Rocky Balboa walking up the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art is one of the most iconic figures in sports history. For generations, fighters have been taught that getting in shape means waking up early, putting on your running shoes, and logging miles until your lungs burn. The message was simple: if you want championship-level cardio, you have to run.
But some of the biggest names in combat sports have taken a different approach. From Kamaru Usman and Merab Dvalishvili to heavyweight boxing champions Deontay Wilder and Wladimir Klitschko, elite fighters are questioning whether the traditional long distance run deserves its place in fight camps for decades. Some have replaced it with swimming, some with sport-specific conditioning, and some have practically cut it out altogether.
The idea isn’t that cardio doesn’t matter anymore. It’s just that running miles doesn’t automatically translate into being able to fight five rounds.
Usman made this point in 2019 when he explained that knee problems prevented him from running for three years. Despite this limitation, the former UFC lightweight champion was known for his relentless pace and ability to push his opponents into grueling fights. When asked how he maintains his conditioning, Usman explained that he approaches almost every workout from wrestling to pad work with combat intensity. He echoed this sentiment in 2023, saying he sometimes uses the pool to work on endurance, but relies heavily on hard, fast training.
This is quite a significant difference. Osman did not run away from the air conditioner. He was looking for ways to build it without repeatedly hitting his knees on the pavement.
Wilder took the alternative approach even further. In 2016, the former WBC heavyweight champion said he avoids traditional road work and does most of his conditioning in the water around his home. Swimming, water resistance and training around the lake became part of his routine. Wilder believed that water allowed him to exercise his body without the same effects associated with running. His approach wasn’t exactly traditional, but his ability to maintain a high tempo in the ring meant there was more than one way to prepare for a fight.
Wladimir Klitschko came to a similar conclusion during his heavyweight reign. After years of running, the former champion increasingly favored swimming and training that mimicked the movements and demands of boxing. In a 2016 interview, Klitschko explained that he had changed his routine and was no longer running. He also emphasized the importance of sport-specific training, including extensive sparring.
The reasoning makes sense. A boxer does not compete by running several miles at a steady pace. Fighters must repeatedly explode into combos, defend, grapple, grapple, change direction, and heal while the opponent is actively trying to hurt them. Building a strong aerobic base is important, but so is developing the ability to recover between high-intensity efforts.
Swimming can help promote cardiovascular health by reducing the impact on the joints. Wrestling rounds, ground work, sparring, and circuit training can develop conditioning while forcing athletes to work with movements that more closely resemble the demands of competition. None of this makes running useless. This means that roadwork is one tool in a larger toolbox.
The next generation makes its own air conditioners
Vasiliy Lomachenko has also refined his approach over the years. In 2018, the former world champion said that he significantly reduced his running to protect his knees. Instead of running every day as he once did, Lomachenko said he stopped running 10 kilometers once a week and roller-skiing played a bigger role in his training.
This change reflects a greater focus for elite fighters: training is not just about getting ready for the next fight. It’s about keeping the body healthy enough to compete for years. Repetitive high-impact work combined with sparring, strength training and the physically punishing demands fighters take in the gym can be difficult to manage. For athletes with existing joint problems, finding less impactful ways to maintain fitness can be especially valuable.
Merab Dvalishvili offers another perspective. The UFC bantamweight has built a reputation for an almost absurd work rate, but he says he doesn’t treat endurance as a separate activity. Instead, he focuses on high-volume training, with running, swimming, and the gym serving as supplemental options rather than the foundation of his conditioning.
This approach is especially interesting in MMA, where the best cardio comes from being able to meet the actual demands of the sport. A fighter can be an excellent distance runner and still struggle to maintain an effective pace while defending takedowns, jumping over the fence, or recovering from a hard run. Conversely, an athlete who wrestles, grapples, and works intense rounds for hours can develop the endurance of a big fight without relying solely on long runs.
Of course, no one-size-fits-all approach works for everyone. Long distance running remains a useful method of building aerobic capacity, and many fighters continue to use it as part of their training. Swimming also does not automatically produce better combat cardio. The correct conditioning plan depends on the athlete, their health, training load and the demands of the specific sport.
More interestingly, fighters no longer treat traditional road work as a forced rite of passage. The old-school approach is still valuable, but elite athletes are increasingly willing to question whether every part of it deserves a place in their camp.
Rocky Balboa will always be in the minds of fight fans running the streets of Philadelphia. But the modern champions have shown that there are other ways to build the engine needed to get through five grueling laps.
The goal was never to be the best runner in the gym. This was to make sure you could still fight when the other person was tired.
And increasingly, fighters find their own ways to get there.