Welcome to our ‘Where Eagles Dare’ Workout. The first of our MMA Legend workouts. Based on the training regime of Dagestan’s finest son Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Want to skip the intro and go straight to the Khabib Nurmagomedov workouts? Click below!
📑 Table of Contents
🔥 Introduction
Khabib Nurmagomedov is a Russian former professional mixed martial artist, regarded by many as one of the greatest fighters in MMA history. He is most famous for his time in the lightweight division of the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship), where he is the longest-reigning UFC Lightweight Champion, having held the title since April 2018. With 29 wins and no losses. Khabib retired after his last bout against Justin Gaethje with an undefeated record.
🗂️ Background
Prior to his UFC career, Khabib Nurmagomedov was already a two-time Combat Sambo World Champion. He possessed a background in the disciplines of Sambo, Judo and Graeco-roman Pankration style wrestling. His wrestling style enabled him to dominate his division in the sport. Indeed, even elite fighters were unable to deal with his relentless style once the fight hit the ground.
Following Khabib’s final title defence against Justin Gaethje in 2020, he retired from MMA with a perfect 29-0 professional record. The death of his father and longtime coach, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, had impacted him greatly, and Khabib revealed that he had promised his mother he would not continue fighting without his father by his side.
For a time, speculation remained that Khabib might return for a 30th victory, a milestone his father had previously discussed. That return never came. Khabib formally relinquished the UFC Lightweight Championship in 2021, closing one of the most dominant careers in MMA history as an undefeated champion.
Khabib Nurmagomedov. The boy who wrestled bears. One of Khabib’s most notorious videos from his youth is of him when he was nine years old wrestling a bear!
🌱 Humble Beginnings
Growing up in Dagestan, Russia, Khabib was introduced to combat sports from an early age by his father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov. He began wrestling at the age of eight, with Abdulmanap overseeing much of his early development. His father was an accomplished wrestler himself and had also trained in judo and sambo during his time in the military.
After the family moved to Makhachkala, Khabib continued wrestling before beginning judo at the age of 15. At 17, his father introduced him to combat sambo, bringing together the wrestling, throws, submissions, and fighting skills that would eventually form the foundation of his MMA style. Khabib also frequently got into street fights during his youth before focusing his attention more seriously on organised competition.
Khabib trained at the Makhachev Freestyle Wrestling Club whilst growing up in Dagestan. Later, as his MMA career expanded internationally, he joined AKA (American Kickboxing Academy), where he worked under Javier Mendez. After establishing himself in the UFC, Nurmagomedov also became closely associated with Eagles MMA.
Khabib’s greatest win, against rival ‘the Notorious’ Conor McGregor
🧠 Style
Naturally, Khabib’s style is heavily wrestling-based, with an emphasis on putting relentless pressure against his opponents. Utilising his background of grappling, judo/sambo takedowns combined with his deceptive strength Khabib will pressure his opponents against the cage. He tends to ‘tie up’ his opponent’s limbs to prevent them from escaping and stop them from throwing strikes.
From this position, he mercilessly dominates and wears out his opponents. His opponents have to work to remove Khabib’s weight off them whilst he rains down a continual bombardment of strikes on them. With their limbs ‘tied up,’ the fighters have little defence as they are pummelled relentlessly.
Most of Khabib’s fights have ended with stoppages when the referee has seen enough or when his opponent submits/taps/passes out. As of UFC 254, nineteen of Khabib Nurmagomedov’s twenty-nine professional victories had come by TKO/KO or submission.
Khabib with father and trainer the late Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov.
📊 Stats
🏆 Fight Record
🏟️ Significant Professional Fights
Click on the links below for more details on Khabib Nurmagomedov significant fights.
Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Al Iaquinta
Khabib was initially set to fight interim champ Tony Ferguson for the lightweight title, but disaster struck weeks before the fight when Ferguson tore his knee and had to withdraw. This left the title vacant, and UFC scrambled to find a replacement. Enter Max Holloway, who stepped in on short notice but was later deemed unfit to compete due to severe weight cutting.
Raging’ Al
With the event days away, UFC was left in a tight spot. The call went to Al Iaquinta, a 14th-ranked fighter and part-time real estate agent. Despite being a last-minute fill-in, Iaquinta brought toughness to the fight. Due to his low ranking, only Khabib could win the title.
