game—so settle in, grab a drink, and let’s dive into what REALLY matters.

The Harsh Reality: Most Won’t Make It

Let’s get one thing straight right away: 99% of people who start out wanting to get to the UFC will never reach it.

Does that mean you shouldn’t try? Of course not. But you need to know the odds, and you need to stack them in your favor however you can. Even if you do EVERYTHING right, there are no guarantees. All I can do is promise you the best chance possible based on what I’ve experienced firsthand.

“I’ve been a fighter for years now, and 99% of people aren’t going to make it in the UFC. Even if you follow these steps, there’s definitely no guarantees. But I promise I’ll give you the best chance possible … in my opinion.”

Why Your First Two Years Are Everything

Seriously, your first two years of training are crucial. Not just for “getting in shape” or “looking good”—I’m talking about technique.

What Happens if You Build Bad Technique?

From what I’ve seen and lived, if you build bad habits early, it takes twice as long—sometimes even longer—to break and fix them. Imagine this:

Boxed for two years. Every time you throw a jab, you drop your right hand.
Nobody corrects you, just says “keep your hands up,” without showing you HOW.
Do that for two years? It might take you four to erase that habit.

Bottom line: Technique is everything. If you’re sloppy, you’re setting yourself back years.

Building Real Technique vs. Bad Habits

Fighting isn’t just about being tough. It’s about reps and technical precision.

In striking, you get a TON of reps. If you’re doing the wrong thing over and over, that habit gets burned in deep.
Grappling (like takedowns or defense) doesn’t get as many reps, but bad habits matter here too.

Example

Throw a hundred jabs in a round? That’s a hundred chances to do it RIGHT or WRONG.
Practicing double-leg takedowns? You get fewer reps, but still, each one should count.

This is why it’s even more important to have good technique in boxing and striking early on. If you mess up here, it haunts you later.

Boxing: The Foundation You Can’t Ignore

Let me say this: Boxing is king for hands, and hands are king in today’s MMA, especially with those tiny 4-ounce gloves.

Box for at least 1.5 to 2 years BEFORE moving to kickboxing or other stuff.
Most knockouts—like 90%—in MMA come from hands. Not head kicks, not flying knees (even though those are worth training, too). Hands win fights.

Why Focus So Much on Boxing?

More fighters now have good hands. If you don’t, you’ll get left behind.
You need crisp technique, defense, and setups.
Don’t just chase the flashy stuff. Get your boxing on point first.

Wrestling: The King of MMA

If boxing is king of hands, wrestling is king of where the fight goes. It’s what sets apart real contenders.

Wrestling decides where the fight happens—on the feet, on the ground, against the cage.
Offensive AND defensive wrestling both matter.
Even if you’re a submission guy, if you can’t wrestle, it doesn’t matter how great your jiu jitsu is. You’ll be stuck against people you can’t take down or defend against.

My Experience

"Half my wins are by submission … but if you can’t wrestle, it doesn’t matter how good you are at jiu jitsu or striking. You’re in trouble."

If you have a high school wrestling background? That’s a huge advantage. But you still need to keep leveling up.

Attributes and Realistic Self-Assessment

Don’t try to be someone you’re not.

A lot of beginners make the mistake of copying freak athletes and expecting the same results.

Guys like Alex Pereira, who knock folks out with a jab—he’s not normal. He has insane knockout power.
If you’re not a knockout artist, don’t build your whole game around “landing one big punch.”
Same thing with super fast fighters. If you’re not that fast, don’t copy their game.

Be Realistic

Look at YOUR attributes—cardio, height, speed, toughness. What are you naturally good at?
Build a gameplan around your strengths.
Cardio is one attribute anyone can improve.

"It doesn’t matter how many attributes you have. If you don’t have high level technique, it’s unlikely you’re getting to the UFC—or staying there."

The Critical Importance of Coaching

If you take ONE thing away from this post, let it be this: World-class coaching is everything. You cannot stay loyal to people who don’t teach high-level technique. Loyalty can help or hurt you. Most of the time in MMA, it hurts.

Why Coaching Matters

Fighters who make it to the UFC usually already have natural attributes.
But what keeps you there? Coaching and technique.
Tons get signed, go 2-2, then get cut—not because they weren’t tough, but because they stuck with coaches who weren’t fixing their technique.

“Superior coaching is the only thing that's getting you—or keeping you—there.”

Should You Ditch Your Gym/Coach?

Don’t trade better sparring partners for superior coaches.
If your coach is world-class, stick with them—even if it’s a small gym.
Consider cross-training for variety, but keep coming back to great technique teachers.

Training Frequency: How Often Should You Go Hard?

Let’s talk reality: You need to be training constantly.

How Many Days Per Week Should You Train?

Five to six days a week. No exceptions.
Some days are lighter, some days you push harder.
But you need to be consistently putting in hours on the mats, in the ring, and in drilling.

“If you really want to get to the UFC, you need to be training at least five days a week, probably six days a week. And it doesn't mean you need to go hard all the time.”

Drilling vs. Sparring

Most people go too hard, too often—or not enough on the right stuff.
You HAVE to drill. More on that next.

Drilling: The Most Underused Weapon

Drilling changes everything. It’s the secret sauce for catching up to fighters who started earlier than you.

Most people don't drill enough, especially in grappling. Big mistake!
Coming from someone who started grappling late (at 22), I didn’t realize how crucial drilling was until I landed in world-class environments, like The Ultimate Fighter.

What Counts as Drilling?

Hitting the heavy bag is drilling. It’s just fast-paced.
Grappling technique drills—slow, precise reps—matter more than just rolling.

