Ilia Topuria’s latest training glimpse arrived with his UFC lightweight championship defense against Justin Gaethje set for the White House event this weekend, Men’s Health released a “Train Like” feature that shows how Topuria prepares when the stakes are high.

Ilia Topuria Shares Training Details Ahead of UFC White House Freedom 250

The session is short on gimmicks and heavy on repetition, warm-up work, striking rounds, pad work, technical sparring, and bag work, all built around the pace Topuria says he prefers in camp. The bout is scheduled for UFC Freedom 250 at the White House on June 14, with Topuria making his first defense of the title he won in 2025.

Topuria’s own comments in the Men’s Health video help explain the structure. He says he considers himself a boxer, but adds that his striking is built around his jiu-jitsu base. That lines up with his MMA record, where he has won by mostly knockouts and submission in close to equal measure.

“Usually, I don’t like to know what the training session is going to look like. I like to be surprised… I’ve built an aggressive boxing style around my jiu-jitsu.”

He also says he usually trains in two daily blocks, with technical work in the morning and physical work later in the day. Men’s Health’s footage shows that rhythm in practice, mixing movement drills with pad combinations and controlled sparring rather than focusing on a single skill set.

“Usually I have two training sessions in the day. We usually do the technical part in the morning and the physical part in the evening.”

The session also shows what Topuria does not enjoy. In the video, he says he hates sprint work the most, calling it more of a mental test than a physical one. He also says he prefers bodyweight training and likes to be surprised by what the session will look like, which fits the style of the feature itself.

“I hate the sprints on the track. 100 m, 200 m, 400 m. You have to push yourself over and over and over.”

Image: @iliatopuria/Instagram

The Spanish-Georgian, who grew up in Germany, Topuria’s comments in the Spanish Men’s Health interview add more context to the camp and the mindset behind it. He said he was already dealing with a more mature version of himself than the fighter fans saw on the cover a year earlier, and he spoke about learning from hard moments rather than hiding from them. He also said the decision to move forward in fighting has always been tied to family, discipline, and the freedom to choose his own path.

“I don’t want my son to be forced into fighting. I want him to choose his own way.”

There is a simple reason this training reveal lands well, it fits Topuria’s public image without polishing it too much. He is a fighter who talks openly about discipline, weight cuts, and the grind of camp, and the Men’s Health feature backs that up with a clear look at the work itself.

• Neck rolls.
• Mat exercises.
• Jump rope.
• Agility ladder drills.
• Band-resisted shadowboxing.
• Striking drills.
• Pad work.
• Technical sparring.
• Bag work.
• Track sprints.
• 100m runs.
• 200m runs.
• 400m runs.

Justin Gaethje and Coach Analyze Ilia Topuria’s Reactions Under Pressure. [Image via UFC]