Khabib showcased his versatility, abandoning his usual wrestling-heavy approach for a standup strategy, dominating Iaquinta over five rounds. He won via unanimous decision, finally claiming the UFC Lightweight Championship.
Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Conor McGregor
On Friday, 3 August 2018, the UFC announced that Khabib would defend his lightweight title against Conor McGregor at UFC 229 on 6 October in Las Vegas. The build-up to the fight was one of the most volatile in UFC history, marked by heated confrontations and bad blood between the camps. To call it intense would be a massive understatement.
Post-fight brawl
In the fight itself, Khabib dominated the first two rounds but lost the third—a career first. However, he bounced back in the fourth, submitting McGregor and retaining his title. The victory was overshadowed by the chaotic aftermath: goaded by McGregor’s teammate Dillon Danis, Khabib leapt out of the Octagon, igniting a mass brawl between both camps.
The incident led to fines and suspensions for both fighters but didn’t hurt the event’s popularity. UFC 229 drew 2.4 million pay-per-view buys, the highest in MMA history.
Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Dustin Poirier
Khabib defended his lightweight title for the second time against interim champ Dustin Poirier at UFC 242 on 7 September 2019 in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Poirier had claimed the interim title during Khabib’s suspension after the McGregor fight.
Khabib secured victory in the third round with a rear-naked choke, unifying the titles and earning his second Performance of the Night bonus. The mutual respect between Khabib and Poirier was a refreshing contrast to the heated rivalry with McGregor.
After the fight, they swapped shirts as a sign of respect, with Khabib later auctioning Poirier’s shirt for $100,000, donating the proceeds to Poirier’s charity. UFC President Dana White matched the amount, doubling the impact.
Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Justin Gaethje
Khabib was set to defend his title against Tony Ferguson on 18 April 2020 at UFC 249, marking the fifth time the fight had been scheduled. Both fighters were on 12-fight win streaks, but COVID-19 travel restrictions left Khabib unable to leave Russia, forcing him off the card. Ferguson instead faced Justin Gaethje for the interim lightweight title, with Gaethje winning via fifth-round TKO to secure a shot at Khabib.
Unification Bout
On 24 October 2020, Khabib faced Gaethje in a unification bout at UFC 254. It was an emotional fight for Khabib, his first without the guidance of his father, who had passed away earlier in the year. Khabib secured victory with a second-round triangle choke, unifying the titles. Overcome with emotion, he broke down in tears, comforted by Gaethje in a heartfelt display of sportsmanship.
In his post-fight interview, Khabib announced his retirement, citing a promise to his mother to stop fighting without his father by his side.
💪 Training
How does a Dagestani Eagle prepare for a fight? Khabib uses a fairly low-tech approach to training in comparison to the average UFC fighter training in a high-tech UFC gym.
When Khabib trains in Dagestan, the training is often as basic as possible. Khabib is frequently shown in videos training in sparse gyms or outdoors, in all conditions, in the Dagestan hills and mountains.
His physical preparation focuses on several key areas:
- Cardiovascular endurance — building the engine required to maintain relentless pressure.
- Strength and muscular endurance — developing functional strength that carries over to grappling.
- Power and speed — using explosive movements and short bursts of high-intensity work.
- Fight-specific conditioning — preparing the body for the demands of wrestling, striking, and sustained physical pressure.
For strength conditioning, bodyweight exercises appear to be favoured. The exercises that Khabib favours leave him strong and help build lean, functional muscle rather than unnecessary bulk. Bag-work and wrestling drills round off the conditioning by developing cardiovascular endurance, core strength, and fight-specific stamina.
Khabib frequently wears a papakha hat from his native Dagestani Avar culture at promotional events and after fights.
🦅 Where Eagles Dare Workout
These circuits are inspired by the training methods of Khabib Nurmagomedov, combining bodyweight and resistance exercises, cardiovascular conditioning, wrestling, and MMA drills to develop strength, endurance, explosiveness, and fight-specific conditioning.
🎒 Equipment
Much of the programme can be completed with minimal equipment, reflecting the low-tech nature of Khabib’s training. The most useful strength equipment includes dumbbells, barbells, and sandbags, while a heavy bag, boxing or MMA gloves, and sparring pads are ideal for the fight-specific work.