You MUST Drill:

Wrestling takedowns and defense
Jiu jitsu positions and escapes
Cage offense/defense

“If you want to get to the UFC, you need to learn how to fall in love with drilling. Unless you’ve been training your whole life. If you start later, you have to drill WAY more to catch up.”

Outworking the Competition

Do more reps in 5 years than another guy did in 10? You might catch him, maybe even beat him.
Most won’t put in the reps, even if they’ve been in the sport longer.

Managing Your Career: Fights, Managers, and Matchups

Yes, training hard and fighting tough opponents matter. But you also need to manage your career smartly.

Good Manager = Good Matchups

Managers and coaches should help you get the right fights for your development.
Making good matchmaking decisions builds your record and prepares you for tougher opponents.

“Getting a good manager that can match you up to opponents that are going to give you the best chance to win … is just as important as being skilled at fighting.”

The Role of Your Trainer

Your coach should guide your matchup choices.
Don’t jump to fighting anyone, anywhere. Build up tactically.

Loyalty vs. Results: Who Should You Listen To?

This one’s tough. Loyalty feels good, especially in martial arts. But sticking with a coach who isn’t pushing your limits with technique can ruin your whole career.

Common Pitfalls:

Just because a gym has 30 fighters doesn’t mean it’s better.
Don’t trade world-class technique for a bigger group.
Watch out for gyms that spar all the time with journeymen fighters—these are NOT high-level guys.

“Never give up world-class coaching for a few different sparring partners that don’t have that technique level. Stop being loyal to coaches that don’t correct defense.”

Coaches and Defense

Most coaches who’ve never fought don’t teach real defense.
I learned this the hard way: I stayed loyal for too long, got burned, had to relearn defense later.

“The best coaches I’ve had from a defensive standpoint are the ones that actually fought a lot. I was taught horrible defense originally, and loyalty to that coach bit me in my butt.”

Social Media: Growing Your Visibility

Welcome to modern MMA—you CAN’T ignore social media.

UFC and other big organizations want fighters with a following. It helps sell fights, get you noticed, and build your own career.
Work on building your brand. Post training, fight clips, challenges, call-outs.
It’s a must, not just a nice-to-have now.

How to Use Social Media

Document your journey
Engage with fans honestly
Let matchmakers and promoters see your progress

This is another “must” for fighters these days. Don’t stay old-school and avoid the cameras.

Balancing Life, Sacrifice, and Training

Let’s get real: chasing the UFC means sacrificing a LOT.

You’ll miss parties, birthdays, sometimes holidays—if you’re serious about getting to the top.
Most successful fighters hold down jobs while training. I worked in oil fields, did security, bounced at clubs—but ALWAYS trained.

“If you have a full-time job, this is totally possible. You’re just not going to have a life. You’re going to sacrifice a lot. Miss birthday parties, maybe even Christmas if you’re fighting or at training camp.”

What Does Your Daily Schedule Look Like?

Work 8–10 hours/day
Train 3+ hours/day
Repeat. Every. Single. Week.

If you’re not ready to commit, there’s no shame—but know what it takes.

The 80/20 Rule for Fighters

Here’s a secret that most gyms never talk about: The 80/20 Rule.

“80% of the shit you learn, you’re not going to use in a real fight. Focus on drilling that 20% constantly—those are the ones that will get you wins.”

What’s Your 20%?

My own: neck attacks (guillotines, Darces) and the right hand in boxing
For Conor McGregor: everything is about setting up the left hand

Figure out what naturally works for YOU, then obsess over it. Drill those moves a thousand times until you can hit them in any situation.

How to Use the 80/20 Rule

Find your best weapons—strikes, submissions, positions.
Build setups for those. If your right hand is a killer, master every way to land it.
Everything else? Drill for defense and support, but don’t waste endless hours on low-percentage moves.

Final Advice: Drill Like It’s a Religion

If you walk away from this post with one actionable step, let it be this: DRILL like your career depends on it—because it does.

Drill every day. Become obsessed.
You can’t spar hard daily, but you CAN drill every day.
World-class technique only comes from thousands of reps, not a handful.

“You need to drill like it’s a religion. You need to have world-class technique. You need to stay loyal to people that teach world-class technique—not those who don’t.”

Never Sacrifice Technique for Anything

Don’t leave high-level coaches for popularity, bigger gyms, or easier training partners.
The only thing that gets you to the UFC and keeps you there is technique.

Resources & Next Steps

Ready to take the plunge? Here are a few concrete steps to get you started:

Find World-Class Coaching: Don’t just train at the closest gym or the one with the biggest following. Research coaches in your area with a proven track record in technique.
Box, Box, Box: Make hands your priority for 1.5–2 years. Then expand to kicks and other strikes.
Drill Daily: Make drilling a non-negotiable. Grappling, striking, cage work—all of it.
Balance Your Life: If you work a day job, plan your training time. Know what you’re sacrificing for your dream.
Get Connected: Grow your social media presence. Let people know you’re on the journey.
Read More: If you’re new to martial arts and looking for a gym, check out my book, Ultimate Guide to Choosing Your Martial Arts School and Instructor.

Conclusion: The Real Path to the UFC

Let’s bring it home:

You need world-class technique, not just trophies or a stacked Instagram.
Be ready to sacrifice years, friendships, holidays—and embrace drilling.
Stay loyal to coaches who make you better, not just those you’ve known longest.
Don’t get blinded by big gyms or lots of sparring partners.
Work on social media. In today’s fight game, visibility matters.

Remember, there are no guarantees—but if you put in the work, make the tough choices, and train like your future depends on it, you’ll have the best shot anyone can possibly have to get to the UFC.