Sun Oct 05 05:00:00 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a news article summarizing the text:

**Headline: Daniel Cormier’s Unorthodox Gi Training Secret: How It’s Revolutionizing MMA Wrestling**

**San Jose, CA** – Former UFC two-division champion Daniel Cormier is known for his impressive fight record, but he’s also making waves as a coach with a training philosophy that goes against the grain of traditional American wrestling for MMA. Cormier mandates his wrestlers train in the gi, a traditional martial arts uniform, a practice most wrestling coaches would never consider.

Cormier, who now trains fighters at his own gym, explained that twice a week he makes his team wear gi. He backs up his method by his own personal career experience, citing his fight with Adriano, how training with gi makes grappling much better, creating space and elbowing with fluidity.

For wrestlers transitioning to MMA, the gi creates resistance that exposes weaknesses in control, posture, and patience. Grips on the fabric mimic the friction and hold points common in MMA, such as when opponents grab the cage or slow down scrambles. This forces wrestlers to develop more sophisticated grappling skills and strategies.

“It’s just a puzzle,” Cormier stated, referring to gi jiu-jitsu which was mandatory during his fighting career. He also points to the success of fighters from regions like Dagestan and Georgia, where combat sambo, which incorporates gi grappling from a young age, is common. This training produces athletes with a more comprehensive grappling base.

The gi forces precision over raw power, building patience and teaching escapes against constant pressure. Cormier emphasizes that it conditions wrestlers for the realities of MMA, where opponents will grab anything they can.

Cormier’s gi-focused approach is seeing success, shaping well-rounded MMA fighters who understand grappling as a complete martial art, not just wrestling. This innovative approach represents a shift in American wrestling coaching for MMA, ensuring his athletes develop the complex grappling skills needed to compete against opponents with extensive grappling backgrounds. In modern MMA, adaptation and comprehensive training are crucial for success, and Cormier’s methods aim to provide just that.

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