Functional equipment such as medicine balls and resistance bands can also be incorporated but is not essential. Prioritise the core strength and fight-specific equipment where available, and substitute or omit functional equipment as necessary.
⚙️ Structure
The training is spread over 5 days per week, with Saturday and Sunday left for active recovery. Day-to-day, the training is divided into 2 sessions, undertaken in the morning and afternoon or evening (AM/PM).
Complete a 30–45 minute cardio session of your choice in the morning. The afternoon or evening session should also last approximately 30–45 minutes, alternating between fitness and conditioning and MMA drills on consecutive days (Monday fitness, Tuesday MMA drills, for example).
The fitness sessions consist of bodyweight, resistance, and cardio work, while the MMA sessions focus on shadowboxing rounds, wrestling drills, bag work, and bodyweight exercises.
- Cardio (Morning).
- Fitness and conditioning (alternating afternoon/evening).
- Wrestling and Striking drills (alternating afternoon/evening).
🫀 Cardio Training
(4-5 days a week)
Complete 30–45 minutes of cardio, alternating between steady-state and high-intensity sessions. For steady-state days, maintain a moderate, conversational pace at around 60–70% of maximum heart rate, keeping the effort controlled and consistent throughout. For high-intensity days, use short, hard intervals such as hill sprints or running sprints with recovery periods between efforts.
Bring out your inner Dagestani and, where possible, take the session outdoors into the fresh air.
Cardio to choose from:-
- Sprints.
- Hill Sprints.
- Swimming.
- Longer distance runs. 45 mins.
- Rowing.
- Stair climbing.
🔥 Fitness and Conditioning
(3 days a week/every other day)
Circuit 1 - Indoors
Warm-up – Treadmill – 10 mins steady-state, easy pace.
Superset (for 5 rounds)
- Zercher squats – 12 reps 75-80% of 1RM x 5
- Treadmill or measured sprints – 5 mins. 30 secs 80-90% max pace. 30 secs recovery X4. On final sprint 100% max pace for 30 seconds.
Triple Superset (for 5 rounds)
- Bench Press (Barbell or Dumbells) – 12 reps of 75-85% of 1RM.
- Push-ups – x 15 reps (to failure on the last set).
- Rowing – x 2 mins.
Superset – 5 rounds (30 seconds rest between rounds)
- Bag work (or shadowboxing) – 2 minutes.
- Burpees – x 1 minute.
Triple Superset – 4 x rounds
- Triceps dips – x 15 reps for 4 rounds.
- DB Lunge walks – x 20 reps (10 each side) for 4 rounds.
- Bosu ball with med ball throw – x 15 reps for 4 rounds.
Finisher
- 5 minutes of ‘Smash the Bag’ – Jog whilst carrying a sandbag on your shoulder for 25 metres, slam, 10 x ground and pound punches, sprint and back. Repeat.
Circuit 2 - Outdoors
Circuit 5 x rounds. Set up stations and move from one to the other. 30 seconds rest only between rounds.
- Halos (kettlebell/dumbbell) – x 20 reps (10 x clockwise/10 x anticlockwise).
- Weighted woodcutters – x 30 reps (15 right/15 x left).
- Push-ups – x 20 reps.
- Sprint drills – (x 25 metres) with ground and pound x 20 punches (10 left/10 right – as fast as possible).
- Weighted squats jumps – x 20 reps.
- Hill sprints – x 8 rounds (each sprint followed by 20 x reps sit-ups with air punches).
- Medicine ball slams – x 20 reps.
- Triceps dips – x 20 reps.
Finisher
- 5 minute round of all-out bag work or shadow boxing
Circuit 3 - Indoors
Warm-up – Treadmill – 10 mins steady-state, easy pace.
Superset – 5 rounds (30 seconds rest between rounds)
- Deadlifts – 12 reps 75-80% of 1RM.
- Squat hops – 25 metres – then return.
- Assault bike – 30 secs then 1-minute speed.
Triple Superset x 5 rounds
- Barbell rows – (Barbell or Dumbbells) x 12 reps of 75-85% of 1RM.
- Pull-ups – x 10 reps (to failure on the last set).
- Rowing – x 2 mins.
