I asked Florian "how many miles a week do UFC fighters run?" on twitter a few years ago. He said he loves running but it's not used much for training.
Think about all the Primetime training shows: Jackson's camp does a lot of hill intervals (at least for tv). From what I've seen, most fighters get their cardio from a combination of: swimming, circuit workouts which include drills on turf, Dyna bikes, elliptical machines, weight training (yes it can build cardio), 5 rds. of sparring is a high-level cardio workout, and Hendo says he never runs but instead uses stair machines.
As a triathlete myself, I can tell you that QUALITY runs take too long to recover from for an MMA camp. It's a high-impact workout that is done once a week even by elite runners.
Willin -You have to grapple... and particularly wrestle to know how much wind that takes out of you. Even after a "short" 6 minute wrestling match you're usually absolutely exhausted. The best way to gain the cardio for it is to do tons of live wrestling. Running a leisurely 3-5 mile jog isn't doing thattt much good other than sweating weight off. Wind sprints help more.
Do the overwhelming majority of top wrestling programs distance run?
TTT 
GSP and many others DO NOT run long distance... Its been argued that Marathon style runing is counterproductive for MMA style explosion training... Sprinting at 100% speeds in bunches and repitition help for the explosion that is nessasary for MMA.
KZTT_CodyLarge -in_different - Many dont run. Its not the same kind of cardio. Gsp said he only does mma training and gymnastics for cardio. Weightlifting for looks.
Running is kind of overrated. Great for the heart, but bad for the knees.I'd love to see the source of this. A:he runs, maybe not much but I've watched him to sprints. And B: no way the sentence "I lift weights just to look good" came out of his mouth lol
Sprints are certainly different and that is what GSP does... The op mentions "Miles" , many fighters with great gas tanks do not run... They just sprint train
Olive Garden Table For One -Willin -You have to grapple... and particularly wrestle to know how much wind that takes out of you. Even after a "short" 6 minute wrestling match you're usually absolutely exhausted. The best way to gain the cardio for it is to do tons of live wrestling. Running a leisurely 3-5 mile jog isn't doing thattt much good other than sweating weight off. Wind sprints help more.
Do the overwhelming majority of top wrestling programs distance run?
Only when cutting weight
These articles should help you out.
http://www.8weeksout.com/2012/02/23/roadwork-2-0-the-comeback/
http://www.8weeksout.com/2012/11/01/improve-your-conditioning/#
in_different -Olive Garden Table For One -Willin -You have to grapple... and particularly wrestle to know how much wind that takes out of you. Even after a "short" 6 minute wrestling match you're usually absolutely exhausted. The best way to gain the cardio for it is to do tons of live wrestling. Running a leisurely 3-5 mile jog isn't doing thattt much good other than sweating weight off. Wind sprints help more.
Do the overwhelming majority of top wrestling programs distance run?
Only when cutting weight
This is kind of true.
Sprinting actually gets your cardio/lungs/gas to a place live wrestling typically can't because of your body is involved. In a D1 wrestling room, the sprint workouts tend to bring heavier breathing.
Wrestlers will run/jog as an extra workout if they are cutting. They'll also often hop on a machine (eliptical, etc.) right after practice and get an extra 30 minutes in.
We would run "distance" (5 miles) or so for recovery. Not conditioning.
Lots of sprints. Mile, 800s, 400s, shorter distances.
NorthFromHere -Olive Garden Table For One -The answer is: NOT ENOUGH.
MMA is the only sport where even the top guys aren't physically prepared to compete for the duration for their schedeuled event.
MMA fighters (generalising) do not spend too much time with S&C, they spend too much time with training gimmicks instead of meat and potatoes conditioning like boxers and wrestlers concern themsevles with. Put down the club/kettle bell and underwater rock and pick up your running shoes.
Boxers fight 3 minute rounds and have 1 minute to rest in between rounds.
Wrestling is usually 2 x 3 minute periods with 1 minute rest in between.
MMA is usually at least 3 x 5 minute rounds with 1 minute rest in between.
Big difference.
High school wrestling is 3 rounds of 2 min. College is3,2,2. But thereis no break
Where I train we dont even have a tread mill, after a hour of rolling who the fuck wants to run 
Didn't Tito used to say the secret to his post Frank I cardio was running three miles as hard as he possibly could?
LastRowCarl -Where I train we dont even have a tread mill, after a hour of rolling who the fuck wants to run
Most top wrestling programs still sprint after this.
Not on a treadmill but on the mat.
The thing I didn't mention about running earlier is that its mental. That is the best training some athletes can give themselves. Its you against the road and yourself. Y.u know when you slack and when you push. You know when you give 100% effort and when you give 85%.
If we look at BJ Penn, he ran with all his effort against Diego Sanchez. And he took it a bit easy in Frankie Edgar fight 2. That's the idea of running. Many wrestlers in mma don't truly need that training because we KNOW they are mentally tough. Some do it because it helps them keep themselves motivated.
When i was fighting i did Sprint training at Acceleration. Sprints on an crazy incline treadmill and plyos. I made the 20 mph club and was in the best shape of my life.
I'm wondering if some of the top fighters/trainers who downplay the importance of road work are using EPO to boost their anaerobic threshold. AFAIK the commissions don't even test for it.
I think Frank shamrock used to do sprint work on a precor elliptical and taught tito that after their fight
Thanks for all the great input and suggestions but for some reason I feel like running long distance does help when I look at guys like nick Diaz who never gets tired.
MartialArtsMixed -Thanks for all the great input and suggestions but for some reason I feel like running long distance does help when I look at guys like nick Diaz who never gets tired.
I think it helps build his work capacity.
couture said he doesnt run cuz its bad for the knees
MartialArtsMixed - Thanks for all the great input and suggestions but for some reason I feel like running long distance does help when I look at guys like nick Diaz who never gets tired.
It does. It just isn't fun, so guys find reasons not to do it.