Training
UFC Undisputed 3’s career mode offers fourteen different kinds of drills and sparring exercises to improve your fighter. Each of the various training methods will offer improvements in one or two different attributes, and will also add a few points to specific skill sets the drills are aimed at. Unlike Undisputed 2010’s career, there is no stat decay this time around. You can train freely in any of the sessions without worrying about untrained stats decreasing. It should be noted though that frequently using the same training sessions over and over again will lead to decreases in certain statistics. Like the individualized tests you took before starting your career, each of the exercises is rated on a four-star system. The higher you rank, the more your stats will improve during that session. Take a look at this list of the training exercises, and which attributes they will help increase.
Before beginning any drill, always select “manual” training. Choosing the “auto” option will always result in a two-star performance, which you can easily earn on your own in “manual.” The great advantage is, “manual” will allow you to perform better, and result in faster improvements for your fighter.
Heavy Bag Drill: Speed, Footwork
The Heavy Bag Drill tasks you with striking highlighted areas of a heavy bag from different blocks encircling it. It’s incredibly easy, and you can build up your fighter’s speed and footwork attributes rather quickly. The Heavy Bag Drill also improves standing strikes/kicks offense and defense statistics.
Transition Drill: Strength, Cardio
The Transition Drill puts you on the ground on top of a sparring partner. You will be directed to make your way to a specific mount (half-guard, side control, north-south, full mount, etc). It’s a great way to learn the more intricate transition controls, and will help improve both ground top and bottom offenses and defenses.
Tire Flip Drill: Strength, Cardio
Like the Transition Drill, the Tire Flip Drill focuses on transitions. Unlike the Transition Drill, the Tire Flip mandates that you only use Pro controls. The benefits of the two drills are identical, though the execution is slightly different. The Transition Drill actually teaches you more than the Tire Flip though, so this drill is only for veterans of the series.
Focus Mitts Drill: Speed, Cardio
This drill primarily teaches you the basics of sway control. You’ll have to hit the trainer’s mitts, then sway out of the way of a strike from him. It’s a great teaching drill to get you used to sway, but the benefits are minimal at best. It only improves the standing strikes stats, so unless you only want to improve your punching, your time is better spent in other drills.
Takedown Defense Drill: Cardio, Footwork
A fairly simple drill, Takedown Defense has you stopping balls from rolling past you to teach you to be quicker with flicking the right stick to defend against an opponent’s takedown attempts. The drill will help you improve takedown offense and defense, and will also improve kicking offense and defense. It’s actually the easiest drill to improve cardio and footwork, but training too often in this drill will affect standing strikes negatively.
Cage Control Drill: Speed, Footwork
Cage Control is all about getting your sparring partner up against the cage, and working from the clinch. In addition to improving your speed and footwork, Cage Control will also improve the takedown, clinch striking, and clinch grappling offensive stats. One of the strongest training drills to do, this session is great for those of you who like to get up close and personal with your opponents.
Defense Drill: Cardio
Though it only improves one of your overall attributes, the Defense Drill is great for building up your fighter’s kicking and striking defenses. All you have to do is block a few strikes from your opponent in succession, and you get really great results for the effort. However, training in this drill too often will eventually result in decreasing your takedown defense and ground grappling offense.
Stand Up Spar: Strength
Stand Up Sparring puts you in the octagon against a partner, and you’ll have to strike and avoid attacks. Landing punches and kicks, as well as blocking or dodging your sparring partner’s will earn you points, while getting hit repeatedly will actually cause you to lose points. It’s a strong drill for advanced players, but newcomers may find their training time spent better elsewhere.