Superset – 5 rounds (30 seconds rest between rounds)
- Bag work (or shadow boxing) – x 2 minutes.
- Burpees – x 1 minute.
Giant set – 4 x rounds
- Sandbag shouldering – x 15 reps for 4 rounds
- Dumbbell thrusters – x 15 reps.
- Agility mat hops – for 1 minute.
- Med ball sit-ups and wall throw – x 15 reps.
- Farmer’s walks – for 1 minute.
Finisher
- 5 minutes of ‘Smash the Bag’ – Jog whilst carrying a sandbag on your shoulder for 25 metres, slam, 10 x ground and pound punches, sprint and back. Repeat.
Circuit 4 - Outside
Circuit 5 x rounds. Set up stations and move from one to the other. 30 seconds rest only between rounds.
- Shoulder throws with resistance bands – x 20 reps (10 x left shoulder/10 x over right shoulder).
- Burpees – x 25 reps.
- Agility lateral drills cones with 20-second combo at end – x 4 reps.
- Wall Balls – x 1 minute.
- Hill sprints – x 8 with boxers sit-ups x 20 reps.
- Suicide planks – x 30 seconds.
- Reverse crunch – x 20 reps.
- Judo push-ups – x 15 reps.
Finisher
- 5 minute round of all-out bag work or shadow boxing
🤼 🥊 Wrestling and Striking Drills
(2-3 days a week)
The MMA training is split into wrestling and striking components, alternating between wrestling drills one day and striking drills the next.
The drills use equipment such as pads and sandbags, but these are not essential. If you are training without equipment, shadowbox, improvise suitable alternatives, or make your own sandbag. Training with a partner is ideal for the wrestling and pad work, but the sessions can also be adapted for solo training.
Striking - 7 stations - 20-30 minutes - AMRAP - No rest
- Shadow Boxing – x 1 minute.
- Agility Drill – x 1 minute. Use an agility mat if you have one, or simply mark out spots on the ground and jump back and forth over them as fast as you can. Switch up the pattern-move back and forth, side to side, and diagonally.
- Rope jump – x 1 minute.
- Kicking Drill – x 30 kicks. Do ten reps of a ‘teep’ kick. Do them slowly, focusing on form. Immediately do another set, this time faster, but still keeping an eye on good form. For the last set kick as last as you can.
- Sprints x 25 metres – there and back and punch bag x10 as fast as you can. Repeat x 1.
- Combination attacks on the heavy bag – x 1 minute. Simple combinations on the heavy bag. Use, knees, kicks, elbows and fists.
- Sprints x 25 metres with 10 x jumping knee attacks to bag. Repeat x 1.
Wrestling Drills- 8 stations 20-30 minutes - AMRAP - No rest
- Sandbag shouldering and drop – x 1 minute.
- MMA floor kick-outs – x 45 seconds.
- Fireman’s carries/Sandbag carry sprint drills – x 25 metres. Drop bag. Sprint 25 metres and back. Repeat.
- Clinch work on the heavy bag – x 1 minute. Grabbing the heavy bag close to shoulders in the clinch. Pummel it for the duration using elbows, fists, hammer-fists and knees, from various angles. Keep close and don’t stop.
- MMA sprawls and counter-attacks – x 1 minute. Sprawl and get up with an immediate counter flurry of kicks and punches. Repeat.
- MMA Ground and pound on the punch bag – x 1 minute. Constantly switch position between ‘Full mount’ (sat on top of bag) and ‘Half Guard’ (on either side of the bag). Repeatedly punch bag into oblivion.
- Alternate sandbag squats – x 1 minute. Squat with the sandbag on one shoulder. On returning to standing, raise the sandbag above the head and transfer to the opposite shoulder. Squat. Repeat for time.
- Alternate sandbag half-get ups – x 1 minute.
💧 Whichever workout you undertake. Remember to always cool down, stretch and rehydrate!
🥊 Workout Complete!!
⚠️ Warning!
Please be aware that I am not a professional fighter or instructor. This MMA workout is intended for fun and general fitness, not expert training. Prioritize safety by using proper techniques and gear. Practice moves cautiously and avoid excessive force, especially with throws and striking. If you’re looking for more intense training, consider seeking guidance from a professional MMA gym. Remember, this workout carries inherent risks, and you assume responsibility for any potential injuries.
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