Drilling

Last updated: April 26, 2026

What is drilling in MMA?

Drilling is one of the two main training methods in mixed martial arts, alongside sparring. Anyone who steps into an MMA gym will see it: two athletes paired up, one executing a technique while the other cooperates, repeating the same movement over and over before swapping roles. The technique might be a takedown entry, a combination on the pads, an armbar from guard, or a transition from clinch to a knee strike. The format stays the same: structured repetition, with low partner resistance and close attention paid to mechanics.

The point of drilling is to bridge the gap between knowing a technique exists and being able to use it under pressure. A coach can demonstrate a beautiful kimura, and a fighter can understand exactly how it works on paper, but understanding does not translate to execution under fight conditions. Drilling closes that gap by building the motor patterns that allow the body to perform the movement without conscious thought. By the time a fighter steps into the cage, the techniques they have drilled the most should feel almost reflexive.

Drilling sits in a specific place in the weekly training cycle. A fight camp typically blends drilling, situational sparring, full sparring, pad work, conditioning, and dedicated strength sessions. Drilling is usually the first phase when learning a new technique and remains a constant return point even for elite fighters refining their existing arsenal.

Drilling vs sparring: what’s the difference?

Most newcomers to MMA confuse drilling with sparring, especially because the BJJ term “rolling” is used for sparring rather than drill work. The two are distinct training methods that serve different purposes.

	Drilling	Sparring
Partner resistance	Low or scripted	Live and unpredictable
Goal	Learn and refine technique	Test technique under pressure
Pace	Controlled, often slow	Fight-realistic
Outcome	Predetermined	Open-ended
When used	Building new skills, refining existing ones	Testing skills, simulating competition

Drilling builds the technique. Sparring proves whether the fighter can pull it off when the opponent is fighting back. Most coaches treat them as complementary halves of the same process, not alternatives. FightBook MMA, in its piece on drilling versus sparring in combat sports, argues that neither method alone produces a complete fighter; the two are designed to feed each other.

Types of drilling in MMA

In MMA, drilling spans every discipline that feeds into the sport, which means fighters drill across striking, grappling, and the transitions between them. The categories most commonly referenced in MMA gyms include the following.

Pad and mitt work: A coach or partner holds focus mitts or Thai pads while the fighter works combinations, building striking accuracy, timing, and conditioning at once.

Shadowboxing: Solo drilling without a partner or equipment, used to refine footwork, head movement, and combinations. It looks like training in a mirror against an imagined opponent.

Grappling drills: Repetition of takedown entries, guard passes, sweeps, escapes, and submission attempts under resistance. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, wrestling, and judo all contribute their own drilling traditions to MMA gyms.

Flow drilling: Chained sequences where one technique flows into another, often blending striking and grappling. Mark Hatmaker’s MMA Mastery: Flow Chain Drilling is one of the better-known references for this approach, organising drills around the “outside-in” path from striking to clinch to ground.

These categories are descriptive rather than rigid. A single drilling session might cycle through several of them, and good coaches design sessions so the categories connect rather than sit in isolation.

Drillers make killers: where the phrase comes from

“Drillers make killers” is one of the most repeated sayings in MMA and BJJ gyms, and it captures the traditional view that obsessive repetition is what separates good fighters from great ones. The phrase is rooted in BJJ culture and was popularised in part by André Galvão, the multi-time BJJ World Champion whose training programme is titled Drill to Win. Keenan Cornelius, another decorated grappler, has credited drilling as the reason his techniques fire on instinct.

The view is not universal. On the Lex Fridman Podcast, coach John Danaher argued that mindless rep counting often fails to produce real improvement. He has suggested that effective drilling requires deliberate attention to mechanics and a partner who is genuinely engaged in the exercise, not just going through the motions. The contemporary debate among MMA coaches is less about whether drilling matters and more about what counts as useful drilling.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is drilling the same as sparring?

No. Drilling is cooperative repetition of techniques with a partner, offering low resistance, while sparring is live, resisting practice that simulates a real fight. They serve different functions in training.

How is drilling different from shadowboxing?

Shadowboxing is a form of solo drilling done without a partner. Most drilling involves two athletes working together, but solo work like shadowboxing is still classified as drilling because the goal is repetition for skill refinement.

Do UFC fighters still drill?

Yes. According to Built for Athletes, professional fighters drill almost daily, rotating between shadowboxing, wrestling, Muay Thai, BJJ, and focused pad work sessions. Even at the championship level, fighters return constantly to fundamental drilling.

Is drilling a waste of time?

Some coaches, including John Danaher, argue that purely passive drilling without focused attention does little to improve skill. The contemporary view is that drilling is valuable when paired with live application and approached deliberately, rather than as mechanical rep counting.

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Sources

1. FightBook MMA. “Drilling vs Sparring in Combat Sports.” Accessed April 2026.
2. Built for Athletes. “How Do UFC Fighters Train?” Accessed April 2026.
3. Jonesly MMA Gym. “Drilling” (citing John Danaher on the Lex Fridman Podcast). Accessed April 2026.
4. Galvão, André. Drill to Win training programme.
5. Hatmaker, Mark. MMA Mastery: Flow Chain Drilling and Integrated O/D Training.
6. Evolve MMA. “The Best MMA Drills To Improve Technique And Mental Strength.” Accessed April 2026.

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